#“oh you think a woman can't be a dragoon

[carnivorous-arboretum]

transfem estinien has been so burned into me and my friend group that i get kinda jumpscared whenever im reminded the vast majority of players see her as a man

[gu6chan]

the brief mention that 1.3 leonard could still be feeling some deep lingering grief over his brothers' deaths still never fails to fascinate me tbh like, does he think of the standards he must have lost since their passing and feel guilt? or does he see them in every child he abuses??? does he keep his grief to himself or does he find it a useful anecdote to what must be a countless number of families dealing with loss??? does the green dragon know? does he confide in it????? since leonard seems to be aware of what arioch lost to the union, just how aware is/was she in what HE lost???????? did they have a role in each other's loss? is THAT where their beef came from??????? im going to merge into a wall

[ranger-rai]

Back to Summer Camp

The sun had already reached its peak by the time he arrived at the camp.

He was usually pretty excited to interract with the trainers and share fun stories and teach new skills, but he was having a rougher time this year.

So much had happened in just a year and it showed a bit on the ranger.

"I could really go for some tea right now." He sighed, having his bag slung over his shoulder. He felt like he should track down Ellisa, but he was familiar enough with the place that he was sure he would find her soon.

Rai still found much pride in what he does, but after an encounter with the multiverse and learning some pretty unsettling things about your own life and people you know, you can't help but feel a heavy weight on your shoulders.

As Rai began to trek towards the nursery, a sudden realization came to his mind as he froze in place for a moment before frantically searching his pockets, bag, and even under his hat.

The notes he had planned for the whole trip were sitting on his kitchen table.

"Noooo!" He cursed himself as he whipped out his Pory-Phone.

"Come on, what is going on with you?" He muttered to himself as he began a video call, the line finally being picked up by a woman.

"Hey! I know you're not missing me already." She answered with a smirk.

Rai chuckled and blushed a little. Tia was the leader of the rising Poke-Tri Games sports team, "Wild Dragoons." She's tall, beautiful, and graceful in the air. However, her intimidating personality and icy stare has given her a reputation in the publics eye.

After his recent, life altering adventure into the multiverse, he finally had the courage to ask her out, and they have been dating for a little while now.

While her expressions and personality might seem cold and indifferent to everyone, Rai is the one who gets to see her true, playful personality and there's something to that which he can't help but find endearing.

"N-no... yeah, I do! But I'm calling because I left some papers on my table, and I might need them sent over somehow."

Rai blushed in embarrassment at the question, still frustrated at his own actions, but he was sure things could be rectified.

"Oh.." Tia responded.

"Oh?" Rai echoed in confusion.

"Oh." She replied as she positioned her phone to the table to see shredded up papers all over the place.

There was a slight pause between the two, as they both took in the sight.

"Runt or Kuriboh?" He asked.

"Both" She responded.

Rai sighed in frustration. Two of his naughtiest pokemon at their finest work. He knew Tia would be able to handle them, but he still needed those papers.

"Hey, it's not that bad." Tia stated, turning the phone back onto her.

"It is, though. Things have been so chaotic since...you know...and things just keep falling apart."

Rai felt his emotions welling up, something he had been catching himself doing a lot more lately.

"First, that guy shows up. Then everything with your family. Now Minnie is leaving soon, and I just -"

"Hey! It's going to be okay. It's just a summer camp. Not every little change is life threatening. Things have been crazy, and you have been stuck in fight or flight mode for a while now, but right now, you can relax." Tia corrected his thinking.

Rai knew she was right, this was supposed to be a trip to educate and get his mind off of the chaos that became his life.

"Yeah, you're right. This place is pretty nice, so I should try and enjoy it."

"Good, that's the best thing to do right now. Do you want me to try and fly you some replacement documents?" Tia suggested. She was pretty fast on her Noivern, but it still would be a trip.

"No, I think I'm just gonna wing it."

Rai explained his plan for a bit before seeing his partner off and heading towards the nursery because he really wanted some tea.

[crimsonfluidessence]

Prompt 5: Stamp

When you were Esredes, you formed strange relationships in your day to day life. Yes, he had people he relied on and trusted, but there was something to those times with people, where both of you simply remained idle and recognizable passerbys to each other.

A few times each month, Esredes pushed his way through the Dravanian Embassy doors and approached the desk. "Hi," he said to the Hyur woman behind it. "Hello, Esredes," she said in her usual tone- it wasn't overly warm and friendly, but it wasn't unfriendly either- it was one of mutuality. There was little hesitance before her next question: "What was it this time?" "Dragoon." Esredes started. She began writing down on a piece of paper, scoffing. "Oh, it couldn't be. I was *sure* you were going to say Inquisitor." They both chuckled about it, then she spoke again. "Continue." "Young. Young and completely naive," Esredes said. "Right." "Saved her from peril." She wrote this down without a word. "What's the name of each?"

He recited two sets of names, one human and one in Dragonspeak. Within a few minutes, she had everything filled out- one of the few things Esredes had noted about the woman was the terrifying speed at which she could do paperwork. She slid it over, her fine script handwriting pristine and neat to an almost uncanny degree as always, much better than his- and stamped it. "All done," she said, sliding it over and handing over the envelope after stamping that too. Esredes took the papers and smiled at her. "Thanks. You're truly sent by Halone." She smiled at him. "I'll see you back in in a week or two?" He laughed. "You most likely will. Do take care."

It was three weeks later.

"Dragoon." She wrote it down. "Looked around my age. She claimed she simply 'decided to follow this mortal' and won't go away. Very... childish." "Names." He recited another set of them. Soon enough, the paperwork was slid over again, the stamp of approval perfectly pressed into the parchment. "So," he said when he ended up back in there a week later as she wrote everything down. "How about that snowstorm yesterday?" "I wrapped a blanket around myself and sat by my fireplace with tea for two hours," she offered, not looking up from the paperwork as she filled it out. "That sounds a lot nicer than me. I was caught out in it." She glanced up to him, but offered no words, only asking a question with her eyes, to which he didn't respond. Not for a moment as the beat dragged on. "...I had to burrow in the snow for a while. Not fun." "You'd think you would watch the sky better," she remarked. He ran a hand through his hair. "The clouds didn't look any grayer than usual." She slid the papers over. "Now the little one is safe in the city."

"Do you think," Esredes said when he came in five days later, "that the little ones are drawn to those who tried to kill them because their parents didn't teach them to be afraid of men? Or is it that they did, but didn't explain the differences, and they all have a rebellious nature?" She slowly shrugged up at him. "I think we must all look the same to them," she offered. "We need to get these laws changed." Esredes said. "What if you run out of ink before we manage to approve every dragonet a civilian or Dragoon brings in to the city without getting permission." "Then we'll make them pay for the ink." She smiles. "You're right." Esredes said. "They can't be spending all that gil on too much..." She slid the papers forward, still smiling. "Have a good day, Esredes." "Thanks." He picked them up. "You're truly sent by Halone." "I don't mind if you say Shiva, you know." "Shiva, then, too." Esredes turned and walked to the door and looked back at her. "Take care."

The two of them would have the same conversation, over and over again. Maybe it would be next week. Maybe it would be tomorrow. It was like a plague- every time you fixed one problem, you found two more people who had dragonets on their shoulders and were somehow completely oblivious to how unsafe it was to have one out in the middle of Foundation.

And so he went back to the Embassy. And so they chatted over the paperwork. And so she approved the forms, and he left. In all likelihood, they would never go out to eat together, or get swept up in a long and surprisingly revealing conversation like he often got caught up in- but he at least knew she would always be there in the wake of another argument with a clueless loyalist, and for that, she was truly sent by something as a dose of normalcy among the lunacy of his everyday life.

