solveigruna

[solveigruna]

✧  Fields of Elysium / Golden and Resplendent ✧

WoL x Hythlodaeus x Hades. ( @solveigruna​ )

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Happy Pride to all the WOLs out there from this happy DemiWOL and PolyAzem pair. Remember you are loved no matter what. <3 

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Lahabrea: Congratulations. You three have just won gold, silver, and bronze in the Moron’s Olympics.

Mitron: Hythlodaeus: Azem: Azem:…Who won gold?

[solveigruna]

Treasure Vaults ‘Neath the Bounty

Solveig couldn’t remember the last time she had fought through a dangerous cavern without the fate of the world at stake; the last time she truly remembered feeling like the adventurer she had set out to be. But, fighting through the VAST treasure vaults of Alzadaal had truly been one of them - despite the spinning and nausea THAT brought with it. She’d been invigorated and excited - simply an adventurer doing adventurer things with her friends. Even Vrtra showing up, under the guise of his simulacrum - Varshahn - had not dampened her spirits. Nor the revelation that the Vaults held a natural portal to the doomed Thirteenth shard, though that DID earn a raised eyebrow from her. While Urianger and Shtola had come along based on rumours that SOMETHING existed down here, Solveig wasn’t sure any of them expected THAT. But - it wasn’t world ending and, for the retired Warrior of Light, that was what mattered. It also gave her a new mission - reuniting Vrtra with his lost sibling. Simple, easy, exciting.

When she turned around to make her way out was when things ground to an unexpected halt. She hadn’t FULLY registered what she was seeing but the voice that had started accompanying her since Elpis noticed it right away. 

“My mark.” Solveig’s eyes stopped their roaming and reversed back over what she had just glanced at.  There, amongst the beautiful scrollwork in the archway, was the mark of Azem. 

“I’ve never been here.” 

“Vrtra, do you know how that,” Solveig’s arm lifted and pointed towards the mark. “Came to be here?” 

The small form of Varshahn moved to stand beside her while the others that accompanied her followed her arm up and stared. “The Mark of Azem, I believe,” Urianger commented. “Indeed,” Y’shtola replied. “Though, how it came to be….? These vaults did not exist during her time.” “I know not who this Azem is,” Varshahn started. “And, as you can imagine, the break-ins to the Vault have never made it this far.” Solveig eyed the mark and smiled very slightly. No break-ins that he was aware of didn’t mean she couldn’t think of at least one person who could’ve done it and remained undetected - should they have chosen. In fact, that very person had even told her she should come here. “Has anyone ever gotten close?” she asked instead. “Only two have ever made it pass the second guardian. One died shortly after of their wounds. One was never accounted for. There was never a body found - but no tampering had occurred either.” Solveig noted the exchanged looks between Shtola, Raha, and Urianger. They understood also. 

“Raha? Do you think you can get me up there?” Solveig looked over to the Miqo’te with her head tilted and his eyes widened. “I mean…I could certainly try. Though, I must admit, I am..rather on the short side. Perhaps Ser Estinien or Urianger would be better suited to lifting you up…? Not that I’m saying I COULDN’T…” The man in front of her blushed a bit and she blinked before quietly sighing out a laugh. “Raha. Float.” “....OH!” The man’s face flushed a deeper red at the reminder that he had a useful tool just for this type of situation. “Of course!” He heard very quiet chuckling behind him from Y’shtola and one of his ears twitched slightly, but otherwise, he paid it no mind. A few moments passed as he focused on the needed aether and then, slowly, Solveig began floating into the air. G’raha gently guided her up and closer to the mark of Azem that loomed in the archway above them. 

As she got closer to the mark on the archway she noted that it didn’t appear to have been chiseled in - the lines were too smooth and perfect. They were also deeply carved into the stone. Whoever had done it wanted to make sure it lasted. She cautiously reached out a hand and ran it over its surface. Almost immediately her vision swam and she could feel the same light headed feeling taking over whenever she had an Echo flashback. 

He floated in front of her, all in black, white hair to his shoulders. While there was some differences she could TELL that this was Hades; Emet-Selch. Though, based on appearances, it was definitely before he became Solus zos Galvus - Emperor of Garlemald. He floated there, just in front of the symbol, his hand out-stretched and the faint glow of purple magic dissipating around his hand. 

