#[;drabble]

[ephemeralxjustice]

“What are you doing here, Unukalhai?” Elidibus expands the sphere of his influence, a shielding of aether to push away the swell of the darkness. This child should not be here; though Unukalhai had been brought through into the rift, surrendered his mortality as surely as any of the other souls here, he remained but a shard and there was no telling how the aether here might affect him.

“Is everywhere like this?” Unukalhai’s voice is quiet, and he tucks himself in close. Perhaps he is aware that he should not venture far from Elidibus’ protective aether.

“If you are hoping to find a part of the star unaffected by this calamity, then you will be disappointed.” There is no kindness in fostering false hope, and Unukalhai has already been made aware of the truth. 

“Not even a little bit?” His voice cracks with the pain of losing his home, a pain Elidibus still feels all too keenly. Centuries have yet to dull its edge, and even the slightest graze of it against his mind sets it bleeding all over again. The pain of such a loss… it resonates so powerfully with the souls that comprise Him it chokes the breath from Elidibus’ lungs. 

“Such is what happens when the balance is shattered,” he finally answers on the edge of his breath. Unukalhai’s grip upon his robes tightens. “There is no enduring it, nor escaping it. Any souls that remained after the flood would have eventually been corrupted by its influence.”

“But what about me?” 

“You endure because you no longer dwell in this place. Even the rift maintains its own balance that prevents such corruption. If you remain here too long, then you too will succumb to the same fate as these people.”

“Is there really no way to save them?” 

“I cannot say.” Perhaps there was, perhaps there was not. He has not exhausted every possibility, every avenue, but further action seems unwise. Elidibus has already lost too much in his ignorance of Hydaelyn’s curse upon the star and with Zodiark still dormant, his own ability to act was severely limited. 

For all his efforts, he could only save a single child. 

Day 5: Preservation

[AO3]

[orxna]

Freedom is--Different, the second time. Not entirely different, sometimes she wonders if she will always be that frightened girl with a dead Papa. Again and again. Hawke isn't here to tell her that she'll be alright. Fenris is not here to assure her that she will be safe--He has been sent for but the way he travels practically with the wind there is no guarantee of when he will come for her. She's seen Isabela at least, nearly broke down then. The elf hadn't quite cried but she couldn't stop apologizing and she couldn't even explain what for. She wants to go home--but Kirkwall has fallen and there's no safe way to bring her to Starkhaven where Aveline stands vigilant as ever. Besides, Ghilan'nain is furious with the loss of Sulhan'harel, even the brief meeting with Isabela on the shores of Rivain had been ambushed by Antaam. Clawed hands grabbing at her arms and Orana thinks of going back and panics-- It is the first time Orana has ever bitten someone. She hadn't truly stopped the warrior, but distracted him enough for Isabela to do so moments later. A dagger through his heart with a wet Shnk. She is shaking horribly when the pirate pulls Orana close to her chest, squeezes her tight. "I’ve got you now, kitten," Isabela hushes, a hand combing through soft blonde locks. It settles something, to have nails instead of needles pressing against her scalp. She breathes with Isabela's steady breaths until the world stops spinning, "We won't let them take you." Orana tries very hard to believe her. She is sent with Rook, the Evanuris cannot access the Lighthouse. Rook is kind, magnetic the same way Hawke had been and instantly she understands Varric's fondness. However, it is not home, she doesn't think such a dizzying place could ever feel like home. Even just walking through the Eluvian and seeing the strange empty chasms bracketing a walkway with no rails is overwhelming. The feeling that wells in her stomach is worse than seasickness, though she has only ever been on a boat once. They bring her to the infirmary first, to tend to the shackle of bruises around her arm. She freezes at the sight of Bianca, shattered on a nearby table. She doesn't realize she's fallen--fainted--until she is looking up and there are people crowding on all sides of her. It is terribly disorienting to be lifted and set gently upon a medic's cot. It is more disorienting to be overwhelmed with the familiar earthy sweet scent of old but well maintained leather. It lingers in her nose and if she closes her eyes she can almost pretend that the hands tending to her are callused like an archer's. Eo canavarum, why hadn't the Evanuris simply been lying to her? Lithe fingers grasp desperately at the sleeves when unfamiliar hands help her sit up. She shrugs the coat over her shoulders, someone is speaking but she can't quite hear them. Her mind has made itself quiet, protecting her. The elf curls in on herself, into the coat. Slips shaking hands into the arms and squeezes herself as tight as she can. If she closes her eyes hard enough, it's almost like a hug.