[sasslett]

A lil WIP

I was editing and completely forgotten I had written this... I love it. --

"I must say," Hien began, turning to eye the Elezen curiously, "I can't help but notice the two of you fight in a style I haven't seen employed here in the Far East."

Varrus hadn't considered that before - he supposed, without the threat of dragons, a dragoon would be something of a rare sight in the region. 

"It's a method from Ishgard, created specifically to combat dragonkind," the Elezen explained. 

Hien smiled. "While I saw you in action from a distance, I should very much like to see an up close demonstration of your skills, if the two of you would be so kind."

"Two on one doesn't seem very fair," Jess pointed out - not that that had stopped them before.

"Oh, not against me," the samurai laughed. "Against each other, if you would. Nothing serious, of course, but I do believe we have some time before the feast."

"Nothing serious, he says," Jess grinned, shooting Varrus a smirk that he knew only meant trouble… yet he was extremely happy to oblige. There was something so… exhilarating, fighting the one person on the entire star who could truly match his skill. And, judging by her eager expression, she agreed. 

"Did I hear that correctly?" Lyse asked, hurrying over to the group - and bringing with her a very unpleasant scent. "Are Varrus and Jess sparring?" She plopped herself down onto the grass, looking up at the two with an expectant grin. "Oh, I love seeing them go at it - on the battlefield, I mean. Um..."

Varrus snorted - oh, if she only knew… Yet all the same, he turned to his lover beside him, unsheathing his weapon. 

"Are you ready?"

"Always."

The two moved to an open area just outside the camp, squaring each other off. It seemed Lyse wasn't their only new spectator, as several others from the camp curiously made their way over, the setting sun casting the perfect fiery glow over the two combatants. 

They'd done this countless times, this delicate dance, slowly circling each other, each looking for an opening they knew they wouldn't find. Jess took the opportunity to summon her draconic aura and the power of the Eye - she was serious - though he couldn't help but notice she channeled the eye to him, too.

"You know, you'd be stronger if you didn't share that," the Elezen chuckled, firing up his own blue aura. 

"But where's the fun in that?" came the woman's reply, as she flashed him a mischievous smile. "Besides… I don't think I could even if I tried. It just kind of… does that."

One of them would have to do something at some point, lest they disappoint their audience… It being a simple sparring match with nothing on the line, Varrus chose to make the first move, lunging at the woman with his lance. 

He was predictable, of course, as the woman neatly backflipped away - but so was she, as he followed suit, vaulting before her with ease and swinging his lance in a wide arc towards her. She ducked, countering with her own swing, one he easily parried. 

And so the two continued their adrenaline-fueled match, leaping and clashing and firing their aether at each other in a familiar song and dance, and Varrus enjoyed every enthralling minute of it. There was something oddly comforting about sparring with her, the person he knew better than anyone else, inside and out. It was as though he could read her thoughts, predict her every move, as the two effortlessly parried each other's blows and leapt to and fro, giving their audience quite the show. 

Not only that, but Varrus had to admit, there was also something… well, sexy about watching his lover in battle - the way her eyes lit up like the stars, the fire in her gaze and the excitement in her grin, the way her armor tightly hugged her gorgeous body, her muscles rippling with every acrobatic move… Perhaps there was something wrong with him, but it was a sight he simply couldn't ever get enough of. 

Eventually, the two found themselves where they always ended up - lances locked, panting, standing face to face, mere ilms apart. 

"What now?" the man whispered, neither giving an ilm nor pressing his attack. 

He watched as the woman's eyes flickered down to his lips, then lower, then to the audience watching them… before she, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, leaned in and placed a hand behind his head, pulling his lips down to hers. And he, being the hot-blooded, incredibly aroused man that he was, couldn't help but follow through, every thought fleeing his small brain as he felt her tongue run along his lips. Perhaps some small part of him wondered if now was really the time or place… 

Only to feel the hard thwack of her lance swinging down across his shins, sweeping his feet out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground. 

Yet as the man laid there on the windswept grass, he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation, as Jess raised her lance triumphantly, the crowd hooting and hollering in the background. She was, truly, the most amazing person he'd ever met. 

And she was his.

With a twinkle in her eye, the Highlander reached down and offered a hand, pulling him back to his feet and giving him a quick peck on the lips as soon as he was up. 

"Nice one," Varrus couldn't help but compliment, beaming down at his lover. Gods… he was the luckiest person on the star, to be able to call a woman as amazing as her his partner, in every sense of the word. "Though, somehow, I don't think that one will work for the Naadam."

"Of course not," she shot him a sultry smile, running a finger along his chest. "I kept that one for you and you alone." And with that, she turned and waltzed back to the camp, as he couldn't help but admire her as she left. Would that they could have any amount of privacy… But no, they were stuck in a tiny camp, with nothing but small tents and strangers all around, not a lick of privacy whatsoever. So he'd just have to bring himself to behave.

[bluemooncove]

They stepped through a doorway in the entryhall and out into a beautiful courtyard. At its center was a small orange pond surrounded by a grove of trees. The cool breeze and fresh air felt nice after having spent the night in what was basically a fortress. A little ways away a forge seemed to be set up. An enormous bronze sculpture resembling the head of a dragon was mounted above it.

"Now you will have the opportunity to meet the main pair who keep everyone's equipment within their best shape. Blacksmith is the finest craftswoman I've ever met we're lucky to have them."

At the forge were a pair of women. One an enormous muscular lady near seven feet in height. A pair of distinct curved horns protruded from her forehead. With one hand she swung a hammer that met with hot steel. The other woman was a tiny lady not even four foot in height. On her head she wore an oversized jingasa. Wrinkles covered her face. As the smith hammered this woman tended to the fire, controlling it with a mixture of tools and some sort of supernatural force.

They finished as the group approached. The huge lady shoved the hot blade into a nearby bucket of water. It was then that she spotted the others, her face lit up with joy.

"You're this season's new apprentices aren't you? I'm so happy to meet you all, I'm only a few years senior to ya so I still remember what it's like to be joining. Don't worry, most people are really friendly. Isn't that right granny?"

"Oh yes, things are quite peaceful now. Much better than when I started, with all that guild war business. Dreadful stuff."

"Woah! The guild wars? That would mean you were a member over thirty years ago, wouldn't it?"

"I've been around for a lot more than that, young lady. I was getting up there in age by the time we faced Gevurah."

"Eh, I know I'm not good at this whole timeline thing but wouldn't that have been something like fifty years ago?"

"Not quite ~ but my great grandma is a hundred and twelve."

"Huh! No way!? I get she's wrinkly and all but there's no way she's that old and still working with the guild."

"No really it's true! Granny is just an eighth gnome, so she's got a bit of a longer lifespan."

"Oh that explains why she's so short."

"No she's just old!"

"No, I'm just old!"

"Huh?"

"That's what happens when you get old! You get shorter!"

"Ma'am please stop joking around. You are the smallest woman I've ever seen!"

"No it's true that's what happens when you get old. Granny used to be my height but being old makes you small."

"Spru- Dusk Witch I'm not losing my mind, right? This is weird?"

"I can't understand why you guys are acting like this. It's perfectly normal to get short when you are old. Have you never met an old woman."

Dragoon coughed loudly.

"Anyways! Firetender here used to be Blacksmith before she passed the title down to her granddaughter and then great granddaughter. While most are not guild members, much of her extended family help with the procuring of resources of with working in the smithy."

"Oh, that sounds really nice! My family was like that too. Hey ... what is with the horns? Are those a gnome thing too?"

"Gnomes do not have horns."

"Oh no! I'm only 1/64th gnome. I'm just also 31/64th human and 1/2th oni on my father's side. Oh ... um ... by the way. I think your leech friend may have dived into our pond while we were having this conversation."