So, she thought. He carved it with magic. But to what end? She remembered, before he and ‘Daeus had disappeared, that he had mentioned something about how he had taken being the bearer of Azem’s stone seriously. Maybe it was a way to mark that he had traveled and been to far off places and adventures? 

“I don’t know who you are, or how you got this far without me knowing…” Solveig blinked at the voice and watched as the man’s body turned in the air and his head swiveled to regard her - his own eyes widening just barely. “How…do you…” Emet-Selch stared at her, his mouth slightly agape, before he shook his head and raised his hand up. She could see that he was getting ready to do something and prepared for whatever it was. This marked the second time he had noticed her in an Echo flashback - the first being in Elpis when she had witnessed a scene between him, ‘Daeus, and Soteria. He hadn’t gotten a chance to interact with her at that time as he had been otherwise occupied. Her face reddened a bit at that particular moment. But, whatever the snap he was about to do was meant to entail…never happened as her focus jolted back to the present and he was gone from her sight and lost to the past. She was left staring back at the mark of Azem and collecting her thoughts. “Raha,” she called out. “Please lower me.” 

Mixed emotions and feelings coursed through her. Sadness for the man that had been there, sadness for what he had lost, sadness because she had wanted more time, but gladness that he had had those moments of clarity and purpose. Moments that had clearly meant something to him. 

[solveigruna]

Neath Dark Waters

The man known as Emet-Selch stood just at the edge of the lapping waves and stared intently at a large rock that jutted out of the water. There was a familiar presence just behind it - a colouring of soul that was at once comforting and infuriating. Sadness and madness. A sliver of what it should be and everything he wanted. With a sigh of annoyance the man raised a gloved hand and snapped his fingers and the rock that blocked his view disappeared from sight and revealed a pair of blue-green eyes peering back at him from the water; matching hair floating in waves around her slight form.

"And who might you be?" he asked of the creature in front of him. He'd heard tale of halfmen that lived beneath the waves in the deepest parts of the oceans but, to date, had yet to actually come across one. Any who knew how long lived he was might find that surprising but, honestly, it wasn't like he spent an awful lot of time swimming in the depths - or any at all. He had better things to do. Raise empires and destroy them and working towards the Rejoinings being chief among them. Investigating rumors of a people beneath the waves was not his job.

The half-woman, half fish tilted it's head in curiousity and moved forward with purpose before stopping mere feet from him - another thing he found curious. She didn't spook and flee as soon as the rock disappeared. If anything it seemed to have emboldened her. There was a sense of devil-may-care that oozed from her very presence. She didn't fear him, not in the slightest. 

Another tick in the column of things that was familiar, yet maddening, about the broken soul in front of him. 

The creature rose partially from the water and he made note of the mesmerizing colours and shimmering of her tail. The woman portion of her body was certainly beautiful - toned and pale, he assumed from a life under water and devoid of light. Freckles dotted her face and, strangely, she bore dark horns and scales that - on land - would've marked her as part of the Au'ra tribes. 

"I have been sent to find you." Her voice was strong and purposed with a very slight lilt to it from a dialect he couldn't place; it's timbre melodic and lulling. 

He almost immediately sensed a trap.

"Have you now?" He questioned as he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow - his guard raised. He'd heard stories of these fish people luring sailors to their doom. Well, if this creature thought it was luring him anywhere, it certainly had another thing coming. Emet-Selch wasn't lured. If anything HE did the luring. “I assure you there is naught between us that needs addressing. You should be on your way before you get caught in worse than a fisher’s net.” Emet-Selch sneered down at the creature and sniffed haughtily. 

She regarded him a moment before moving a little closer and raising herself out of the water a few more inches. He made note that she was truly very small in comparison to himself. To the Garleans that he had surrounded himself with, she would be nothing more than the size of a child - if not for her tail. The iridescent blue and purple appendage easily added five feet to her to her height and he briefly wondered what she’d be like with legs. Based on her frame - lithe and nimble if he had to guess. 

