fly-for-a-lifetime asked:
More you might like
autumnslance answered:
Aeryn blinked, trying not to show how much the words had taken her off guard. Though in all honesty, she probably ought to have expected them from Ikael.
It wasn’t that he let just anyone touch him, of course, or wanted to cuddle random strangers, or even regular acquaintances. Still, Aeryn was fairly certain without at least a brush of affectionate touch from someone familiar on a more or less consistent basis, Ikael would simply wither like a flower in the Sagolii.
It made her wonder at his upbringing, compared to her own. That early Coerthan propriety, mixed with the more free aspects of her mother’s people–though even then, physical displays of affection were kept to the family, not for outsiders; not even often for friends.
She was hovering in silence perhaps a tick too long, as Ikael stood there, in one of his ridiculous outfits–the tunic was a color one could only describe as ‘creamsicle orange’ over loose, eye-searing yellow pants–and shifting one foot to the other, as if gauging how best to step in if she assented. His hair was mussed, one longer black lock falling in front of his face as he gave her a wide-eyed, hopeful look. An endearing fashion disaster of a miqo’te, their Ikael.
“I…yes,” Aeryn finally answered, vaguely gesturing with her own arms.
Ikael beamed and bounced in, the breath whumped out of her as he wrapped her in an embrace. It was easy to forget how strong he actually was, when he was prancing about Revenant’s Toll dressed like a hazard sign.
Aeryn felt awkward at first, but it was perhaps his sincerity that helped her melt just a little, sighing as they leaned on one another.
She had to admit, he was good at giving hugs.
“There,” he…purred? Yes, that seemed the right word for it. “There, it’ll be…right again. Sometime. Right? Right.” He patted her back.
She felt the hitch in his voice and her brow furrowed. It took a moment to click; Ikael wasn’t doing this because he needed the anchor of affection.
He thought she needed it more.
Aeryn pulled away, perhaps a bit too suddenly, given the concern that flashed across his face. “Thank you,” she said, and smiled, hoping to allay any panicked assumptions. “I think I needed that. It’s been…something lately.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, as both their gazes drifted toward the Rising Stones, before focusing back on each other. “Anyway! I have everything I need to bake lemon cakes, I’ll bring you some later, okay?” He turned away quickly, some nervous tension evident to her in how his shoulders hunched.
“I’d like that,” she called. “Thank you; you’re a good friend.”
He paused and looked back, blinking in surprise, then beamed again. “Give me two hours–” he stopped, thought. “Maybe three. I’ll find you!”
She nodded, having no doubt about that.
((Ikael belongs to @draw-you-coward / @fly-for-a-lifetime
I don’t even know, man, a version of Ikael came to visit and whined a little ‘til I wrote something. No idea if this is accurate or IC or whatever, but it’s obviously some lil’ sidealong AU thing that assumes a lot of backstory anyway so hey! This is what happens when I decide to try to write “soft angst” on a rainy day where I have been unreasonably moody and am up too late despite being super tired.))
Anonymous asked:
autumnslance answered:
They were words never said out loud, but she felt them regardless, even if she could not understand why they were necessary.
Crouching by the battered General on the sandy, rust-stained ring in Halatali, she thought about the last time she had seen him, wild and broken, his blood flowing free. She had realized later, in the carriage, that it had spattered and stained on her jacket. She had tried to keep his son from noticing, though he could not have known whose blood it was.
She wanted to apologize, for following his command, for leaving him to face the traitors alone while she had run.
“On your feet, gladiator,” she said instead. This time, at least, they could take him somewhere safe.
Sometimes the words were a promise for later, even if they stuck in her throat.
***~***
She watched the pair banter, and couldn’t help a smile. Part of her heart relaxed, seeing them both here, now, in the dusty foothills of the Smoldering Wastes.
Part of her heart still ached at how much they had been changed, since her last glimpse of them in that tunnel.
She wanted to apologize for listening to them, for the light and the explosive rumble of the cave-in, for the desperate, dangerous spell.
For the look in the rogue’s visible eye, as he looked for the one he expected–and wanted most–to see, but who was also, still, missing.
Her fault.
Sometimes she wondered who was really left behind.
***~***
“You orchestrated all of this not to save her, but to send her away!?”
He sounded so much like the boy he was in this moment. The Word’s gentle reassurance did naught to ease the ache in her own heart.
Then another voice spoke up, entirely expected.
“…You would go alone then?”
No! She wanted to cry out. Not you too! It would be too much to lose. But she knew, if the Word but nodded, he would go without hesitation–and she could not blame him.
But even he was left with them, in the sand and heat of Thanalan once more, the Word and her counterpart gone to the star swallowed by Light.
She was not sure if hearing similar words, instead of saying them, made them hurt less or more.