[asktowa]

Towa has never had a great relationship with food. He didn’t hate it, he just…didn’t need it. Even so, he still knew the basics of cooking – it’s a skill everyone should have, after all. Except, it wasn’t a skill, not for him anyway. Normally Towa wouldn’t think twice about this kind of thing, but after last night, he started to wonder if he should worry about his abilities (or lack thereof) in the kitchen. 

You see, that night it was his turn to cook (something new that they were trying out in the Jabberwock dorm), and he decided to make the one thing he really knew how to cook: Porridge. No it wasn’t a filling meal for dinner, but again, Towa doesn’t need food. Plus, he figured if the other two were really hungry, they’d just suck it up and eat it. So when Ren outright refused to touch his meal, and Haru pretended to like it even though he’d spit it out into a napkin when he thought Towa wasn’t looking, he knew he had to make a change. He hardly ever felt shame, but last night was particularly humbling for Towa. 

And so that’s how he ended up in his current spot – sitting on the kitchen counters of the Mystery Diner and kicking his feet idly as he watched the chef anomaly attempt to make something that vaguely resembled food. Personally, Towa thought he was doing a great job, but again, what does he know about food or cooking? He only ever ate plants and flowers for God’s sake. The poor anomaly looked absolutely terrified though, constantly looking over its shoulder as if it were waiting for Towa to strike at any moment. He just had that effect on most anomalies, it seemed. But the chef would have to put up with Towa’s antics, because he wasn’t going to leave until he learned how to properly cook a meal.

[kittycored]

Mitsuki's friendship with Bunni was an unexpected one. He never intended to make friends when he first arrived, especially with a ghoul who can't go two seconds without something bad happening to her. But she had been so patient with him. And persistent. But not pushy.

Bunni never overstepped his boundaries, never pushed for more, but was an open book when it came to herself. Even when Mitsuki was judgmental or rude or uncaring, it didn't stop her from giving her all. In other words, she always felt safe enough to be vulnerable with him.

And Mitsuki felt safe too. So safe, in fact, that he decided to bare his own soul to her.

When Mitsuki messaged Bunni that he wanted to talk, when he sat her down and told her he was keeping a huge secret from everyone, when he finally revealed who he truly was, the last thing he expected her to do was laugh.

Here he was finally returning her vulnerability, and she had the audacity to laugh! His ear flicked in annoyance as her laughter echoed off the walls of his room, seeping into his bones and weighing his shoulders down. He watched as she doubled over, clutching her sides and nearly toppling over as she struggled to catch her breath. She tried speaking, but the only words Mitsuki could make out were "Reverse" and "Furry".

"Stop laughing! This is serious!" Mitsuki shouted, which only caused Bunni to laugh harder. "Ugh, just forget it! This is stupid. I should've never told you anything!"

Throwing his hands up in defeat, Mitsuki turned away from Bunni and flopped down onto his bed, curling in on himself. He wasn't prepared for this. Laughter? She should be screaming! Yelling! Running out the door and reporting him! Instead she's...she's mocking him!

"Aw, hehe, I'm sorry Kiki!" Bunni apologized through her giggles. He hated that nickname. He even told her as much. Figures she would use it at a time like this. "It's just- This- It's the last thing I expected, I couldn't help myself!"

Mitsuki felt his mattress dip a bit before he saw her, leaning over him with a wide grin and some leftover tears in her eyes. Her shoulders shook from the giggles she was struggling to hold back, with a few snickers actually escaping her. He huffed and pointedly ignored her. Jerk.

"C'mon, don't be like that! I'm trying to apologize here!"