“I fear no fisher’s net,” she responded simply. “I fear nothing and no one,” she added defiantly. Her eyes widened slightly, a look of feigned innocence meant to throw him off guard he assumed. To be quite honest he preferred the defiance - it certainly suited her better. She raised a hand out of water and extended it towards him; a faint orange glow peaked through her closed fist and he eyed it suspiciously. “But, I was sent to seek you. I have something that may interest you,” she tacked on. “It was found deep beneath the waters - deeper than most of my kind dare go. But I’m not like most of my brethren. I was told to seek a man that reeked of age and misery.” Emet-Selch glared at the woman in front of him and her insinuation that he reeked of anything. And how dare she continue to exhibit traits of a person long dead. And how dare the misery and age be so on the dot. All in all, Emet-Selch found himself very put out by all of this. But, oh, when she opened her hand and revealed the treasure that had been trapped within! His heart seemed to freeze as if it had been replaced with naught but stone. He felt himself kneeling in the water; a trembling hand reaching out for that which she held. “How? Where?” he questioned. Only one such stone existed. He knew this to be a fact as he had been its creator. So how had she come to be in possession of this? He had left it in safe-keeping with the only person he could trust. 

“I told you. The deepest depths of these waters,” she responded; her voice calm and lulling. He could feel his brain wandering as he stared at the stone and as she spoke. “It called to me. Faintly, at first. Then more insistently.” His eyes vaguely acknowledged her other arm raising into the air and he felt the barest whisper of fingers along his scalp and in his hair. “Once I found it - it sang to me. Spoke.” He felt himself being drawn deeper by her words and his mind hazily acknowledged that the orange stone that bore the mark of the Sun on it had disappeared from view. The arm that held it had joined its mate and wrapped itself around his head and shoulders; fingers lazily, and soothingly, running through his hair like a missed lover’s embrace. 

Emet-Selch felt himself falling slowly and couldn’t be bothered to care. This creature, this woman, who was so infuriating - yet tantalizingly familiar - had him enthralled and he let himself be pulled into the depths with her. What would this little moment hurt? A moment ‘neath dark waters of peace and silence with the ghost of a memory on his lips?

[solveigruna]

The call

A step by step process of this will be available at my Patreon on may 1st 😊

[solveigruna]

Azem April Day 6: Fun Fun was never an issue for Soteria and Hythlodaeus. Between her bombastic nature and his quieter sense of chaos, the two of them always managed to find some way to keep themselves entertained - often to the chagrin of Hades. One of the best skills they had acquired over their long friendship had been learning when, and how hard, to push him and when to stop. But - the true joy for them, was seeing what little games of pure stupidity would earn his small, secret, smiles. For, despite how contrary and dour he constantly seemed he DID have a sense of humour. And it struck him at the strangest times. Soteria and Hythlodaeus lived for those little moments with him. That was where the true fun was.

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Azem AND Au’ra April Day 5: Job/Class

Soteria arched an eyebrow and the corner of her lip turned up slightly.

“So, my familiar is here as well,” she offered by way of greeting. It was strange, to be honest. Very strange and very, very, alarming. There were a slew of emotions associated with meeting this woman in front of her. She would’ve come here ready for a fight if she hadn’t received Venat’s messages before Themis’s. As it was, she still wasn’t sure she wasn’t ready TO fight. But, right now, that was a problem for after she helped with the secrets of Pandaemonium. To her credit, the lizard like woman in front of her stiffened only slightly before blinking once and then nodding. “Azem,” she responded. “I…am glad that you decided to join us. While I’m sure I would’ve been capable, more hands are always better than one.” She was, however, not a very good actress. How had she gotten this far with people just believing she was her familiar? Soteria strode past Themis and Erichthonius, taking up a stance next to Solveig. 

“So, tail, huh?” She muttered just loud enough for the shard of herself to hear. 

“‘Daeus said you’d find that very amusing,” Solveig responded as she took her shield off of her back and unsheathed her sword. Soteria snorted a laugh as she did the same. “Hyth is correct. Kinda want one myself, now,” she added with a grin as she swung her sword out to her side and looked up the long stairs. “Give it time, I suppose,” Solveig remarked drily. “Though, I will caution you - not sure Emet-Selch likes it.” “Pft. Don’t let him fool you. He’s all grump on the outside and a fucking cloudmallow on the inside.” That got a real chuckle out of Solveig as she shifted her feet. “Shall we then?” “Lets.” Both women nodded once before charging up the stairs and into whatever future they brought. 