"SEEKER DON'T BOTHER THE DRAGON KOI"

[bluemooncove]

"Unpopular? Oh no, I wouldn't say that, if anything she's quite the opposite. That's part of her problem. Necromancer has made a name for herself among her generation. Perhaps she's too creepy for many to work directly with her but her dedication to her guildmates has earned her plenty of support. No, the issue is she's far too aristocratic.

It's quite clear she intends to be a Meister, like me, some day and once she has it she'll push to make the guild even more nobby than it already is. It's tough enough for commoners to achieve the notoriety to enter our guild and her whole cabal only want to make the guild more hostile to them. Turn it into a hoity-toity elite clubhouse. With titles and all thems bells and whistles.

Geodancer and I have done a lot to push back against the elitism the guild held. Necromancer has no respect for that. In fact, I don't think she has any respect for me. Any opportunity she has to push back or criticize me she takes, regardless of the difference in our rank. it's absolutely infuriating."

Armor Knight had spiraled into something of a rant. These were feelings she considers to be unbecoming and unprofessional. It meant they remained bottled up even around trusted guild members such as Dragoon. This conversation with Rirune was, in fact, the only time she'd been so open about the strained relationship the two shared. A better indicator of her trust in the man then any other.

"But even then? I can't deny that she'll do whatever she can for her presently existing guild members, regardless of their station. Nor can I deny she's remarkably skilled in very rare magical arts. She's a particularly good and respectable asset to the guild. Just one I will try my damndest to keep from decision making and influence."

During the knight's complaining the Inn's keeper had arrived. A stout man of not more than four an a half feet. A dwarf! The apron he wore worked hard to guard the Hawaiian shirt beneath it from countless stains from meals once cooked. Beneath his thick and bushy beard a jovial smiled beamed at the both of them. A jungle of hair hid much of his face but flecks of gray in combination with glimpses of wrinkles suggested he'd been here for quite a long time.

Not wanting to interrupt, he worked to lift the Inn's gate before approaching. Beyond the gate was a courtyard that seemed to open into a number of small rooms. Once, before the innkeeper had even lived here, this place had been a small fort. Some small semblance of that remained in the raised outer walls surrounding the courtyard's perimeter. At Rirune's greeting he gave a silent nod but did not speak until she seemed to be done.

"Ah Miss Mawg- ..."

His gaze shifted to the woman beside her. Wait! Was she a guild member? With how casually Armor Knight had complained he assumed not but the professional way that she dressed suggested otherwise. He coughed awkwardly and corrected himself.

"Miss Armor Knight, it's good to see that you've brought a friend. Aloha ma'am and welcome to Ray's Inn. I am not Raymond, old man's been gone a long time now, but you can call me Kalani. That or a lot of the locals call me chief."

"Of course, most of the guild calls him Innkeeper. We like to keep to our traditions after all. Yes, this is Carmilla, a new friend of the guild."

"Aloha Miss Carmilla. Welcome to the inn, there are no forms to fill out so don't even worry. I just judge if someone seems like good business by eye and let me tell you, Beauty's guild has never given me bad business. A normal room is just fine. Will you be reserving it long term? Many clientele from the guild tend to stay long term, which gets no complaints for me. It's plenty good for business."

As he explained, Armor Knight retrieved a small sack from her side. The jingling sound it made suggested there were quite a few coins in it.

"Yes, here is the fee to reserve a private room for a month. Carmilla here prefers her privacy and has a tendency to come and go. I would prefer she not come back to find the room's been sold to someone else."

"Hmmmm, that should be easy enough. You're lucky you came after the tourist season ended lass. Was packed for over a month but now things have calmed again. I'll see to it that the room is set for when you return tonight."

He tied the coin bag around a loop in his belt and lowered the gate back down. Then turned to walk back down the path to the inn courtyard. Along the way he briefly stopped to give instructions to the gateman.

"See, finding a place to stay wasn't too difficult. I apologize if you'd have preferred to pay for yourself. Given you're an outsider, I wasn't sure if you had the appropriate currency. It seemed like the safest option. The beach certainly has you excited but I take it that you don't have a swimsuit on hand, do you? Perhaps we'll have to detour for a bit of shopping?"

"Oh... It does sound like even among the guild members, Necromancer is kind of a bit of an unpopular figure... but at the same time, it feels like she's also one of the most notable members of the guild too. It's quite..."

Contradictory? But yes, he doesn't mind talking about her, Armor Knight's secrets are safe with him! Stepping out of the carriage, Rirune took the time to admire the sights of the city.

It was definitely a place to wander around at night. Just what kind of culture does this humble little place have...?

"But... I'll pass on revealing my identity, I hope you understand, Miss Knight. I know there are wanted figures around the guild, but there are a few people who do want my head... Seeker, most of all, and it's within their right."

It also helps to keep a low profile in his line of work. The less people know about him, the better. And if the members know that he's hired directly under Beauty... it might put the administration under question.

But hold on! What did she say about...

"The beach! No, actually! I haven't been in one for a while! There really isn't a 'beach' from where I am, so a natural beach is something which I always love to see!"

There are, indeed, no beaches in Gensokyo. The closest things they have were the imitation beaches made from illusions in the Scarlet Devil Mansion back home!

But still! The first thing was, indeed, the inn! It looks homely enough, and... he has to make a mental note to ask the innkeeper a few questions later, once he settled in.

"Alo... ha... Wait, it's both used hello and goodbye? It really is going to take some time to get used to..."

That IS interesting. When the innkeeper does come out after a brief moment, Rirune tried to speak out whenever it was his turn to do so.

"Aloha! You don't have to give such a fancy room, just a normal one would do! I'm pretty much just a traveler who goes on one place to another, so just a regular room would be just fine, really! Do... I have to fill in some kind of form?"

[galaxxiwrites]

Congealed on getting 100 followers. Um number 12 for Aymeric, Estinien and Haurchefant pls

Ahh yukiotacon!! Thank you so much („ಡωಡ„)

#12: "You have to come back to me. Because I cannot do this without you."

Aymeric de Borel

"You have to come back to me. Because I cannot do this without you."

Aymeric says as he takes your hands in his firm grasp, his eyes shine in earnest as he pleads for you to promise that you'll safely return to him.

It tugs at your heartstrings, but you reassure him that you will come back to him safe and sound after you've liberated both Doma and Ala Mhigo from the Garlen Empire's grasp.

Aymeric smiles, though he still worried, he knows nothing can stop you. He knows he can't be selfish, especially when you were destined to be Eorzea's savior. He wouldn't have met you if you weren't.

Still, travelling to the East and off to a war much grander than the scale of their own...His nerves weren't gonna calm down, especially for the first few days of your departure.

"May Halone protect you."

Was all Aymeric could say as he saw you off Ishgard's borders, departing for the Lominsan sea to set off on another adventure.

Still, his heart pained when he couldn't tell you what he really wanted to say, but he knows that saying it aloud was much more painful.

Please don't leave me.

Estinien Wyrmblood

Estinien falls silent when he hears of your departure to a different realm from Tataru.

Finally he has an answer to why you weren't responding to him for godsdamned so long. To why he hasn't neither seen nor heard of your whereabouts no matter where he went.

"The First? Seems you're off on another weird adventure, partner."

Estinien whispers to himself as he stares at the pendant you gave him, and wonders if you were thinking of him as well.

The large dragoon sighs to himself before finally answering back to the Lalafell's persuasive request, telling the Scion's receptionist that he'll help with what he can.

"Oh, that was quick of you to agree. I thought I needed to blackmai- I mean. Yes, thank you."

Estinien hears Tataru giggle from the other side of the linkshell.