"Oh, is that what you were doing? And here I thought you were laughing at me for opening up to you." Mitsuki retorted and rolled his eyes. It was quiet for a moment, and from his peripherals he could see Bunni lift her hand, hesitate for a second, and then finally rest it on his shoulder.

She brushed her thumb over his fur, noting how soft it felt under her fingertips. She wondered, idly, how difficult bathtime must be for him. No wonder he's so cranky all the time.

"I'm sorry hon, really. I didn't mean to laugh at you like that. It's just, this really is that last thing I was expecting. I thought you were gonna tell me you were, like, gay or something!" Mitsuki made an unamused noise, and Bunni smiled apologetically. "What I'm trying to say is, I reacted poorly, and I'm sorry for that. I'm just shocked. I mean, you're a giant cat, dude! You've been a giant cat this whole time! It's like, how am I supposed to react to this, ya know?"

Mitsuki's pinched expression softened at that. All things considered; this really was the best outcome. If he had revealed his true nature to anyone else, he could have been killed or imprisoned or potentially eaten. Yes, being laughed at was humiliating, but at least his livelihood was safe. He was safe. That's the whole reason he did this, wasn't it? Because Bunni made him feel safe. Despite being a ghoul (a Sinostra ghoul at that), she wasn't a threat to him.

"I...guess I can understand your reaction." Mitsuki slowly sat up and shifted so he could face Bunni better. "I'm not really sure what I was expecting, either. I just really felt like I needed to tell you- to show you who I am. Do...do you still like who I am?"

Bunni cooed and pulled Mitsuki into her arms, hugging him tightly. She could actually feel his fur standing up, as well as his claws digging into her shirt and piercing her skin, but he'd have to try harder than that to get her to stop. "Of course, I still like you! You're like, my best friend! And you're a cat! I'm literally besties with a giant cat! What's not to like?"

Mitsuki continued to claw at her uniform as a low growl rested in the back of his throat, but she wouldn't budge an inch. He eventually gave up, resting his head on her shoulder while his long tail flicked irritably behind him. Curse her ghoul strength.

Though, it was nice. Being accepted. It felt good. Like the weight of hiding and fighting and surviving for years has finally lifted, if only a little. With a soft sigh, Mitsuki slowly relaxed in Bunni's embrace, nearly nodding off until she spoke up again.

"I do have one question, though."

"Hm?" Leisurely, he peeked up at her and knew from the slight mischievous glint in her eyes that it was a mistake to have ever given her the time of day.

"Is it barbed?"

"Get out."

[onlylivinboy]

Any extended period of time in the cuff ended up like this. More than a day, two days, and he’s taking the heated blanket with him everywhere.

He’s tired, like the main source of energy the boy ran on is cut off and he has to run on just the reserve tank.

And then, the silence, of being cut off from the voice of his Asgardian. The place of safety that they both found between them that no one else could see, like it was sitting empty.

None of the other voice either, the one that cut like a knife, made him angry and sad and confused and.. worried.

So worried.

Like being surrounded, muffled and obscured by a cloud of static. Cut off from everything, just an interrupted signal that was Gabriel.

[doctorjulie]

[v2 of this prompt] @fuascailt

When I say go, you’ll go.

Her word given, a promise made and remade. The first time, maybe not fully understanding, not grasping.

But a grasp it had been, to keep him in her life, when nothing else about them was certain. If this was the condition, the promise was easily made. Easily worth it.

Again she’d give her word to him, to Josh.

When all I want is for you to be safe..

Sure, and what about you?

She had a pretty good idea of her husband’s regard to that question. The way he saw himself. His job, to the protect the ones he loved.

To protect the ones he loved, who were worth the cost of him.

And, him?

When I say go, you’ll go.

Here’s the unfathomable moment when he tells her. It’s come time to honor her word, but this time she feels she understands. She feels the cost in his dulled blue eyes, the pallor of his beautiful face,

his life, flooding still from under the press of her hands.

Freezing as her mind raced, as it ran out of possibility and ways and hopes to save, to protect the man staring up at her in pain, in fear.

And logically, practically, horribly the truth’s become plain to Julia.

He’s not going to make it.

And they don’t have much time left.

