#v: central city (canon compliant)

[drsncw]

She was pretty sure she'd never been asked to a career day or to anything music related from a relative stranger in a very long time. Frankly if there wasn't the paranoia settling in in the back of her mind she would have been flattered. Luckily they wouldn't be able to access any area that had any potential flash business without knowing what floor they were on, so they didn't run a real risk. "Are you trying to get me to come talk to your students and asking me on a date?"

“Well, that's a shame,” he said, pursing his lips as he further studied the scientist. She was undeniably beautiful and evidently brilliant; he wanted to see her again, get to know her better. “Maybe you show up to our next career day? The kids would be very impressed if a renowned scientist from S.T.A.R. Labs showed up. I’m over at Carmichael Elementary,” he explained with a smile. “Or… maybe you enjoy good music and you go to my gig at O’Malley’s tomorrow night. If you give me your number, I can text you the details.”

[simlit]

RQOTD: What is a random fact or piece of information about your story that you have been wanting to share but haven’t had a reason to share it?

an abridged list of random facts...

my inspiration for Taryn's mother, Celesta, was the movie Dogma in which Alanis Morrissette plays God, and while she's adorable and playful, she never actually speaks. My headcanon is that Celesta communicated with her children in a telepathic way, but not so much words as just sensation, which is why Taryn appears to understand her sentiment, but can't entirely translate what she means or thinks. He and Elsera are the only two capable of this communication with her.

he doesn't remember, but the first voice Taryn ever heard (out loud lol) was actually Edontas, who was his sworn guard when he was a baby. In a strange parallel, Edontas is also the first person to ever see newborn Zehel on the night of his birth.

it is now completely canon that after settling down, yehl owns several bathhouses.

...and for those interested in deep lore, I'll put the rest below a cut.

O R I G I N S | O F | T H E | S E V E N

an overview of the seven clans of elves

V A L L A E D I A

Judine belonged to the Vallaedia, known as the “Ascendant Clan”. This clan was in direct blood relation to Valleda (i.e. her biological children and their descendants). It was said that elves born into this line had the purest blood and strongest connection to the root of arcane magic. In the first age, the Vallaedia projected themselves as being the most powerful, and by self-proclaimed right, seated themselves above the other six. In the modern timeline, the Vallaedia are typically the richest and most influential of elves. Their city is Everleira, the main capital, and its immediate surroundings. Only those of this clan can live within the walls of the citadel, in the shadow of the royal palace and the high sanctum. Up until the reign of Judine, the presiding monarch (always Vallaedian) would take their first spouse from their own clan. That spouse would be given the title King or Queen Consort, and the first child born to this marriage would be heir to the throne. Judine and Anora are both Vallaedian, but despite this, Judine abolished the old marriage laws, and clan affiliation during his reign. This change was embraced by some, and resented by others.

A E S E N A R

Lonis belonged to the Aesenar. Elves of this clan historically aligned themselves with the Vallaedia, acting as their complement, and often doing their dirty work or enforcing their laws. For this they were rewarded, often given high seating, noble titles and other privileges over the lower clans. Historically, it has most usually (but not always) been the case that the royal child born from this clan would be selected as the High Mage. Though the Vallaedia often claimed to be the most gifted, the most powerful elves in history often belonged to this clan. Their most notable contribution being the creation of the Arcanta; godlike weapons that absorb the power of their owners and their prey. Because of their good standing with the Vallaedia, the Aesenar occupy the east. Their cities are innovative and metropolitan, rivaling even Everleira in size and population. Aesenar law is often strict and intolerant, and culturally the Aesenar are cold, poignant, and studious.

O L L U I N

The twins, Linnaea and Thera, belonged to the Olluin. While not as scheming and calculated as the Aesenar, the Olluin were key to the Vallaedia’s standing as the dominant clan. The Olluin were compliant, and due to their size and penchant for agriculture, had a great deal of sway over the lower clans. The Olluin occupy large swaths of land to the west and south of the capital. They produce the vast majority of the kingdom’s food, supporting the larger cities like Everleira. They do not have a centralized city, and royals born into this bloodline rarely see their families or spend much time in the region. Many Olluin villages were burned during The Scorching.

L Y R E I

Yehl’s elder sister Alloria belonged to the Lyrei. Coastal-dwelling elves who occupy many beautiful cities along the seaside. Elves of this clan are known to be elegant, polite and artistic. Because of their magic and beauty, they were often regarded by sea-faring races as gods or prophets. In OST, Naida and the other mermaids revere Alloria as their goddess.

N Y T H R I E N

Porphery belonged to the Nythrien. The Nythrien dwelled in the hills and valleys to the north of Everleira. Culturally, they put great focus on discovery, cultivation and knowledge. Many Nythrien make pilgrimages over the course of their lives to Everleira to study at the sanctum. The clan is fairly small, and considered weak by most others, known only for their book smarts.

M E T U N O R

Yehl’s brother Lux belonged to the Metunor, “the Clan of the Fauna and Flora”. The Metunor were the poorest of the clans, but valued nature and their earthen roots above all. They were a simple people, though were often disparaged by the higher clans as many Metunor were born Nil’Arcan (without magic). During the Arcanian Wars, fragments of this clan broke away and migrated north, eventually evolving into the races of men. The Metunor were decimated by The Scorching as they mostly resided to the south when Elsera began her war against the elves. It exists in the sequel's timeline only in the form of the northern tribes of men.