"Did you just say blackmail? Hey, midget!"

Estinien grumbles as he lost connection with the Lalafell before giving back the linkshell to the unsuspecting fledgling member of the Scions.

The dragoon then threatens the already terrified nobody to leave him be, and it doesn't take long before they're gone from his sight.

"You have to come back to me, partner. I can't do this without you."

Estinien whispers to himself before leaving himself, making a journey at the behest of his partner's allies.

Haurchefant Greystone

"You have to come back to me. Because I cannot do this without you."

Haurchefant pleads with you as he held you in a tight embrace. Although he wished for you to stay by his side, he knows that saving Lord Aymeric from the Vault was much more important than his petty wishes.

You snuggle into his embrace and promise him that you'll save the Lord Commander, and that you'll come back to him alive and well.

While you fight for the Lord Commander's freedom, Haurchefant cannot help but be at wits end. He can't just sit down while you're off in battle, knowing anything might happen to you. The Azure Dragoon and Lord Aymeric's right-hand woman follow suit with him.

So he goes in after you, he charges in without care for himself.

"Has the Vault always been this big?"

Haurchefant chuckles to himself as he trudges through the holy building's numerous flight of stairs. Sounds of battle were not so distant, which meant he was getting closer to you.

Along with the Lord Commander, the four of them make their way to the top of the building, seeing you well better off than the rest of them. Of course, you were much stronger than everyone else, but there's a great relief in seeing you stand so proudly as you faced Archbishop Thordan VII.

As the Archbishop flees onto his airship, you and him dash forward, hoping to stop him. Unfortunately, the both of you were caught unawares from behind when one of the Archbishop's men planned to struck you down with a beam of light.

"Look out!"

Haurchefant calls out for you when he realizes the incoming attack, and without faltering came in between you and the incoming projectile, his shield taking the brunt of it for as long as it could.

And if that failed, then he'd gladly use his own body, if it meant protecting you.

[aerialsquid]

FFXIVWrite: Day 20

Day 20: Anon

Spoilers for Endwalker, including 6.2 patch.

The problem, Nahbdeen surmised, was that Estinien and Vrtra were at the same time perfect for each other and a complete mismatch. Vrtra wanted to be small, nonthreatening, something nobody would fear. Estinien on the other hand...if Nahbdeen read the man right (and he was a man whose book contained very short words) Estinien had a fondness for being conquered by something bigger and more powerful that had to fight for the right to do so. Something a dragon would be perfectly equipped to do if the dragon was literally anyone but Vrtra.

It was enough to make a man want to pull his hair out. 

—

There was an old proverb Nahbdeen's father (rest his soul but the man was a pillock) used to use that went something like "You can only talk properly to the ones you look in the eye". It was meant to insinuate a man's inability to relate to women by referring to their inherent height discrepancy. A bit sexist,put most of the shorter races out of the running completely, and honestly not even all that true. 

Case in point: Nidhana. Unlike his Raen sisters, the Arkasodara woman was perfectly capable of looking Nahbdeen in the face without getting a stepladder. Unlike his sisters, she could talk at a level that made him feel eye-height to a Lalafell. 

"Still, I think we've really made progress with the aetherial conduits, even if the junction valves are still less dynamic than I'd like," she was saying as Nahbdeen lounged against her work table, nodding along. Not that he knew what any of this meant, but he was reading her tone more than her words on this.

"What's that translate to in terms of timeline?"

"Oh, we're still quite on schedule! I anticipate no more than a month, tops."

"Good. Because lord, those two…"

Nidhana laughed, her trunk curling up in that cute little spiral. "You do know the stated purpose of this simulacrum is combat and exploration in a hostile environment, yes? Not to improve diplomatic relations with Ishgard?"

"Given the diplomatic envoy in question, those two missions are practically the same thing."

"And your own diplomatic endeavors have nothing to do with your interest, I'm sure." Nidhana's dark-amber eyes glinted with amusement as she winked at him. Nahbdeen drew himself up, shoulders back and pompous. 

"I can't imagine what you're implying, my lady alchemist. I am merely helping the Azure Dragoon and our beloved Satrap train in the art of lance and spear combat."

Nidhana's trunk coiled up again, this time to try and stifle the sound of her laughter. "Ah, yes. All that rigorous spear thrusting. For combat purposes."

"And exercise. Don't forget, it's very essential for health," Nahbdeen added, leaning in to wiggle his eyebrows at her. 

"But of course, but of course." Nidhana covered the tip of her trunk and gripped it hard until the tremors of mirth calmed.  "Ah, Vrtra would devour me if he knew we'd been plotting all this behind his back. Or just be disappointed, which is worse."

"Trust me, once he finds out the Mark 2 simulacrum is equipped for more than slaying voidsent, he'll be too busy to be angry.."

[liketheinferno2]

blorbo questionaire(?):

preface: i have not watched any of these/played them besides Nier Automata and Replicant

kristoph g-something, (maybe gavin?): the inside of his head is an oil fire he is continuously pouring water on and fanning with his hands, he has this weird complex about Wanting the Black Haired Dude and also being disgusted by him. he is losing 4D chess that he's playing with himself. Also has anxiety tics

estinein: oh my god he's this like. white haired elven Guy who is in an abusive relationship with his telepathic(?) eye and i think he is also wearing the blood of the guy whos eye he just... took? questionable eye acquisition... he is coated in blood but he wouldnt smell bad because i think patch'ii cat cleans him or something, if so i think patch'ii should get a free toothbrush. i think a lot of the fandom seems to misinterpret him from what ive read of your posts and my god i can relate bc my favs also always get their nuance sucked out through their one personality trait people assign him

harchufaunt: HARCHUFAUNT

Nier (protagonist): im in act 2 after the whole tentacle ship in my first run and my grasp of nier is: cant swim, is the baby girl to kaines bad boy, he is very tunnel vision and just... Cognitive dissonances his way through the day while taking down more and more shades and tunes out any other options because otherwise nothing would be worth it. Half the time i almost forget yonhas the prerogative because niers so determined to be taking as many detours as possible and keep putting off the inevitable reality. Good boy!

Adam: woman, but no, but yes and a mother, had a stab wound baby he didnt want by deadbeat dad 2b and popularly dubbed incel 9s (i think this is the dumbest and funniest interpretation of his character and how it is held by more than one person i do not know)

9s: decidedly small and also he has half the arm of his dead not gf attached to him because he is small gender

GOD THANK YOU FOR THIS TREMENDOUS READ THIS IS ALL VERY ATTENTIVE AND GOOD. BUT I'M REALLY DELIGHTED THAT YOU SOMEHOW GOT THE CONCEPT OF PATCHAH'LI CLEANING ESTINIEN SOMEWHERE IN HERE. Because he doesn't but I definitely have him as cleaning younger characters like a cat. You can't lick Estinien's hair he wouldn't allow it. But you CAN take a bath together in an onsen:

I also want to show you Estinien's Special Guy:

This is why the eye's like a big sticky bowling ball. Big man is BIG. He's just also sentient through the eye and can talk with it, just to Estinien though. The eye was taken a thousand years ago and held as a treasure by the Blatantly Just The Catholic Church until Estinien stole it and started running around with it to draw Big Man away from the people in city and towards him, because he's a dragoon knight, a knight that kills dragons. He's like "I will be a delicious hunk of meat this guy wants to tear to pieces. What could POSSIBLY go wrong there?" When they meet in person he takes the OTHER eye out of his head and this leads to 1. covered in blood, 2. my favourite Estinien image of all time

I keep that MF THANG ON ME!!! I've ended up so attached to Esti for a great many reasons but part of it that I'm playing as another dragoon knight and that nets you a bunch of extra scenes and context for him. And he likes you best. This isn't just ANYONE'S blorbo, he's mine lmfao.

