roguishgunbreaker-archive

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this blog is now an ARCHIVE. if you'd like to follow my new blog, it's @star-gazcrs.

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happy american father's day to this shitty dad!

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Thancred hated the sound of her acquiescence, hesitant as it was. While obviously he did not know the particulars of her condition, he could see that she wasn’t ready to come back. Whether it was grief or something else that was holding her back, it did not matter. She deserved to have more time off.

But Eorzea needed its hero once again, despite everything she had done to save it already.

“We would like to see you again, ‘tis true,” Thancred admitted. “But – truly, Eliane, think about it some. This is something we Scions can probably handle ourselves. Of course, it would be nice to have you back, but this is...a lot. I know it is. I have no choice but to ask you to come, but you have the choice to answer as you wish.”

Eliane hesitated for a moment. She was doing better, but was it enough to head back straight into the fray? Deep down she knew she wasn't. She really shouldn't go out there and fight. Yet, now it feels like she has no other choice.

"I see." She leans back into the chair she had by the fire. She was still a Scion, and she had to at least try and do something. It was only a matter of time before one of them showed up asking for her aid. It seems that the time is now.

It wasn't exactly her grief that was making her hesitant about the whole thing. It was the post traumatic stress that she was concerned about. She hadn't exactly told the others of that part of things yet. She figured once she was feeling a bit better, it'd be easier to say it.

But there was one thing that she couldn't do forever, and that was hide herself away here. Perhaps it was time for her to try and return to her duties. Maybe being around everyone again would brighten her mood a bit more as well.

"I don't think any amount of time is going to be long enough." She admits."I know the circumstances for my return aren't great. But it would be nice to see everyone again."

Eliane sits up straight. "I'll do my best in offering aid, but I have a few things that need sorting out before I can go."

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“I do appreciate it,” Thancred replied. The Warrior of Light, ever observant, ever soft spoken, ever disinclined to speak of himself, was very much like the Exarch in some ways. They were both closed books, mysteries that Thancred couldn’t even begin to unravel.

“While I am more than inclined to see my soul reunited with my body, you must admit that there is more at stake than the five of us,” he went on. “The sooner we return darkness to the skies here, the sooner the Calamity will be forestalled. It is then, and only then, that I will hear anything about returning to my body.” He had things to do here that he would see accomplished before going home, and not just because of the girl known as Minfilia.

The miqo'te smiled and shook his head. "I doubt you can get used to it since you are not fully intact, your body is back on the source, and it's putting a strain that your soul is separated from it," he explained. He held his staff in his hand as he walked with the gunbreaker as they chatted.

"I've been making medicine for everyone in order to keep your bodies healthy. I left instructions to Krile as she is overseeing your forms while you are stuck here, but I have faith that the Exarch will find a solution to get everyone home." The white mage wanted everyone home and back in their bodies safe and sound.

"This medicine, hopefully, will work for you while you are here."

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“Saving the First is a top priority,” Thancred said in a no-nonsense kind of voice that left no room for argument. “Getting back to the Source is important, of course,” – they had left at a rather bad time, to put it lightly – “but the Exarch must have told you what Urianger saw.”

Another Calamity striking Eorzea, so close in time to the last one, a Calamity that would take the life of the Warrior of Light and his sister.

Thancred wasn’t interested in having his soul never reunite with his body, but he could recognize that it was more important to make sure the Calamity never happen. The lives of countless Eorzeans – including that of Meiko and A’kihiko – would be saved if they could just prevent the Calamity from happening in the first place.

“I don’t mean to say I’m not interested in returning to the Source, it’s just that...I can recognize there is more at stake than my corporeal form,” he explained.

Meiko shook her head.

" 'Tween Kan-E-senna's assessment an' Krile's ministrations, we knew your souls went missin'," she answered slowly. "Which... is no what one wants tae hear. Bein' asleep's one thing, but lackin' a soul -- we knew 'twas a matter o'time until your bodies went cold." She paused. "...It's still that way, though. Krile an' th'others are doin' their best tae slow it, but..."

Her gaze dropped down to her lap.

"I need tae get everyone back tae th'Source as soon as possible. Savin' th'First is important, aye, but it won't mean shite if you're all lost in th'process. Eorzea still needs its Scions. An' its proper Champion."