V A L E N ‘ L E I

Yehl’s clan, the Valen’Lei, was the only clan not to align with the Vallaedia at the beginning of the war and remained faithful to the goddess Celesta. They were threatened with annihilation by the Aesenar, and eventually submitted to neutrality. They were given the Old Halls— Loein, the First Elven City— and were sequestered there for over a thousand years. The only Valen’Lei permitted within the capital, were the reigning monarch’s spouse and their children. However, some Valen’Lei entered Everleira illegally, founding the Celestial Order in attempt to educate the common elf about their history. This often failed and ended in years of violence and uprisings. Despite their exile, the Valen’Lei prospered. Because they were often left to their own governance, and retained their close ties to their celestial roots, they lived rather peacefully, maintaining diplomacy, serenity and modesty. After Judine assumes the throne, the Valen’Lei expand, building a sister city, Llythien, in the Valley of Sky. It is the only city in such close proximation to Lazu’Lei, the home of Taryn and Yehl. The Celaedian is its “mythe” (patron saint).

[lighttheabyss]

//AUs I need to do more with, if anyone is interested...

v; imperatoria magicae - Khaida and her father got caught on the ‘gyr abanian’ side of Baelsar’s Wall when the boundaries were first set, and she spent from age 11 onto age 18 with the M tribe having taken them in. Wanting to see more than just their little part of Gyr Abania and learn more magic than her conjury and earn something more for her father than perpetual ‘aan’ status, she joined the Garlean military, despite the anti-Imperial sentiment in the Peering Stones. She’s a Medicus, and follows orders well unless she has someone being stubborn about getting healed up.

v; alpine stars -  When Khaida tried to follow Brodi’a outside their home village, she…got lost. Very lost. And ended up in Central Coerthas, sick and fleeing slavers. She was rescued and taken in by a knight of House Haillenarte stationed at the Steel Vigil, Faimont de Flourine. She grows up remembering little of her early childhood, and learning that Ishgard is not always welcoming of even those adopted into it. With much barred to her, especially after her father’s forced retirement due to injury, she ends up working in the Forgotten Knight…and jumps at the call for machinists and Janne’s call for those interested in a new type of astrologians. When Joye and other MCHs are sent to help with the war to free Ala Mhigo, she ends up being one of those MCHs.

v; of the red moon - Deep in the Twelveswood, in the place known as Urth’s Gift and beyond, there lives a group of rather odd Keepers of the Moon. Descendants of both Mhachi mages and Amdapori mages, they practice their own brand of what many call ‘Red Magic’. They are silent protectors of their little part of the woods, looking after not only Urth’s Fount but also the ruins of Amdapor and Gelmorra, their mages acting as both guards and their connection to the Elementals so they might live in the woods in peace.

v; a ruined kingdom. an empty title - Non-canon compliant Royal AU. Khaida is a wandering mage and seer whose only company usually consists of her chocobo, her direwolf, and her fairy. She is the last of the royal Céadnym line of the lost city of Nym, the last line that can trace their roots directly back to Mhach before Nym, and there are those who want her people wiped out completely, so she wanders, setting no roots despite wishing to settle down…

[drsncw]

‘ you look like you just saw a ghost.’ from barry

Random Dialogue 2.0

She put the picture back in the drawer where she'd found it. It had been in a box of things that she vaguely remembered putting there once they'd been let in after the particle accelerator explosion. She'd stashed it away in the back of the supply closet when she'd been in mourning and now she was finding it again. "Just cleaning some things" she said as she shook her head, trying to brush the feeling away, "I found some things from before the particle accelerator, I just wasn't expecting to find it"

[drsncw]

She smiled as she moved towards him, she'd set up a small sit down area when she'd sequestered herself in the lab a few days ago, just in case she did take small food breaks. "We can eat over here" she said as she motioned for him to follow her towards the small round table that was near the window of the lab. There wasn't much to see currently as it was dark, but it was a nice view in the day.

tommy smirked ❝well twist my arm❞ he teased because he had brought food for himself, hoping she'd want company. after leaving star city, he was sure he was making a mistake not fighting for laurel, the first women he'd ever love, but working with team flash, was.. well it made him feel as if for the first time he was happy and actually had a purpose. caitlin was a huge part of that

[drsncw]

“I’m going to be perfectly honest, I haven’t had any breakfast and only one sip of caffeine this morning. I need at least a bagel and a rather large dose of caffeine if you want me to be absolutely enthralled by what you are trying to convey”

[drsncw]

"You just look like a blur that's moving quickly, I guess you could attribute a hummingbird's wings to it" she said thoughtfully as she shifted against her chair, "What is your favorite then?"

"It's amazing, it's so cool." He was a dork and he knew it, but he didn't care. He was excited. "What do I look like? Does it look like a hummingbird flapping its wings when I phase?" He asked. He's never SEEN it from Caitlin's perspective, unless he was looking at Reverse Flash or another speedster. "No, it's not my favorite but it's fun, for sure."

[drsncw]

She watched him carefully, her face a perfect mask of calm because it was strange for anyone to want to see the particle accelerator. Most people still had such awful associations with it, it was why it was a forbidden area for the public, especially since they didn't need to see what had been done with it. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to find alternative ways to impress your students, the area is off limits to the public"

“Someone with clearance… such as you?” he ventured a guess, a cheeky grin on his lips as he studied her body language. “See, I’m a music teacher and, if I got a photo in there, I would be a personal hero to many of my students. Wouldn’t you want to be part of that?” A feigned pout as he glanced at the scientist. “Come Monday, little Keith and Caroline will look up to me and think I’m like Superman. Wouldn’t that be dandy?”