Also people struggle with Estinien I think largely because he's characterised as a very socially stunted person so where another character would tell you their tragic backstory and try to explain what they're doing, Estinien just kinda... doesn't? You have to hear it from his dad, and that's optional. So they present you with a guy who is going through some extremely heavy shit but it's mostly private, you're never getting the whole story of this nebulously terrible relationship he's in; he thinks he's got more power in it than he has and the player's inclined to believe him. The curtain comes off about exactly how bad it all is pretty late in the game and even then it's not of his own will and he's resistant to being saved from this situation too. He's a Difficult Bitch. But then you do bleed and cry and help him and seeing the emotional recovery afterwards is really fantastic. Slow burn character.

Also Haurchefant? That's pronounced as "Orshufon." I know.

ALSO YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT INCEL 9S BEING THE DUMBEST TAKE TO EVER HIT THE INTERWEBZ. THANK YOU FOR THE ASK AND GOOD MORROW

[coinofstone]

5x12 The Diamond of the Day pt 1

Final two episodes! Big finale! Why am I making myself cry in the middle of the afternoon! Both eps in this post.

I do love that they made Arthur a sore loser

Enter treacherous white woman #2. Srsly it was lazy writing when they did it for Mordred, it's worse now with Gwaine.

I do love the actual Round Table war room discussion but a) why isn't Merlin seated at the round table and b) why does Leon have so much goddamn faith in Camelot's walls? Like??? You literally said the same thing last year and yet Camelot *did* fall when Agravaine brought an army through the tunnels!

Poor Aithusa. Kid's had a rough life.

I do love Arthur responding to Merlin presenting him with all his supplies ready - which he prepared without his magic mind you - with suspicion 😂

But then he calls Merlin a coward and it's sad

Katie has such a great voice. That entire thing in the cave from her taunting to her laughter to the spell, it just just beautifully played.

Whole ass battle to prepare for and Arthur is just walking around moping cuz Merlin isn't there

So, Merlin's father-vision telling him he's magic itself and he just needs to believe in himself to get his magic going again, does this mean he *didn't* need to go to the cave to get it back? Cuz it seems like he needed to recharge in the cave itself, his injuries were healed when he woke up. That seems like magic cave stuff to me.

Also that "always have been and always will be" - I'm taking to mean 'always have been' in the sense that since he's 'magic itself' even before he was born, his magic existed in other, intangible forms, like we are all stardust etc. But now that he is, he will always be, aka he will not die.

Arthur waking up with his wife in his arms and Merlin's name on his lips, jumping out of bed to act on dream-info.

Balinor telling Merlin to trust in what will be.... like bitch that is literally not how this ends.

5x13 The Diamond of the day pt 2

You know that gif of the cat knocking everything off the table? That's literally Merlin shooting lightning at everyone from his perch on the ridge.

I have a lot of snarky things to say about Merlin coming out of the cave in full Dragoon gear and riding a horse instead of teleporting like the other witches but I'ma keep that to myself.

Mordred is a bitch and Aithusa has terrible aim. At least Aithusa's loyalty to Morgana makes sense.

Arthur said oh shit I'm magic - oh wait no it's that old man again

He also straight up "No! Bad dragon!"-ed Aithusa

Y'know, for all I've watched this episode and screamed about Arthur's death, I don't think I've ever focused on the exact moment he gets stabbed before.

Mordred catches him from behind and he meets it, no fault there. But as soon as he realizes his assailant is the knight who turned on him and joined Morgana, what does he do? HE LOWERS HIS FUCKING SWORD

He leaves himself wide fucking open and vulnerable and Mordred seizes the opportunity. I understand wanting the moment of recognition for Arthur, but on what planet is a trained warrior going to drop his sword mid-attack because he recognizes his attacker as a dude who only just recently decided to forsake him? It's soooooo dumb

There was a whole sequence a few episodes back where Mordred and Arthur are sparring, the point of it was to show that Mordred has become a skilled swordsman. So what exactly was the point in having Mordred run Arthur through as soon as Arthur idiotically lets his guard down? This should've been a meticulously choreographed sword fight, with Mordred getting the upper hand and sticking Arthur properly. Not this nonsense. Look at Arthur's FACE! Oh, Mordred... 👉👈 do you maybe wanna be friends again- STAB ... guess not

Uther's been rolling in his grave but he's taking an extra tumble watching Arthur forget all his skills and training in that moment.

I do appreciate Arthur getting Mordred back though. Like that moment of merciless anger followed by the hurt and regret playing on Arthur's face, warring with surety and responsibility. It was good.

I've rewatched the big confession scene about 16 times just now.

I don't quite understand why Merlin took Arthur to the woods to begin with. Instead of bringing him to the med tent in the battlefield or back to Camelot. What was the reason?

Merlin saying it feels strange (to use magic freely in front of Arthur) and him just going 'yeah' completely deadpan makes me laugh every time.

I really feel like Arthur's head should be elevated at a further incline if he's going to be fed.

Gaius refusing to outright expose Merlin as the sorcerer but nonetheless letting Gwen figure it out on her own warms my heart.

My God Arthur is sitting there dying, feeling betrayed about his best friend 'lying' to him, and still he can't stop himself from looking at Merlin's mouth.

Percival summoned MUSCLE POWER

Hey um random but why does Gwaine even know where Merlin and Arthur are headed? Why would Gaius tell him?

Arthur looks at Merlin so lovingly after he's killed Morgana 😭😭

And now he's literally grabbing at the man's hand 😭 "just hold me, please"

That's gotta be the gayest death scene in television history. If you can watch that without thinking Arthur puts his hand on the back of Merlin's head because some part of him wants to bring him down for a kiss, or that "just hold me, please" is in any way shape or form a 'bros' thing, and certainly not at all an intentional mirror/callback to Isolde dying in Tristan's arms, then I'm afraid you are what we professionals refer to as a dumb-as-nails fucknugget, more commonly phrased as 'willfully ignorant'.

"All that you have dreamt of building has come to pass" yeah except for the whole, y'know, magic still being illegal thing.

I've said this before, but, while I'm sure there was a determined intention to have Arthur die in his armor, probably in some kind of attempt to make sure the audience knows he's died a warrior's death, I *really* think it was kinda stupid that Merlin never removed it, despite Arthur being weak, despite the fact that there was something like five days between him getting stabbed and him actually dying, despite that for the duration of that time they were traveling or hiding out. Merlin managed to produce a cloak to put on Arthur, why did he need the full armor on that whole time? Like even if they left the chainmail on, those plates on his shoulder were just getting in the way, and it looked quite uncomfortable.

Also not for nothing but Lancelot got like, every flower in the forest surrounding lush verdant greens in his death boat, Arthur gets a bunch of sticks.

It suddenly occurs to me, watching this now, that the reason Leon/Percival is such a common side pairing in Merthur fics, is because these two motherfuckers are the only original Knights of the Round Table to survive the series. 🤦‍♀️ I dunno how I failed to notice that before now. My stupidity amazes me.

I'm *really* glad they decided to do this scene with Gwen wearing the Pendragon red dress instead of the black mourning dress. Yes she looks fabulous in it but it's more the symbolism than the 'reality' - with Gwen wearing her house's colors it represents a continuation rather than a finality. Camelot will go on, Gwen will undoubtedly end the war on magic and with Morgana dead (and frankly, I think by now she already brought about the death of all the angry incel type rulers in Albion) there stands to reason her reign will begin with a period of peace, possibly longer than Arthur's. We kind of have to assume that the 'time the poets speak of' is, inevitably, Gwen's reign - which only came about through Arthur's death. It's a little bit toooo subtle in my opinion, but at the same time, I understand the need for the focus on Merlin and Arthur - after all, this show was their journey - not leaving much time to focus on Gwen and Camelot in the aftermath of Arthur's death.