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Au’ra April Day 4: Spring  After a while you learn the subtle difference Between holding a hand and chaining a soul, And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning And company doesn’t mean security, And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts And presents aren’t promises, And you begin to accept your defeats With your head up and your eyes open With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child, And you learn to build all your roads on today, Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans, And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight. After a while you learn That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure… That you really are strong, And you really do have worth. And you learn and learn… With every goodbye you learn. Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

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Azem April Day 4: Concepts “What is it?” Hades stared down his nose at the furred brown creature that Soteria proudly held out in front of her. “I have NO idea!” She proudly exclaimed. “Did you not create it?” “I SURE did!” “....And you don’t know what it is?” “Well, I mean, it's cute.” Hades raised a solitary, dubious eyebrow, as he stared at the thing. Brown fur covered it, marking it mammalian, but it had a bill like a duck and webbed feet. Avian and aquatic. The final weirdness, to this already very strange animal, was a large flat tail. 

 “I can see you judging it,” Soteria commented as she set the creature down in a pool of water. The little creature excitedly dove and swam around; content. “It also lays eggs!” Hades’s head tilted and he blinked. “And is bioluminescent!” “Bio…lu…” The man sounded out slowly before sighing in exasperation. “Why did you make it glow in the dark?” “Because it seemed like a fun idea!” With a grin she turned and faced him. “It also has poisonous spurs on the back of its hind paws!” Her grin widened, almost maniacally, as Hades’s jaw dropped and worked angrily. “WHY THE HELL WERE YOU HANDLING IT LIKE A BABY?!” “Because it IS baby.”

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Azem April Day 3: Speciality Figuring out a method of teleportation without a crystal had been mentioned as a joke.  Everyone knew that the most efficient way to move a person long distance was via the large, condensed, crystals of aether. A talented mage could open a small enough portal to move themselves but, honestly, those people were few and far between. With a laugh, Soteria stared down the instructor and said that she’d figure it out. 

Hades had said she couldn’t do it. Figuring out a method of teleportation without a crystal then became a matter of pride and spite.  Time wore on and, while she loved everything about what it meant to be Azem, there were long lonesome days where she missed the two parts of her heart. Or, days where they would’ve been EXTREMELY useful (despite one’s assurances that he wasn’t). And, so… Figuring out a method of teleportation without a crystal then became a matter of heart.  What had started as spiteful curiosity had morphed, over the last century, into a burning need to see this idea through. Aside from the fact that there would be many practical uses (as far as she was concerned) in being able to teleport multiple people at once to the same location - just being able to see specific people would also be wonderful. Thus, making this endeavor also fairly selfish. At this point she was fairly certain she had worked out the invocation to the point she could test it on something other than plants and animals. Nothing had died, been malformed, or suffered a major mishap in the last two years of testing. While she was absolutely someone prone to just rushing in and doing something - she felt that this was not something she could rush. What if she accidentally hurt…or killed…that which she wanted to bring to her? No…that would be unacceptable and devastating. But…now? Now she felt ready to test it.  Had she warned the intended target? Noooo. Not in so much words anyway. But, after the many many years they had known each other, if he hadn’t learned to read between the lines then that was on him. Right? Right. With a determined nod, Soteria focused her will and watched as the glowing glyphs that represented this invocation erupted into a blinding light around her. Her heart and mind called across the space between her and where her target was in Amaurot. Once she found him, she gave a little mental tug and pulled him along the lines of aether she had connected between him and her. Within moments she heard a loud thwump of something hitting the ground and her teleportation circle slowly dissipated around her. “What the…” A confused voice she loved dearly muttered at her feet. “How…what…?” Soteria looked down and her green eyes locked onto a pair of purple ones and she grinned wildly. It had worked!! “Oh! Well, hello there Soteria!” The woman knelt down beside Hythlodaeus and wrapped her arms around him. “Welcome to the other side of the world!” she greeted. “Well, I’m certainly not in that meeting with Emet-Selch anymore. That’s for sure,” he responded with a chuckle. “Oh no,” she responded with a quiet laugh. “Lets see if I can fix that then,” she added. Still kneeling she focused her will again and repeated the process. It was quicker this time and a softer sound of feet hitting the ground happened behind her. When she turned to face the figure the man had a staff in hand and was looking around confused, angry, and ready to fight.  “What the hell is going on?!” “Told you I could do it,” she responded.  Almost three hundred years after a joke had been made, Soteria managed to create a teleportation circle that could pull whole people across the space that separated them. Reaching up, she tugged Hades’s robes and pulled until he rolled his eyes and sat on the ground with her and Hythlodaeus. She’d gloat more fully later, right now she just wanted to revel in having them with her. 