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What Shatters You?

betrayal.

you are so tired of giving your trust away, only to have it thrown back in your face... your heart has been broken, again and again, by those you've mistakenly believed in. "perhaps this time will be different", you say. my dear, it won't. your heart is too gullible for the cruel world around you.

tagged by: @crystalxmages (thanks!) tagging: whoever wants to do this! just say i tagged you :3

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“I imagine it was,” Thancred said sympathetically. He understood – the two years here before Urianger and Y’shtola had shown up were rough, despite the Exarch’s attempts to make it more habitable for him. “I, at least, knew what was going on. No comatose friends for me.

“Tell me,” he continued. “We all just dropped like flies, did we? And you had no idea what was going on?” No one had directly told him, but he was given to understand that his body laid on the Source, completely catatonic, along with the others’ – but not Meiko’s. She was actually here somehow; the Exarch had finally managed to get his target.

"Aye, but... 'twas a sore few days. We lost Urianger and Y'shtola mere hours after losin' you as well. We were all beside ourselves." She paused, and then added, "Never mind th'fact that 'twas only Alisaie, A'kihiko an' myself at that godsdamned parley with Varis. The three least diplomatic o'th'whole lot."

She sighed.

"Wasnae five years, but it felt close enough. Even th'few weeks spent without all of you tae lean on was..." A fucking horrible time. Possibly the darkest period in her life. "... not good."

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H’elias was nothing if not perceptive. Thancred’s rest periods (hard to call it nighttime on the First these days) were troubled and fitful most of the time. Dreams of Minfilia – both of them, really – filled his vision each time he slept, and every time she died, it was his fault.

Still, restfulness was a hard thing to come by for anyone here from the Source. The Light shone night and day, filling the world with blinding light at all hours. For a lifetime denizen of Norvrandt, this was nothing new, but those used to the night would have a hard time finding the typical darkness they were used to.

Thancred offered H’elias a smile. “That will do nicely, thank you,” he said. “Though I suppose I ought to be used to these darkless nights by now.” It had been five years since he had been unceremoniously dumped here, after all.

@roguishgunbreaker

H'elias gave the gunbreaker a curious look as he held his staff. He then gave a light smile. "I know what will help you sleep better." he finally said as he moved a hand into his pouch around his waist. "I'm a bit of a apothecary at times along side my conjury; " he pulled out a vile with a pretty purple liquid inside.

"Here, Thancred. It will help you sleep. You just mix it into some tea," he handed the vile to the man. "Only a few drops, though. You don't want to take more than that."

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@lights-flickering-flame || continued from [ x ]

Thancred took to the invitation immediately, only pausing to remove his wet, snowy boots before following her into the guest room and settling by the fire. It soothed his frozen fingers and toes well, and he was grateful for Eliane’s hospitality.

It was a shame he had to be here at all, he thought. The others seemed content to use Eliane’s role as the Warrior of Light for whatever they needed, but she was more than just the Eikon Slayer. She was a human being too. And throwing her into danger every time the situation looked sticky – well, that wasn’t the solution. Ishgard had made sense; it was her home, after all. But getting her involved in Ala Mhigo seemed...gauche, in a way.

Especially considering all Eliane had lost.

“Same as ever, I’m afraid,” Thancred replied, shrugging helplessly. “The Imperials are on the move. There’s some action in Ala Mhigo – the Griffin, or some such thing, the man calls himself. The Ala Mhigan resistance force is on the move, and it looks to be dragging the Eorzean Alliance back into war.

“Eliane, I know it hasn’t been long enough, but the Scions asked me to request your aid.”

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@vierandancer || continued from [ x ]

Thancred fussed with the pot, adding enough coffee grounds for two in the appropriate place before the canister disappeared again into his bag. Just as quickly did it disappear did he produce two tin cups, generally used for water.

“Don’t know why anyone thinks coffee gets anyone sober,” he mused. “It has certainly never worked for me.”

He shifted, watching the brewing coffee for a long moment, reflection of the small campfire reflecting in his pale brown eyes. Did he feel forgotten? It was hard to say that. In a way, it had been very lonely here the first two years, even after freeing Minfilia and gaining a traveling companion. But the Exarch had assured him time worked differently here, and that he had to wait a good, long time before trying again to summon the Warrior of Light. If he was to be believed, how could Thancred blame them?