I will just say, the first time I watched this that fucking truck scared the ever living shit out of me. I also just immediately, viscerally hated that scene and declared it invalid - but I think it was because the truck made me jump out of my skin. It has since grown on me, particularly once I started reading 'Arthur Returns' fic.

Everything beyond this point is post-series spec and headcanon, so if that's not your jam you can exit safe in the knowledge that as usual, if there's anything worth commenting on in the S5 extras, I will create a separate post!

For those interested, my go-to post-series fic is We Begin Again by katherynefromphilly I fully headcanon this series as the continuation of the series.

I have a lot of thoughts about Gwen and Merlin post-Camlann.

For one, poor fucking Gwen. She's lost her father, her brother, and her husband, all by what, age 30? That's rough. And who knows what happened to her mom, that was pre-series and I don't think it was ever mentioned.

Merlin, dear god poor Merlin. First of all, I just wanna say straight off that my instinctive headcanon about Merlin was that he never returned to Camelot. I couldn't really say why exactly. I just don't think he could stand being there after Arthur's death. But practically speaking, Merlin's still got Aithusa to deal with, that dragon needs some godsdamned house training asap. He's still the last Dragonlord, it's reasonable to assume he'd immediately take that on considering Aithusa is partially responsible for Arthur's death (the sword Mordred killed Arthur with, only succeeded in killing Arthur because it had been forged in Aithusa's fire-breath) so he's either going to attempt to train the bad behaviors out of Aithusa, or...well...

The only thing is, I do not believe Merlin would abandon Gwen, or Gaius. So my hc is inherently flawed. I do think Merlin probably spend a couple months with his mum, and I do think he ultimately settled near lake Avalon waiting for Arthur's return.

But I do wonder, what must their relationship have been like? Gwen, surely, would've sought his guidance in establishing laws governing the use of magic. And surely, peace cannot last indefinitely, so Merlin absolutely would've defended Camelot and protected Gwen. There's just no way he could've completely turned his back on them, but I doubt he could bear living in Camelot. And Gwen is both strong and practical enough to get on without him there 24/7, even though I'm sure she'd miss him.

I also think she would've found love again. Whether with Leon, as many people hc, or someone else not in the series.

ANYWAY.

Thanks to everyone who came on this journey with me. I will post comments on the extras if I have anything worth saying - and I think I'll do a master post linking all these episode posts after I clean them up once I get time to sit at a computer and do so. Until then! 💙💚

(Gif source) (h/t @shut-up-merlin)

[inviouswriting]

A rare chance to venture outside and into Corthaes with Aymeric. It was the start of their honeymoon. They began their two month long travel. Kiya walks next to Aymeric as they make for Mor Dhona.

She notices Aymeric has a freed look in his eyes, that only not having responsibilities thrown at him daily has. He feels his love staring and looks down to her. He is dressed out of his customary clothes and in a traveler's attire. Still in that deep rich blue color that dons him.

"Something the matter?" He asks seeing her concentrated on him. Kiya's face reddens at being caught staring.

"Nothing, just happy we can finally do this." She sees him smile warm and reach to take one of her hands to squeeze it in his own.

"Full glad am I to finally be able to adventure with you. So now that you have me outside the gates. Where are we going?" He inquires as they walk towards Camp Dragonhead.

"I have a few places in mind to visit. You'll see." Kiya smiles up at him as they walk the paths. The ground had a fresh layer of snow and the air freezing she moves closer to Aymeric for warmth as she does so her feet hit a patch of ice hidden by snow and before either could react she falls ungraciously on her back.

"Kiya?!" Aymeric sees her slip, and kneels down to her. He then smiles seeing she is unhurt maybe except for her pride a bit. A soft chuckle comes from him. Seeing her lion like tail proofed up like a house cats that was scared.

"Sheesh never fails. It is always ice." Kiya bemused with her pratfall backwards. Accepting Aymeric's hand as he helps her up and dusts snow off her back.

"Estinien told me how... you are not adept to walking on ice." Kiya's face falls into embarrassment knowing the dragoon told Aymeric about a misstep. She had face planted that day.

"By the twelve..." she mutters under her breath. Something else took place that surprised her more. Aymeric her beloved husband. Started to laugh at her.

"Forgive me, my love. Forgive me. You are adorable when you pout like this." He has seen her be endearing and graceful. But actually witnessing her in a moment like this he is reminded she is still a woman underneath.

Kiya can't believe he laughed at her. And when he turned to walk ahead of her she is quick on grabbing a handful of snow and throwing it at him. The poorly made snowball breaks apart on his back, but it makes him stop and look over at her. Wild gleam in his eyes, only to be met with another better made snowball to his face.

"Kiya!?!" He is quick to make his own arsenal and pelts her back, quickly becomes a much needed relief of joy between them. Darting around behind trees and becoming covered in snow dust.

Kiya is caught up in Aymeric's arms. They exchange a look between each other and he lowers his head down to place a full kiss on her lips. Kiya returns it and winds her arms around him.

Kiya feels a shiver run through her body and Aymeric feels her shiver. He is always in layers while she doesnt always dress for the weather.

"We should get inside Dragonhead. I'm sure familiar faces will be delighted to see us." He refers to Emmanellain and Horonoit. Kiya nods and let's Aymeric lead holding her hand as they walk.

Once inside Dragonhead's main room, Kiya looks up at the portrait of Haurchefant with a soft smile. Aymeric sees this and hugs her under his arm.

"Ho~ Old girl and Ser Aymeric. What brings you two here? I haven't seen either of you since the Ishgardian wedding you held at falcon's nest. A month ago?" Are you here on official business or should I have someone fetch some mulled wine?" Emmanellain asks.

"Some mulled wine would be perfect. Not official business. We started our pilgrimage in our honeymoon." Aymeric answers letting Kiya go stand by the fire to warm up while he talks.

Aymeric sees Kiya touch her Halonic earrings. She has always worn them since The Vault. The house fortemp symbol on them keeps her close to him.

"You two are just getting onto your honeymoon?" Emmanellain is a little shocked that they haven't ran off the moment they got married.

"Some issues popped up and we couldn't make time for a while. But alas here we are now." Aymeric explains and smiles when a mug of mulled wine was brought to him. He sees Kiya take hers and sits down by the fire she is listening to them talk. Her feline ears turned towards them.

They began talking about Ishgard and how the city has grown. Kiya disappears after a little while into the kitchen to make some things.

"Oh, will you two be staying the night here? It is getting late to travel. The intercessory is open to you two for privacy." Emmanellain offers and Aymeric nods in agreement. He notices Kiya amiss and goes to look for her.

Checking the intercessory, he sees her in the center watching a pot on the fire. Kiya looks over to Aymeric with a smile. They had come full circle in a tiny room. They met there.

"Kiya, you doing okay?" Aymeric closes the distance to embrace her.

"Too many memories?" He wonders, she shakes her head.

"No, just went to ask how to make something and needed some quiet." She can only take Emmanellain in small doses.

"I see. So what are you making?" Aymeric is curious he can smell chocolate. Kiya smiles and goes to finish making the treat. Something that keeps certain people alive in her heart. Hot chocolate.

Kiya adds a little bit of peppermint liqueur to it and hands a mug over to Aymeric. Kiya sits down in front of the fire and Aymeric joins her pulling her into his arms.

He takes a sip and finds it to his liking more than the mulled wine.