***~***
The boy ran, urged on by the shinobi. The masked girl kicked and screamed against the rogue bearing her away.
Her friend looked up. “This is one battle you cannot fight. Away with you. Go!”
She shook her head. No. No more; she would not leave another behind.
His spell struck and lifted, and she felt the whisper in the aether, I’m sorry.
Who had left who behind?
Watching the other girl straining against the rail as the light filled the sky and sealed the beast, she knew they were not the ones doing the leaving.
johndempsy asked:
A’rabeka was lost in the note from A’reesha. She wasn’t paying as much attention as she should have as she rounded the corner of the archway. The unexpected shadow that fell over the note made her look up with wide eyes, just as another, apparently also lost in their own thoughts stepped into the archway. Neither could react quickly enough, their noses bumped, then slipped aside, and their lips touched briefly before both bounced away from each other. A’ra bounding back down the steps, the other figure back along the path. A’ra covered her mouth, with her hands as she began to giggle, her eyes alight not on the person, but on the sprig of mistletoe someone had attached to the archway. Possibly Himiko’s doing to foster cheer amongst the patrons of the tea house.
Looking to the other person, A’ra smiled, eyes looking slightly down cast as her cheeks reddened. Her tongue dipped out to taste at her lips a moment before she spoke, “s s sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she pointed to the sprig, “but it seems perhaps we were meant to kiss…” she left off at that, she was hopeful that perhaps the other Miqo’te would be interested in doing it properly, but she just couldn’t get the words out to ask her…
( @johndempsy )
Ships where Person A and Person B call each other “sir/ma'am”, “Mr/Ms. ___”, or “Boss/Captain/Commander/etc.” in public and around an audience but calls each other by their first name when they’re alone or when one of them is in clear distress?
Gets me fucking weak.
send me ‘ mistletoe ’ for my muse’s response to being underneath mistletoe with your muse. specify whether it’s accidental or on purpose.
A Stormblood Stealth Retcon
So the Encyclopedia Eorzea Vol. II brought to light something that had been very quietly changed in the game at some point, which pretty drastically alters the implications of a certain NPC’s narrative.
Lady Amandine Dartancours is a Wildwood Elezen, not a Duskwight.
The owner of Haukke Manor, turned voidsent-possessed succubus, had previously been stated in Duty Finder’s summary of the dungeon as being a Duskwight from a wealthy family who had purchased the manor from the Seedseers. And thus, for several years, one of the most noteworthy Duskwights was a woman who turned to ritually sacrificing her maids and making pacts with voidsent via the Ascians in order to be beautiful again- which is perhaps a bad look for a clan that already has most of its in-game representation in the form of brigands, murderous sellswords, assassins, ex-criminal gladiators, and a guy who trained himself as a lancer by slaughtering baby animals. Additionally, considering the marginalized social status of Duskwights in Gridania, one wonders how a prominent, wealthy family would not just come about, but also be permitted to purchase an opulent manor that had previously been owned by the Seedseers.
Well, the answer is oversight by the writers during ARR.
Disclaimer: Regarding Naenia.
I just thought I should make this clear for some people given I was met with a bit of an unpleasant message in game earlier.
- No. Naenia is NOT an ERP alt. Please, please, please do not approach her thinking that she’ll bed your muse just like that. There needs to be an attraction between muses.
- Yes. This blog is NSFW. It contains 18-21+ Mature content. That includes sexual themes, violence, blood, gore, and subjects of a sensitive nature.
- No. This isn’t a porn blog.
- Yes. Naenia is very comfortable with her sexuality and her body, but again, just because she flaunts it, doesn’t mean she’s asking for it.
- No. I am not my character. Just because Naenia acts a certain way, doesn’t mean I will, too. Don’t be a creep.
- Yes. Naenia is a mentally disturbed character.
- No. I am NOT trying to romanticize or make mental health or trauma appear ‘beautiful’. If anyone is struggling with mental health issues, please seek help. I also suffer with issues myself, writing is a way for me to cope - however, just because I write about things relating to suicide, etc, you don’t need to worry about me! I’m fine! Disregarding that though, just because you suffer with mental illness that doesn’t make you any less of a beautiful person.
- Yes. Naenia has done some really awful things.
- No. I’m not going to defend her actions. While I believe people can change, Naenia has a long way to go.
Please just try to be nice in future? If there’s something about my blog you don’t like or find offensive, please let me know? However, it does say in her description that this is a mature blog - you have been warned. Please don’t take that out on me. Losing followers really doesn’t bother me, I’d much rather prefer that than have someone say something malicious or passive-aggressive directed at me and my character. I really am sorry if I’ve offended anyone with my writing, that was never my intention and I will try to be more mindful. Everything will be tagged accordingly! I’m just here to write and make friends, and hopefully allow my character to grow.
Thank you.