Coming unfrozen in this realization she holds him all the closer, lips pressed together she scrunches her nose at him and gives a shake of her head.

“No, sorry.” She takes a hand off the wound, lowering herself now so she’s cradling him. A different kind of care from what she’d been trying to give him before.

She hears, is aware of distant shouts, of footsteps somewhere off in pursuit.

But it’s him that she’s with, right there.

“Just not gonna happen, Josh.” Sorry, not sorry. It’s just not worth the cost anymore, is it? You were never an acceptable cost to me. That’s why she made that promise in the first place.

“I’m staying, right here, with you.” She holds him to her, feels those awful breaths of his but she holds him. “I love you.” She tells him.

You’re not doing this alone. I’ll take it from here.

“I love you.

Hey? I love you.”

She stays there, holding him, whispering to him, every moment she’s right there with her husband, her great love.

“You did so good.

i love you.

you did good, josh. thank you, you did so good by us

I’ve got you

it’s okay. hey

josh?”

[luxhavenlight]

He sits on the cold floor of the castle, frowning while idly toying with his gold ring. He hadn't been tasked to do anything for a few days now, and doing nothing was utterly dull. He felt restless. He wanted to do something. The urge to cause some form of chaos was itching at the back of his mind. Set a random building on fire. Slaughter an innocent civilian in cold blood. What was the harm as long as it didn't disrupt Prima's plan?

"No."

Toshiro's body jolted in surprise as Prima's voice reached his ears, having not expected her to speak. "M-Mistress-"

"I know what you're thinking, Toshiro." She could hear the thoughts of all the atroci she commanded, even the ones granted a more human-like form. "It won't be necessary."

"But-"

"It won't. Be necessary." She only needed to raise her voice ever so slightly, making it clear she hated repeating herself. "You've done enough for now. Not to mention those Luxhaven hunters will be seeking you out after what you did to that Cassius boy and others. So I need you to remain here for a while."

Toshiro groaned in frustration, the back of his head hitting the wall behind him with a soft thud. He hated this.

She glanced over her shoulder to meet his gaze, and her expression softened slightly. "I know you do." She spoke almost like a mother would to comfort a child.

There came the soft clicking of heeled shoes on the floor as Prima approached him, and she soon reached out to pet the top of Tosiro's head with her non-clawed hand.

"You are one of my best, Toshiro," she said softly. "I cannot afford to lose you. Not when things have just been set into motion."

[tealeavesandthorns]

[ darkness ] sender and receiver makeout in a completely dark room (why do I see poor Tanner opening the door staring at them in absolute shock before slowly closing it again 🤣)

DIFFERENT KINDS OF KISSES *  send ’reverse’ for the reversal of the prompt, nsfw implied @dontcxckitup

"You seemed like you needed an escape." Maria said sliding her hands around Gareth's neck as he came to stand in front of her. The room was dark, save for the tiny shred of light coming in through the window and half illuminating the desk she was leaning against.

Gareth pressed his head against her shoulder letting out a groan.

"Who were they?" Maria asked, allowing him to lean against her and breathing in his scent.

"Foreign diplomats." Gareth said rubbing his eyes. "How did you get in here?"

"It was open, I didn't pick it." Maria said holding up her hands. "I told you I check out any places like this. This is the only one unlocked though, I tried to get into the room at the end of the corridor." She chuckled.

"Is that a library?" Gareth asked, looking at her hopefully.

"No, but I think there are antiques in there." Maria admitted. "If you didn't have your speech I'd have feigned some sort of need to go home, gotten us out of here."

When Gareth kissed her it was soft and slow at first, lips moving over hers with gentle yearning. The kind of kisses that Maria knew communicated love when words wouldn't quite do. His hand was gentle at her chin, his thumb brushing her cheek.

It was like that for a moment. The two of them in the dark, just kissing, indulging and then there was a shift. The kisses became deeper, the hold firmer, there was a hand at her waist and she shifted a little to perch on the end of the desk. To pull him closer.

A gasp left Maria as Gareth's attention moved from her lips to her neck where he murmured "You really do look ravishing in this dress." against her skin. She sighed as his hand found the gap in her dress, found her partially covered thigh and pulled himself closer to her.