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Au’ra April Day 2: Close-Up Solveig’s just enjoying the atmosphere of Limsa. 

[solveigruna]

Day 2: Casual

Azem had been traveling when the new Elibibus had been installed. Ideally, all members of the Convocation would be present but - Azem being who they were - was often an exception. Soteria being who SHE was - was doubly so. There’d been exactly three people raised to the Convocation after she had been, over the space of fifty odd years, and only one of them had she bothered to be present for.She couldn’t necessarily be absent the day Hades was made Emet-Selch. Especially after she had lobbied so hard for him to be given that position after Hythlodaeus had turned it down. But that was neither here nor there. It had started innocently enough. She’d been at the Bureau trying to wheedle her way around the desk attendant. Surely, the Chief Architect wasn’t THAT busy? Besides, he’d definitely want to make time to see a member of the Convocation. The desk clerk simply sighed and shook their head in the negative. Hythlodaeus was in a meeting with Lahabrea and that took precedence over whatever nonsense Azem had cooked up. Soteria wasn’t sure if she should be annoyed or amused. She sighed and turned from the desk, almost immediately bumping into a younger man behind her. In retrospect - the white robes should’ve been a give away. He was far to young to have been one of the few people to have retired from a seat of Leadership and NOT have returned to the star. In her defense, she’d been away for awhile and was currently plotting how to get around the desk clerk and, subsequently, Lahabrea. “Ah! My apologies,” she started. “Didn’t know someone was behind me.” “Not a worry,” he responded; a slight smile to his lips. “I couldn’t help but notice that they are not letting Azem pass on her way. Is there something I can assist with?” Soteria blinked down at the young before offering an amused grin. “Not unless you can get me through the doors.” “I may just be able to,” he responded. “I have a meeting with some fellows within the Architect. Perhaps you can accompany me?” Soteria’s eyes widened before she nodded and flashed a toothy grin at the young man. “I’d be happy to….?” She tilted her head as she trailed off. “Ah, my apologies. You may call me Themis,” he replied. With a small nod he turned and headed for the doors; she following close behind. As they neared, the person guarding the entrance seemed a bit confused before nodding and opening the doors: letting both of them pass without issue. Her brow furrowed just slightly as they hadn’t even questioned why Azem was with this random citizen who had a meeting. Something felt off. But, she figured, it was nothing she couldn’t handle and - if anything - could be a good story later for Hythlodaeus! As they walked the long halls, the pair of them chatted. He asked questions about her trips and the peoples she had met and she was all to happy to talk about them. Usually her only audiences were the other members of the Convocation or Hyth. And the Convocation almost never took an active interest. Her reports were simply that to them - reports. Information to be gained and stored. But, to her, they were so much more! And, so, she found joy in rehashing to this inquisitive young man her most recent exploits and how she had rallied a town against a rather ferocious beast that had been prowling outside its gates. After a few moments they came to a stop outside of a rather familiar door and she blinked as Themis opened it and walked through. Standing just on the otherside of the threshold were Lahabrea and Hythlodaeus. Both of whom looked surprised to see her - though one was definitely more amused than the other. “Azem,” Lahabrea started. “What are you…” “She was accompanying me,” Themis interrupted. “And giving me her report on her latest excursion.” “That’s…” Lahabrea paused before sighing very quietly. “Very well, Elidibus.” Soteria’s eyes shot down to the young man in front of her and she forced her mouth to remain closed, otherwise a series of curses would be the only sound that came out. Whatever face this resulted in caused Hythlodaeus to quietly raise a hand to his mouth and chuckle. “It is good to see you home safe, Azem. The Speaker and I were just wrapping a meeting and I have another one with Elidibus after. Perhaps you and I can speak at dinner tonight?” “Oh, that won’t be necessary, Chief Architect,” Themis cut in. “I have some business with Lahabrea that takes precedence. We can reschedule for tomorrow if its all the same.” “As you wish,” the other man replied with a slight smile. Soteria bit the inside of her cheek as she was torn between abject confusion and amusement as Lahabrea’s jaw worked furiously. With a shake of his head he opted to simply walk out and Themis turned to face her. “My apologies for the duplicity, Azem,” he commented. Soteria simply snorted a laugh in response. “I appreciate a good joke as much as…nay, probably more than, most people around here,” she replied. “Just, maybe, try to keep it to a minimum with Laha. You certainly don’t wanna curate my reputation,” she ended with a laugh which he returned. “I shall make note of it. Until next time,” he gave a nod of his head and moved past her. “Until next time, Themis,” she responded with a grin. Sometimes, an unexpected casual encounter yielded the newest of friends. 