"I was just thinking... about how we met here in this very room some many moons ago. I had only heard of your tales. Finally seeing you for the first time. I didn't expect you to be so.. tiny." Aymeric says amused earning Kiya nudging him.

"Oh you. Well I didn't expect the lord commander of the temple knights to be so handsome. Nor did I expect to find my soulmate." Kiya taps her fingers on the mug in her hands her face burns a little from admitting it.

Aymeric sets his cup down and pulls her into his arms.

"As with you. I think I knew I was in love with you before the events of The Vault. I just... could never tell you. Either timing wasn't right, we were busy, or mine nerves. Then we confessed and things spiralled from there. I am in love with you. And related you have chosen me to be your husband." Aymeric's words bring her to tears and he sees the effect on her face.

"Shhhhh. I know." He let's her bury her face in his chest to let her tears out. Something she hasn't done since their arrival. He knows when she is putting on a face for others.

Kiya turns her head to give him a kiss and he is already meeting her. Aymeric threads his fingers in her hair and tilts her head back more. He wants to make special memories in the places they have traveled. Starting with the room they met in.

Kiya feels safe in his arms and warm in them. Green eyes meet blue smouldering ones and she knows from his stare. She smiles and knows this is going to be a memorable night for them.

[crimsonfluidessence]

Prompt 15: Portentous

When she finally returned from her unannounced voyage with an entire group of their people behind her, Esredes knew a lot must had happened in her absence, as it often did when she disappeared without warning. Him and everyone else had often tried to tell her, time and time and time again, that she needed to give notice, tell someone, before she went places. If she were to perish unexpectedly, they would lose everything being worked for. But did she listen? No. She never did. Esredes chocked it up to her age, but it was nevertheless frustrating every single time. And so the question remained, what in the hells had Ysayle done this time.

It wouldn't be long before an explanation occurred, of course. Everyone gathered when they saw the approaching small army with the Lady. And she had a lot to explain- she had met with the Warrior and the Azure Dragoon, of all people, traveled up to the Churning Mists to find Hraesvelgr again, found out the truth of the war from his perspective, stood by as Nidhogg was slain, and then rushed to quell an unauthorized attack on the city. In the wake of all this, the truth of the war was finally going to be unveiled to the Ishgardian public. After all these years of trying to spread it.

Esredes was patient. He was very patient. He waited until the full truth had settled into peoples' minds, he'd spent the entire day reprimanding those who went to the city, but eventually, eventually, he managed to pull her aside, alone. "Thank you for responding so quickly and preventing an undoing of everything we worked for," he said. "However. What in the hells were you thinking? Responding to a signal flare from not one, but two people who can kill you in an instant?! That could've easily been a trap, and then what would we all have done!?" This quickly turned into something of an argument. As she often did, she stood by her decision. She insisted she found both of them to be good people, better than she thought, even when he pointed out they'd both slaughtered countless numbers of their people. She was always like this- too idealistic, always up in her own mind over the practicals until people like him took over. So they argued a little, until Esredes was forced to settle down. He was upset, but he wasn't here to make her upset further. He needed to hear everything that happened directly from her.

"The truth is about to come out." They eventually settled on. Esredes sighed and looked away. "Well. You left it in the hands of higher up people than I could've hoped for. It is not so easy for the Archbishop to silence the Warrior and the Azure Dragoon, especially if they are staying with the Fortemps." Well-connected bastard. "Then let us be quick about spreading the word. We can't have another unauthorized incident because one of us didn't get the memo. This is for the Ishgardians to deal with now." And boy, was it. When Esredes heard the spy reports later, his eyes went wide in horror. They stormed the Vault. The Vault. And the Ward killed a House Knight for it and retreated with their leader. "We should have killed him," Esredes said. "How fitting. The Warrior stops her from killing him and now they've paid the price for their ignorance." He felt a little bad, but not that much.

But she took the news much harder. She was worried for her 'new friends'. Oh so very worried. She was on about how she couldn't stand by and do nothing and wait. The war was ending, and she would help. But the more he pressed her on it, the more that confidence wavered. She told him she had something to confess, and proceeded to tell him what Hraesvelgr had told her. That she wasn't, couldn't be Shiva. She had welcomed something else into her heart, and she had no idea how her people would take this. No idea who she was anymore. The young woman was starting to cry. Esredes frowned. He despised the Warrior with every fiber of his being, but he hated seeing her like this. "Hey, hey," he said gently, leaning closer. "Listen to me for a moment, okay? It doesn't matter. I'm going to be completely honest with you, Ysayle. I never believed you on this one. It never made sense to me. But I didn't care, because as far as I'm concerned? You are Shiva. You're a courageous and kind young woman who is willing to push against established notions to bring peace. You stand by your comrades, and you work things out diplomatically when others would draw their blade. Is that not, in every form, exactly as Shiva did eons before you?" This seemed to calm her some. She looked up at him, listening. "You don't have to be Shiva to make a difference. To call upon your power, even. This is your fight, to see through to the end. This is your dream. You went through hell to get to this point, and I can tell you're not going to just let it go. So you know what? Go. Go and help them. Do everything you need to do, Ysayle. You have my blessing, you have everyone else's blessing, we're cheering for you. You will be just as Shiva before you. You don't give up, you stay true to what is. And that matters far more than who you used to be. It's who you are now." He smiled a little. "And I'll be there supporting you, along with everyone else. I believe in you no matter who you are, Ysayle. Go and make things right."

By the next day, she was gone, without warning or announcement, as she often did. And that was the last time he would ever see her again.

I should have known better, he told himself over and over again since that day. I shouldn't have encouraged her. I should have told her to stay. And yet, the more time went on, the more apparent it was that'd have been the wrong choice, and he hated it.

Maybe if he'd been better, comforted her better in the past, told her more advice, been firmer that she was still wanted and needed- maybe if he'd just taken all the signs seriously for what they were instead of getting caught up in the same agony. Maybe, she wouldn't have been reckless. But he hadn't. He hadn't been strong enough, to save her.

And he would pay the price for his folly forevermore.

[sterrenlied]

✧*:･ﾟ| THE hum and make of her armour is a positively fascinating thing, a byproduct of his always present curiosity. Siebren does not always rein in his interest, but in regards to such a UNIQUE thing - and in the face of his own caged demeanor, he files it under ‘things to maybe discuss another day’. The mere suggestion of ruining this encounter, to make it go sour, is greatly unappealing.

HIS own armour seems to sing and shift, as if to RESPOND to hers.

BUT despite the cloaking of armour that seems to move with its own mind, he's taken aback by just how ROTTEN the world she hails from is. His own attire cannot be considered the norm in his own homeworld by any stretch of the imagination, so he could never imagine a place where armour or coin would be needed to ensure survival. A multitude of responses swim to the forefront of his mind. Pitying and apologetic words BOTH come across as patronizing; she seems to have handled herself well so far.

HE settles upon a weak smile. ❝Well, you're here and talking to me. I think that you've made it this far counts for quite a bit.❞

A simple statement of fact and not one he wishes to dwell upon. Pulling out threads and stitches from WOUNDED flesh, baring scars to the world. He has his own scars he wishes to keep covered. It would be a disservice above all else for anyone, let alone the Dragoon woman to see those scars face to face.

WILLING a smile to don his lips, Siebren continues, ❝I daresay, even if we were in the business to spill our secrets, a woodland filled with fae in the dead of night sounds like a rather POOR location to do so. If you wish to discover my secrets, a good cup of tea is a way to seduce them out of me.❞ He winks.