Heat and desire raced through her, her fingers fumbling with the buttons on his dinner jacket.

This hadn't exactly been what she'd intended when she'd wanted to help him escape but she should have known that alone in the dark they'd probably end up like this. She adored the way he felt, the way he looked, the way he touched her. The way he looked at her.

His thumb skimmed her inner thigh and Maria's whole body reacted, another gasp leaving her. She pulled him back to her lips.

And then light shattered the darkness of the room.

Maria and Gareth sprung apart to find Tanner in the door way.

"I- ah-" He made some gestures with his hand and then backed out of the room closing it quickly.

"Oh my god." Maria cringed as Gareth's head dropped onto her shoulder. "Oh my god- shit-"

"Fucking Tanner, it's like he's got a sixth bloody sense." Gareth groaned as the intoxicating passion of the moment disappeared into the ether.

[fallensxvior]

Lore Drabble- Making a Home

Co-written by @ave-sxtanas

A slow exhale passes his nostrils as the Rabbi gently folds his clothes.

It had been.. Difficult. A lot of arguing had gotten him here. It felt good, though. To be able to stand here, and have the final say in his own departure.

Yeshua reached for a breastplate, a piece of his old regalia- and paused. Fingers traced the lines, the curve of the metal with an ache there lacked words for.

This shimmering piece of master craftsmanship. The symbol of his station.

Something he could never wear again. “Yo bro!” Luci’s voice pierced the silence like the crack of thunder. “Hey!! Where the here are you?”

Yeshua poked his head out from his room, lips pursed taut with a somber smile. "Just finishing unpacking. What's got you in such a hurry?"

“Just looking for you, genius.” He poked his head around the corner, forked tongue peeking through amber lips for a moment, the tip shaking as he hissed. “I taste the depression….whats up?”

And again, the sigh passes through- and Yeshua’s shoulders tensed a bit.

"Just.. thinking. I gave up... everything, because I believed I was doing the right thing.." His hand lingered on the breastplate again, eyes narrowed. "Did you ever wonder if maybe you did something.. wrong? When you fell?"

“At first,” the devil said, his ears wiggling a bit. “But then I realized that I wasn’t at fault for our father’s mistakes. And I shouldn't blame myself for things that I couldn't change or control.”

"What do you do with that hurt?" the younger mumbled, worrying the neckline of his old armor. "Where do you put it? That feeling of being unclean, unworthy?"

“Put it?” He chuckled, arm gently wrapping his little brother’s shoulders.

“I don't put it anywhere. The past is the past, there's nothing I can do to change it. Despite all the power I have. Being unworthy isn't determined by you. It's determined by the people around you. Especially those who love you most. And you are more worthy than you think.”

The younger leaned on his brother, craving that affection, that softness. Something about being beside his brother always soothed that old itch in his heart. "I really hope I'm worth the faith you put in me, Lucifer. I... I really hope I'm worth it."

His voice cracked softly, but Yeshua could not help but smile. Hell was more home than Heaven ever had been.

[lultimagoccia]

Peppino had been so surprised by the name on Caller ID, he'd nearly dropped his phone. He fumbled it between hands, saving it from near destruction against the tiled pizzeria floor in just the nick of time before lifting the device to his ear. Almost didn't want to speak. He was afraid she may not answer.

“ H - hello, angioletto. Are you okay? ”

There was a pause – please don't have hung up, please, he just wanted to hear –

“ Heyyyy, Papa. I'm okay! I just … wanted t' check in. And wish ya a happy Father's Day .”

Relief, utter relief and absolute joy at hearing his daughter’s voice responding. His own shook as he spoke again, emotions boiling within his chest, filling his lungs with air that wanted out all at once. But he had to keep his calm, control his feelings. Too many mistakes had been made in moments he failed to do so.