[solveigruna]

Day 1: Introduction

Tomorrow she was expected to start wearing her mask when in public. It was a mark of coming of age for the Amaurotians and she was at that age where she was crossing from the cares of youth into the, supposed, wonders of adulthood. Booooring. Hades had started wearing his about a year ago and it had somehow made him even more insufferable. She figured it was a good thing he was handsome otherwise she’d have to completely disassociate with him on grounds of being a certifiable stick in the mud. Well, okay, there were OTHER reasons to keep him around and he knew it. Which was probably why he was so insufferable. 

She’d have to find ways to rectify that. With a grin she tossed the mask onto her bed and practically flounced out of her room - plotting ideas to make Hades’s life that much more difficult. Those were better thoughts than what the morrow brought. Rules and expectations? Boring masks and being “One with the People”? That was a problem for Future Soteria, not Present Soteria. Hythlodaeus, who had donned his mask with Hades, had promised her something exciting and dinner in celebration. She wasn’t sure what the ‘exciting’ was but - Hythlodaeus never failed to deliver. 

There was a large tree outside of Hythlodaeus’s apartment building that the three of them often met under. It was a beautiful meeting spot surrounded by the life of Amaurot. It was good for people watching and, on particularly lovely days, a good nap. That was the agreed upon meeting spot for today’s adventures. As she walked up she noticed the two young men, deep in conversation, but - happily - her particular target had his back to her. With a grin she hiked her robes to her knees and took off running. As she neared she leapt and flung herself at his back and wrapped her legs around him, trusting that he’d steady himself and not fall.

Really, after all these years she would've thought that he would've learnt to place his back against something that wouldn’t give her the advantage. 

“Soteria!!” The man grunted as he flung his arms out for balance. “How many damned times….!” “Always once more,” she responded with a laugh. “Hullo, Hyth!” She propped an elbow on Hades’s shoulder and placed her chin on her hand and winked one of her sea green eyes back at the other man. “You two look positively boring with the masks. Have I mentioned that lately? What’s a girl gotta do to see the handsome faces beneath?” She reached her hands around and poked at Hades’s cheeks on either side before using her fingers to force his lips into a smile. “Well, I only need to be asked,” Hythlodaeus responded with a grin as he reached up to remove his mask. “Don’t you dare,” Hades commented around Soteria’s fingers. “Think of what people will say.” Soteria rolled her eyes. “Blame it on me,” she responded with a shrug. “Easy enough. It's already expected.” “And YOU shouldn’t be so proud of the reputation you’ve already curated for yourself!” He chastised. “Things start to get serious tomorrow.” Soteria rolled her eyes before kissing his cheek lightly and hopping down. 

"Yes, Dad," she tacked on once she was beside him. 

"Well, that was certainly fun to watch!" A woman's voice that Soteria only vaguely recognized, and only in that way that EVERYONE knew who it was - even if they hadn't met her, greeted with joy and humour. Soteria's eyebrows climbed into her hairline and she looked over her shoulder; immediately spotting a woman with white hair and bright blue eyes hidden behind the red mask of Azem. 

"Ah, Azem," Hythlodaeus turned to greet the other woman, donning his mask once more. "I'm glad you could make it. Thank you for agreeing."

"Nonsense. Word gets around and when I heard you were friends with one of Amaurot's most notorious troublemakers…" Azem trailed off and looked over to Soteria with a grin. 

That had been a bit over a century ago, she thought - as she allowed her mind to snap back to the present. 

Soteria stared down at the red mask that had been placed in her hands by the woman in front of her before casting her eyes into the sea of faces that were watching her induction as the new Azem. In that sea she found a set of golden eyes behind a white mask, watching her - a small smile on his face and, next to him, purple eyes and with a much wider grin. 

They still looked better without the masks, but such was life. 

The Seat of Azem was never something she had never seen for herself. Honestly, knowing Venat, she had never expected the woman to want to step down. But, she had and she had recommended Soteria be raised to the seat - much to Hades's chagrin and Hythlodaeus's delight. And who was she to say no to the one job that let her do THINGS? And, despite knowing that there would be many lonely days of travel ahead, days where she would miss those she held closest to her heart, she kept telling herself that coming home would just be that more joyful. 