OH, the concern strikes him as a surprise, a splayed hand, padded palms resting against his cheek at the thought. ❝I suppose so. I know how to repair it reasonably enough and how it works with my abilities. I consider that a WIN personally.❞ He'd like to perform more research on his attire, but it is quite the task as it is trying to keep other aspects of himself threaded together. The more people find holes in his past, the more INTRIGUED -- confused, even -- he is. ❝Well, thank you kindly all the same.❞

EYES flutter back towards the wreckage. ❝Motherly or no … there's still something you - we could do. Woodlands still need some manner of upkeep, even fae woodlands. Perhaps we could just file a report that we've seen suspicious activity and let them HANDLE it.❞ Listening to Selenie in silence, Siebren is certain that he is immediately better with children, even with his wondrous, POWERFUL abilities at his fingertips. He wheels back towards her. ❝I'm good with kids -- but I prefer to teach and mentor, not to babysit naughty pranksters.❞ He's uncertain if he would even have the heart to be the good cop to the Warrior of Light's bad cop.

GAZE lowers to the armour that cradles his skin as though EXPECTING a little faerie to show up. The Warrior's words do not come across as a surprise in the slightest, compared to what he's heard of faeries back on Earth and in Radiale. Fae do not exist in his home, but the stories and fables remained. Enduring tales that may or may not have borne the sole purpose of scaring children away from strangers or foreboding forest. He can't say that they NEVER worked.

A week smile touches his lips. ❝Well, troublesome or no, it is still quite … an interesting experience to meet something that I've always CONSIDERED a myth. I'm not afraid by any stretch of the imagination, but my curiosity is - well, quite abundant, really. I'm not foolish enough to actually approach one of the fae in the middle of the night -❞ Arms shift inwards to hug against his chest.

❝JUST Siebren — or Doctor, I suppose if you're feeling formal — is fine. No need to remember it all, just as I'm certain there's no NEED to remember all your titles.❞ He assumes that she's not lying about her lax nature, to be able to joke so flippantly.

🎶 | @asernolonger

✧*:･ﾟ| TWILIGHT has fallen, a spread of orange and red deepening into violet and blue. The blanket of darkness that follows is a comforting one, but eyes do not focus upon the deepening shades of sidewalk and grass, not when there’s a sky stretching on into the beyond, filled with TWINKLING stars and the muffled boom boom of fireworks. He’d prefer it completely clear of obstruction, ideally, but the summer festivities pull him into a pleasant lull. With the sweltering heat finally cooling down, he’s more content to BASK in whatever weather is given to him.

THAT is until he sees something strange streaking across the sky.

WHATEVER it happens to be, he’s too preoccupied with curiosity and slight concern. Nothing at all quite like the fireworks on display, nor like the comets he’d eagerly watch streaking across the sky at every POSSIBLE opportunity. Another citizen of the island, perhaps, either directly or indirectly. He’s uncertain about whatever the peculiars could even be as he floats his way through uncharted territory.

IN the overwhelming silence, he hears what could only sound like the snapping of twigs. In the very instant he begins to DOUBT his navigation skills ( he worries, when the stars seem so artificial and different to the ones he knows ) he hears it, LOUD AND CLEAR. Shield switches on, as he moves towards the sound.

❝WELL … do you have something to say about this?❞

[pippuns]

@smallest-turtle replied:

#you know how it is with drgs TOOK ME OUT BC YEAH THATS EXACTLY WHY DEIDRE BECAME A DARK KNIGHT SHE BECAME A DARK KNIGHT BECAUSE ESTINIEN DIDNT LET HER BECOME THE SECOND AZURE DRAGOON (not that she ever discovers it was a possibility). Also Rebecca Hunt (cursed and evil literary allusion if youve ever read it by Daphne Du maur), their mother, specifically stopped coming home from the brothel because her ending up with other kids was straining the relationship. (1) So she would only come by the house if she had to drop off an infant. And eventually, around the time of the calamity, she finally paid off her father's debt and left the brothel with another woman to take her business as in independent to Kugane. They haven't heard from her since and think she died in the calamity. (2) Deidre grew up as the mom of the household and the only reason she never spoke up for herself when the shit about /oh gods you weren't supposed to fight Ifrit oh gods/ dies down to /well. Titan is around. You can take care of that can't you :)/ is because she's literally never been able to say no. She's also selectively mute and too anxious to speak to them about it. And the scions don't know her age until after the final steps of faith they think she's in her mid 20's.3 They directly benefit from the shut down response she has because this is just another instance of She Has To Do This (raise her siblings, be the mom, kill the primals, save eorzea) Because NO ONE ELSE CAN and they don't even know. They don't even know that that's what's happening. She doesn't reunite with her siblings (other than Caelen who ran away first and Prudence the first bastard who ran off a year after her rather than replace her) until 5.3 (4/5) When her first younger sibling Brandon who also basically had to be the dad of the household because Johnathan refused to raise the 5 bastards that came after Caelen, finally. Does an old fashioned small-town "oh no the abuser has mysteriously died must have been the alcoholism" which the mothers of two of Deidres friends had been trying to enable for like. A decade. So she has to come in and settle a property dispute between her inheritance and her uncle claiming her MIA

to be completely fair to estinien. if a Child came up to me and asked to become a dragoon i would also be like "please do something else". or actually i might just give them a spear to see what they would do with it, nevermind

rip their mom though :(( hope the last bit of her life wasn't too bad. DEIDRE NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY NO THOUGH. SOMEONE GIVE THIS CHILD A HUG. ANXIOUS LASS I LOVE HER. the scions thinking she's in her mid 20s is so fucking funny though. tfw ur coworker was actually a child:tm: the entire time. wish deidre wouldn't take on so many responsibilities though rip her :((

at least she does reunite with them eventually?? take ur victories where you can get them or something. so glad the fucker died though <3 watch out for that alcoholism folks its real great at making assholes disappear randomly <3

Deidre IS dating Alisaie from the later third of SB on!!! Esteem (who has to deal with ALL pushed down emotions not just the negative ones, such as "I can't fucking deal with a crush rn we don't have TIME for that there's a WAR going on") basically corners Deidre into biting the bullet and confessing XD.

Special knowledge tho... Is that Deidre's younger brother who ran away to become a pirate when he was 12 because their home life was not great (absentee mom that Deidre had to replace, Mom basically in Yotsuyu's pre-viceroy position but because of her father not her husband leading to.... Many half siblings Deidre had to raise) named Caelen ends up with Alphinaud XD. In-laws squared. Alphy is Bi and highly susceptible to 'the pirate is hot' u.u

What kind of dynamic does Wynn have with the twins?

esteem being used as a means by which deidre confesses is the funniest possible outcome to the drk storyline. this is everything i've ever wanted from esteem. fucking fantastic.

also i get alphinaud. pirates? hot. dont blame him whatsoever for that. i really like deidre's backstory!! it's really interesting. does she ever visit her half siblings?? is her mom ok now, or is she still stuck in that kind of situation??

wynn is very much a parental/older sibling figure to the twins!! especially during their initial forays into eorzea when things were the roughest. they do their best to keep an eye on the two in the hopes that the twins don't find themselves in over their heads, but wind up failing more often than not. f.

i don't think in my canon alwynn left with minfilia and the other scions after the bloody banquet; i find it hard to believe they would have left ul'dah unless alphinaud was with them, and i don't think they would have let minfilia go back either even though hydaelyn wanted her to remain behind. so instead they escaped with alphinaud and pipin.

which also meant that the status of the rest of the scions was in even more doubt than it is in canon. i think alphinaud and wynn probably got really close in the time between ARR and HW+in the beginning of heavensward, given that as far as either of them knew they were the only scions left. it was very much a "i can't lose you too" type of situation.

alisae and alwynn got their own special "oh god we're all alone" bonding time in the post-sb patches after the other scions got called away to the first, which especially fucked with alwynn after alisae got pulled away in front of them. tough luck mate.