“ Father's Day, today? Really?? My God … I really been losing track of the days. Thank you, Calamaretti. I … I am so happy to hear you. I miss you so much. ”

“...I miss ya too, Papa, ” she replied sadly. “ 'm sorry, for not callin' more … ”

“ No, no! ” Pepp was quick to reassure her, before forcing himself to regain his calm, even tone. “ No … it is okay. I understand. You got your own life, your own things to take care of. I am always here when you need me. Always. ”

A measured breath, like she was trying to contain a swell of emotion. He hoped he had not made her more sad. He never knew what to say, to not make things worse. So he let her take the lead, talk about what she wanted to.

“ … I, uh ... heard about Bisnonno … ” she began again, hesitantly. “ I really wanna fly out, but I got finals coming up and I just couldn’t afford th' tickets right now. But I was worryin' about you, that it was hard for ya to handle all of that, alone … ”

“ It has been hard. Very hard. But I am not alone. Please, focus on your studies and do not worry for me. I am doing well now. ”

“ Thank God, that makes me feel so much better about it ... who's helpin' you? Gustavo? Nonna Margherita? ”

“ ...my, eh. My. She's. Hmmh. ”

He wasn't ashamed of Creecher – quite the opposite, he adored his wife - to - be and was very proud to admit so. But it was always a little nerve wracking, introducing a new partner to his daughter. He worried what she might feel about it. While his life continued on, he never wanted her to feel she was left behind. That he had moved on, without her. She was always in his heart, and so much tenderness and understanding had come from being her father.

“ She? Is … are ya seein' somebody new, Papa? ”

“... yes. Her name is Creecher. I … got no idea how to explain alla that quickly … “

“ Well. I got time. Why don’tcha tell me all of it, slowly. Always did love your stories, right? ”

Peppino chuckled, the sound rolling all the way through him. This was good. A door opening again. A hand extended, offering him the chance to come in again to her life. He just had to be a good houseguest, while he was there.

“ I will do my best, heh! Let me think … her name is Creech, like I say. She is … incredible. Older than me, than anybody. Than the town, even! She come from the forest, and she protect it all that time. ”

Alone. Life moving around her, just within reach but never within her grasp. They had both been so alone before meeting, existing within a world that changed them, but never seemed to make a space for them within it. What a wonderful turn of fate that they found each other, and carved out that space for themselves instead. 

“ We meet by chance, many months ago now ... ” felt like a lifetime, at this point. Like her place in his life had been sitting vacant until she was ready to occupy it. He opted not to mention she was living in his garbage can, that part felt much less whimsical and romantic than was proper for a love story like this one. “ She is not like anybody I met. She is clever, and wise, she got a wicked sense of humor and she understands me. I … I am very happy, angel. ”

“ …she sounds really incredible, Papa. I’m really happy for you. All I've ever wanted for you and Mama was for you two to be okay. ”

“ Ah … it is not your job to worry about our happiness, angioletto. You got to take care of you. ”

“ ... I'm trying to, Papa. But it's been so hard, lately. ”

“ Hard? ” his brow furrowed, phone clutched in both hands. If only he could hold her hands in his own, take the pain and burden from her. He knew the world could be merciless, no matter how strong you were. He knew that sometimes, you got tired of being strong. “ Talk to me, angel. What is so hard? I will listen. I am here. ”

There was silence from the other end, such that he feared she would pull back again. She wanted to prove she could handle herself, he knew that. She wanted to show she was brave and did not need Papa fighting all her fights for her, dragging her by the hand everywhere and getting in the way all the time –

“ ... the girl I was seeing. She, uh. It didn't work out. ”

“ Ohh…I am sorry. What happen? ” he asked sympathetically, permitting himself a little protective fatherly anger at the thought that girl she was seeing, ol' What's - Her - Who - Now had missed out on the chance of a lifetime. Her loss! His angel was too good for her, anyway.

“ It’s a lot. I mean, it’s Father’s Day, I’m sure you don’t wanna hear about all my lame college relationship drama … ”

“ ... well. I love your stories. And I got time. Tell it slowly. ”

She laughed, genuinely giggled the way she used to at his jokes, when she was small. And Peppino felt a great warmth settle within his chest, the slightly painful but necessary repair of an old wound finally sealing itself back together. And so they spoke at length, of life, of food, of all that they had missed in the time since last they had talked.

It was the happiest Father’s Day Peppino could ever recall.