So with a smile she deliberately removed the simple white mask from her face and donned the Mask of Azem. 

[solveigruna]

Just Solveig stuff

Friends were joking about how short Solveig is but she is maxed out on boobage. I did that on purpose because it made me giggle.  Set outside Moghome Estinien suddenly found himself grateful for his ability to keep a passive face as he watched the woman, now dressed in a loose tunic and pants, walk towards him. Never, in a thousand years, would he have guessed that the armor she had been wearing had hidden that many…assets. 

"Ser Estinien?" The quiet voice of the little lordling drew his attention and he inclined his head towards him, indicating that he was listening. "You're, uh, gaping. A bit." Estinien blinked and closed his mouth, opting to look down at Alphinaud fully."Don't worry," the teenager started. "You get used to it." 

Estinien noted the faint pinkening of the boy's cheeks and raised an eyebrow before glancing back at Solveig. "I am not sure what I expected. But, that was not it."

"Thancred, one of our colleagues, told me once that I was very lucky she opted to wear clothes at all…" The boy trailed off; staring into the fire.

"You know I can hear you, right?" Solveig's annoyed voice called as she moved towards the fire. "And I'm going to have to have a little talk with Thancred about what is and is NOT appropriate conversation."

"Ah! My apologies, Sol. I didn't mean to offend of course." Solveig shook her head and shrugged.

"You didn't do anything, Alphy." She turned to regard Estinien a moment; arms crossed under her chest. "I'd say 'I'll change if it makes you uncomfortable' but I'd be lying. You're a soldier. Get used to it. But I refuse to wear that armor any longer than I have to. It presses against my chest and I need to breathe sometimes. Binding is awful." With a shrug she knelt down in front of the fire and rotated the small spit that had been set up.

"I…see no problem."

"Good." Solveig shot a grin up at him and sat down, fully, in front of the fire. 

"I just find it alarming that someone as small as you is…so proportioned."

"Has big boobs. You can say it. It's a fun word." Her grin widened as Alphinaud visibly fidgeted. "Look, it's just what nature gifted me. Short as shit, even by my race's standards, tail long enough that I trip over it if I stand up too quickly, and a chest that alarms people when they see me dressed in everyday clothes."  Estinien simply grunted before taking up a seat opposite of her at the fire. There was silence before he spoke up again.

[solveigruna]

amaryllis :   what is something or someone that your muse takes pride in ? how do they express that pride ? peony :   what would a   ‘  happy life  ’   look like in your muse’s eyes ? zinnia :   how has the loss of fallen comrades and/or loved ones affected your muse ? has it taught them anything or given them any new perspectives ?

Amaryllis: She takes pride in the mundane, strangely enough. She's a deft hand at weaving flower crowns. Or baking the simplest of cookies. Nothing fancy or over the top. Her pride is in bestowing these things as gifts to those she cares about. So that, however fleeting they may be, her loved ones have something of her that she's created. Peony: A happy life would be being able to curl up on a couch, on a cold winter's night with a blanket and a loved one. To find peace and comfort in simply existing without the world needing her. Zinnia: She doesn't take loss very well at all. She lashes out at material objects around her and rages until she is spent. Its taught her that she'd do ANYTHING to protect those she still has and that - maybe - what Emet-Selch was trying to accomplish wasn't wrong. She can, at least, understand WHY. Because, if it'd been her? She'd've absolutely done the same thing. And that scares her. Thanks for asking!!

[solveigruna]

Bound in Darkness (Bathed in Light)

At the Beehive 

What had drawn him to this gods forsaken den of hedonism wasn't its Mayor or even the tiny Scion who was misplaced from his own Star - though that was a mystery he was eager to crackdown on. Right along with the appearance of his tower on the First. But, no, right now his attention was fixated on a dim glow that he knew very well. A soul that he'd loved and cherished for thousands of years and one that he'd last seen about fifty years ago. He’d elected to don a less recognized outfit - to go incognito as it were - so that the swine he’d cultivated to “rule” here in Eulmore would be none the wiser. 

Upon locating that rosy, sunset hued, soul the first thing he did was curse under his breath. She was accompanying the little lost Scion and was an Au’Ra. His Azem was the fucking Warrior of Light that Elidibus had warned him about. Of course she was. Why wouldn’t she be? That was just the kind of fool thing that she would end up doing. His annoyance immediately turned to resentment. Azem hadn’t wanted any part of this. If anything, she had abandoned all of them until the very last minute when her help meant nothing AND got herself shattered along with everything else. 