Besides, the Exarch had flubbed up the summoning three more times since then, and his friends had appeared one after the other. They had all taken up their own stations in this world – it was Urianger they moved to visit next – but at least they were here.

“Nah,” he said easily. “It must have been, what, a few tendays for you, right? I can hardly call that forgotten, even if it was longer for me.”

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🗡️ thancred

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cred

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"A heart's a heavy burden." from Roi

“Aye, that it is, but carry it we must,” Thancred replied. “That is what sets us apart from the other side, I think. We fight for what’s right, and we know that because we know our hearts.”

Perhaps an odd sentiment coming from a man like Thancred, scruffy and unshaven, hair much longer than he generally preferred it, and a bandana covering one eye. His own heart was a heavy burden these days, with everything going on, and still aching from Minfilia’s seeming loss.

“We will free Ala Mhigo, though, this I truly believe,” he went on. “Your home will be yours once again.”

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"What difference does it make?"

“My dear, it makes all the difference in the world!” Thancred said pointedly as he considered the bottles in front of them, lining the shelves behind the bar at the Rising Stones. “This right here? This will just make you a little happier, should you have a cup of it. This one, on the other hand, will leave you forgetting your own name and regretting it in the morning. Trust me on that one. These here are...somewhere in the middle – probably a safer bet, I would say.”

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𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐋'𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 (a collection of prompts from the 2004 movie Howl's Moving Castle. Feel free to adjust phrasing and gendered terms as necessary.)

"You're beautiful!"

"It's hideous!"

"Give it to me."

"What a dump."

"Now I'm repulsive."

"I can't live like this."

"You saved me, (name)."

"I missed you too, (name)."

"A heart's a heavy burden."

"You really want it that badly?"

"I don't care if you're a monster."

"What difference does it make?"

"It's a present for you. Come see."

"I've never felt so peaceful before."

"I was looking everywhere for you."

"You didn't have to come back, (name)."

"There you are, sweetheart, sorry I'm late."

"Don't be alarmed, but I'm being followed."

"You are by far the tackiest thing here."

"Please, (name). I know I can be of help to you"

"I feel terrible, like there's a weight on my chest."

"Seems everyone in this family's got problems."

"Now I’ve got something I want to protect. It’s you."

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't torment my friend."

"Here’s another curse for you — may all your bacon burn."

"You sound ghastly, like some 90-year-old woman."

"I give up. I see not point in living if I can’t be beautiful."

"I'm so sorry but that would be confidential information."

"He's calling the spirits of darkness… I saw him do this once before when a girl dumped him!"

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@sentmail | continued from [ x ]

Thancred was having a normal one.

One trip into the Lifestream with Y’shtola, and now he was...somewhere else. He had thought Garlemald at first, with the big, neon ceruleum signs everywhere and the odd fashion. But he could read and speak Garlean. He could not read the language written all over these flashy signs. There were plenty of places he had never been to in the world, it was true, but one such as this would have probably shown up on his radar by now. Even if it was in the New World.

The first thing he had done was try his linkpearl. Well, no, that was the second thing he had done – the first thing he had done was steal some godsdamned clothing from a closed clothing retailer before he could get arrested for public indecency. The second thing he had done was try his linkpearl. No matter who he tried, he got nothing. All he could do was hope that the others had gotten out of Ul’dah safely, and hadn’t ended up...somewhere else, like he had.

The place seemed to be primarily occupied with Hyur, so at least he didn’t stand out. And he was dressed like they were, now. Still, there was only so much one could do to fit in before they were inevitably outed for an outsider, particularly when one couldn’t read the thrice damned language on every sign there was.

This led to a scuffle – he was trying not to stand out, but these things happened – and someone else stepped in. Thancred had dispensed the first man easily when the second appeared. Helmeted, armored, carrying a large sword. Military or at least militia based, clearly. This was the opposite of whom he had wanted to attract the attention of.

Still, it was the chance to get some information.

Ignoring his would be assailant slinking off into the shadows, he nodded toward the military man. “I’m not from around here,” he admitted. “And my linkpearl seems to have died. I was looking for a place to get it fixed.”