[song-of-flame-xiv]

Word had spread like wildfire, and the chaos spread just as quickly. It was all the guardsmen and women could do to keep the unrest at bay, and any Blasphemies that appeared were dealt with quickly. For all Ishgard's faults, Xadai knew this situation would have been much worse had this happened a few years prior. Even so, Ishgard wasn't spared the chaos of the End of Days. Those who haven't fled the city waited anxiously in their homes, windows boarded up. After the initial outbreak of chaos, and days of fighting off these Blasphemies, things finally seemed to be calming down. For once, his patrol of the city seemed to be quiet, even though the anxiousness of the city still weighed heavy in the air.

The moment of quiet allowed for him to relax - and without monstrosities prowling the streets, Xadai felt the pain of every untended wound creep up on him. Hand on his bruised ribs, the usually tall figure staggered to a halt, tired breath leaving a cloud of steam in its wake in the frigid night air.

A curse followed the breath, soft yet angry. He had allowed himself a moment to rest, to think, and now all he could focus on was the hurt. The searing pain in his side with every breath he took, the way his legs and arms ached from near-constant battle, the way he felt like he would drop at any given moment.

And still, he was to stubborn to stop. He could rest when this was over, or when he was dead...

[ephemeralxjustice]

Beautiful, unending…  The lie he had told himself. 

The Final Days have laid it all to waste, stripped the veneer and left their rawness to splinter beneath the chaos it has welcomed. The once blue sky burns red with stars that crash from the heavens. The earth cries as its lush green blankets are charred to ash. Their star is dying and not a single person can pinpoint the why of it. It has taken only days for entire ages to unravel, and no number of hours locked in this room have granted them any answers. How could it be that the entirety of the Fourteen were helpless? How could it be that he, the Emissary, has no direction to give them, no guidance to offer? 

How can he have failed them in this most crucial juncture? 

It has been hours since the room emptied; each member long departed be it to comb their respective fields of expertise for ideas overlooked or to return to their vigil of the streets. Only Elidibus remained in the roaring silence of the Chamber, searching for something solid upon which he might stand.

For the first time in all his years, Elidibus cannot see the way forward.   

Day 2: Solitude

[AO3]

[orxna]

The tragic decision is whether Orana actually managed to get there in time to see Varric before The Ritual. Did she get there and then Wait because his letters said he would be there but he's so busy with this latest lead that he couldn't quite make time. Did she linger with the Shadow Dragons hoping he would walk in the door and she could beg him to come home.

Or did he make time, because agoraphobic hasn't-left-Kirkwall-since-she-got-there-at-age-fourteen Orana came all the way to Minrathous to talk to him. So, yes, he makes time even though he knows it's only going to be a mess. And it would be, Orana begging him to just stop, he's been gone for so long. He doesn't like to travel, he hates it more than she does and she's a veritable hermit. Can't he just let someone younger do this? He's burnt out the candle ages ago and he's not even running on smoke anymore.

He knows he can do this, that he's maybe the only one who can. The only one who hasn't given up on Chuckles, or isn't oo tangled up in politics to run after him. Orana has to understand, he couldn't talk sense into Bartrand, couldn't talk down Anders, and couldn't run after Hawke but maybe he can do all those things for Solas.

And Orana cries, out in the middle of the Shadow Dragon base where their reunion has turned into a confrontation and it's a little because she's so exhausted of all of her family running off to get themselves killed for a greater good when the only good she's ever known is them. It's also a little because she knows he's weak to tears, especially from one of his girls and he apologizes and hugs her as tight as he can and tells her to stay with Mae.

When he's done they'll go home to Kirkwall together.

[asktowa]

The first thing that Towa noticed when he turned back into his regular self, was that he, disappointingly, no longer had cute little paws. The second thing he noticed was that he was naked. It was a good thing he was in his room when it happened, because he did not want to get in trouble for something stupid like ‘public indecency’ or whatever.

He had just finished putting on his uniform, though, when a wave of nausea hit him like a truck. He barely made it to the bathroom before the contents of his stomach rather violently spilled out of him. Chunks of meat and blood poured out of him in continuous waves, leaving his throat and jaw aching. Towa’s vision blurred with hot tears and his whole body was shaking, but he couldn’t stop. It hurt so, so bad, but he just couldn’t stop.