His resentment then turned to anger. She hadn’t wanted any of this. She didn’t think the summoning of Zodiark was the way to go NOR did she think the summoning of Hydaelyn was correct. She wanted a world where NO sacrifices had to be made. So, what in the actual FUCK gave Hydaelyn the right to repurpose her soul for this? Was it some sort of cruel mockery? A way to make the members of the Convocation who had remained Unsundered give up? Well, the joke had clearly been on dear Venat. Lahabrea couldn’t see souls - not the way he could and had perished without knowing who he faced. And Elidibus? Well, Emet-Selch figured he was lucky most days that their dear Emissary even remembered who he was. 

This woman, though, snooped around Eulmore - trying to learn its secrets and to learn those secrets she performed some of the most inane tasks. How very like her. As he watched and followed a couple of things became apparent to him. The first being that he’d have to find a way to neutralize her, and that thought gave him pause. In the end he decided that, as unsavory as it was - and as painful as it probably would be - he’d do whatever was necessary because letting the worlds be rejoined meant that he’d have Azem back whole. Not this shattered creature that stood before him and wound her way through the crowds. 

Eventually, they found themselves at the illustrious Beehive. He had stayed far enough away that he was never quite sure WHAT was being said but, this time around, he had a feeling she’d been tasked with something even she questioned. But, still, there was a shake of her head and she walked away - stepping into another room. A few minutes later the woman he’d been following reappeared, wearing significantly less than she had been. Emet-Selch’s eyebrows inched towards his hairline as he tried very hard not to stare. She had been dressed modestly. Safely. Now? Now she wore what amounted to nothing more than a negligee. Short, cheek peeking, ruffled shorts and a chemise that exposed her flat stomach and the dark scales that seemed to hug and wrap her hips like a lover’s hands. He glanced at her and then at his own hands and could easily picture how they would look splayed against her stomach - and how much that his own, giant, hands would cover. Garleans were tall and imposing by most standards. Au’ra women were delicately framed - if not delicately minded. The ones from the Steppe could be quite vicious, in fact. He’d learned that from experience.  His mind blanked as she stepped up to a pole that the gentlemen she had been speaking too indicated and eyed it distastefully; one hand on her hip. Surely….surely…she wouldn’t cave to this man’s demands in order to just get information? 

What happened next magically threw him back into a mindset he’d not had since before the Sundering. The petite woman reached a hand out for the pole and then was in the air. He couldn’t say she was as good as the professionals in other parts of the club - but she’d definitely had a modicum of some sort of dance experience. It had just never included a pole and she was improvising. He stood there, near the stage, and stared - trying to keep his face at a passive disinterest while he watched and internally screamed. This soul he loved - this soul he had spent the equivalent of centuries with in some form or another - this soul that he valued above his own was debasing herself this way. A part of him realized that this was Amaurotian Hades thinking and not Ascian Emet-Selch. But - right now - he wanted nothing more than to materialize a pair of communal robes, throw them on her, and throw her through a portal and lock her away in his recreated Home. That’d neutralize her AND keep her out of the way. 

The worst of it was that, had this been before the Sundering, at least one other person would’ve been here as well. Laughing, cheering her on. A pang of sadness hit his chest like a brick and he expelled a breath as he looked up at the woman in front of him. For a brief moment their eyes locked and she flashed what, in his eyes, was the most beautiful smile he’d seen in over fifty years - not since the wife he’d had as Emperor Solus passed away. Not since her soul had last passed from this world. Why couldn’t she have been reborn as someone unimportant to the world’s machinations again? Someone who could have a normal, easy, life? Not the life that this Au’Ra woman had had. Curse Hydaelyn! 

The woman finally stopped her dance and he got a chance to look at her face straight on - something that, up to now, he hadn’t really been able to do. As he stared he felt the pull of something he couldn’t identify. Something that nagged at him and worried at his mind. Like that feeling when you had forgotten something very important. Which, to him, was unsettling - Emet-Selch never forgot anything. She turned and stepped towards the man she had been trying to get information out of and the moment was broken. Emet-Selch narrowed his eyes as he stared at her back before turning on a heel and exiting. 

He was definitely going to need a plan.