He should have known this would happen. For a whole month, he ate nothing but meat, and now it came back to bite him in the ass. Sure, as a ghoul, something as simple as meat shouldn’t make him this sick; But eating raw anomalous flesh results in gross anomalous reactions. And now, his body was trying to purge itself of all that disgusting meat.

God, this sucked. He could only imagine what the weather outside looked like right now. He’d have to apologize to Haru for that later. But for now, he was busy making fast friends with the toilet bowl and bathroom floor. Looks like he was going to be out for a while. Ugh.

[eclipseoflight]

Reverence (Drabble)

Tw: blood, knives

The quiet chapel heavily smelled of insence and burning candles. From what little Cadence could see around her in the dim candlelight, there was, she assumed, a decently sized crowd seated before her, all staring. Keeping her head tilted slightly down towards the stone floor was all she could do to avoid their gazes.

Unease crawled up her spine, but despite it, she knew better than to run away. She had to stand here, silently, her hands clasped in front of her while Atticus continued with his sermon.

"It is for that reason our beloved Lilith's darkness is a gift we must embrace."

Out of the corner of her eye, Cadence watched as Atticus grabbed something from the altar and began to walk closer to her.

"And there is truly no greater gift than the young maiden who stands before us now."

Cadence knew his entire spiel by heart now, having been a spectacle for numerous past masses. As if on instinct, she held out both her hands in front of her, her palms facing upwards.

She must've acted too slowly for his liking this time, as Atticus went out of his way to grab her right wrist in a tight grip. The young acolyte would've made a sound of distress, or tried to pull away, but the preacher's icy glare made her freeze. Her expression remained blank, unchanging, even when she could see the glint of an elegant knife in his other hand.

"May her blood strengthen us."

Whatever Atticus muttered next, Cadence tried and failed to focus on it as the blade sliced open her palm. She couldn't scream, couldn't show any sign that it hurt. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ambrose in the crowd, watching as he closed his eyes and looked away with a grimace. His brothers, on the other hand, watched with rapt attention.

The blade then sliced open her other palm, and again, Cadence made no sound. She could only stand there, letting two altar servants arrive and collect drops of her blood in small chalices filled with wine.

She remembered how she cried the first time she'd done this. The tears that silently streamed down her face as she struggled to not make any sound. Atticus had berated her for such things. She'd gotten better at hiding it by now.

The chalices were soon passed around to all in attendance.

'It'll be over soon...' she told herself. 'It'll be over after this...'

The rest of the mass continued as usual. Only once the entire crowd finally left the room did Cadence finally sigh in relief, letting herself drop to the floor. Her hands still stung, and were shaking as she tried to fight back tears that were welling up.

She heard footsteps approaching, noticing a familiar pair of shoes stop in front of her. The young acolyte lifted her head.

"A-Ambrose..."

"It's alright. It's over now." He knelt down, immediately administering bandages to her palms.

Cadence could see the prominent frown on his face, though she knew it wasn't directed towards her. "I-I-"

"He shouldn't treat you like this..." Ambrose muttered under his breath. "You're more than the blood running through your veins." He gritted his teeth, his mismatched eyes narrowing slightly. "The fact that so many can't see that-"

"Ambrose."

The two tensed, realizing that Atticus had returned. Ambrose quickly helped Cadence to her feet, giving her a reassuring glance before steeling himself when faced with the Malwood patriarch.

"Father."

"Come with me. There is still much work to be done." Atticus then shifted his gaze to Cadence, offering a smile that gave her no comfort. "Thank you again for your offering, dear Cadence. You truly show what a devoted child of Specter you are. You are free to leave for the time being. But I expect you to return in time for tomorrow's sermon."

Cadence could only bow, as was expected of her.

"...Of course, Atticus. Lady Lilith's will be done."

She hardly believed her own words at this point. She only ever said what she needed, be present when needed.

Offer up her blood when asked.

Never asking questions.

Never fighting.