#Art’imis Chysgoda

[chysgoda]

The Fury’s Handmaiden

(So so soooooo many thank yous to the wonderful people at Gage Acquisitions for carrying me through Seat of Sacrifice EX so I could steal Elidibus’s stuff.)

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

🖊 Augustine

So Augustine's moniker during his time on the Bloodsands was 'Black Ice'. He got his nickname from his mentor, a fellow gladiator named Art’imis Chysgoda, whose title was 'Little Dragon'. The combination of his youthful features plus the imposing armor led to many of his opponents badly underestimating Augustine.

He enjoyed a fair amount of success, and there were many who were upset when he retired early. But it had been part of Augustine's overall plan, he had come to Ul'dah for training and to build up his finances so that he could be completely free of his family.

Every so often he'll do an exhibition match or two, and Art'imis still rakes in royalties from all the...posters she created of him.

(@chysgoda )

[twotonedechoes]

@chysgoda​

Art’imis: “we should get a healer to document what happens to you before you do.”

“Good idea!”

“Wait. What? Why?”

[ravencrossffxiv]

"All my life they let me know how far I would not go." :3c

((Okay this got stupidly long but it’s wonderful and I love it and I’m sorry it took so long!! DX))

Okay screw it I’m doing another cuddle pile but this time it’s just the girls. Snagging Art'imis from @chysgoda, Serella from @stars-bleed-hearts-shine, Luneda from @sola-ffxiv, and Mingxia from @inkblood-mistrieu for this. Also, hi Rukia. (NPCs are here too, Alisaie, Hilda, Lucia, Ysayle, Tataru, and Y'shtola. It’s one big ass party bc why the fuck not right?)

A few nights before Raven marries the love of her life, she suggests a big slumber party with her friends and she reminisces over her past and her journey.

Note: Lucia/Hilda is a ship here and you all can yell at Serella for it bc GAHH THAT SHIP IS ADORABLE!!!!! Also Lucia is chaotic bi energy.

Words: 1862 (This got long I’m sorry… ^^;)

Oh Fury why did I encourage this?? Raven internally screamed as she realized just what story Tataru was telling. It was a few days before she was to be married to the love of her life and she suggested a girls night with her friends and Serella was gracious enough to host it within her home. Everyone that was able to make it was currently sprawled out on the bed listening to Tataru.

“Wait THAT’S what happened??” Alisaie asked.

Raven groaned as she buried her face in one of the many pillows in the window sill area in Serella’s bedroom. “Tataru please no…”

Tataru nodded. “Your brother and Cid can confirm this. Raven was a mess when she first met Haurchefant, though he found it endearing somehow.”

“Oh tell us more.” Hilda encouraged with a suggestive glint in her ruby eyes.

“Tataru no, this was an embarrassing moment of Raven’s, maybe we shouldn’t discuss it further.” Mingxia tried, remembering the event in question.

“Oh I recall this tale. Do keep talking Tataru.” Y’shtola encouraged.

“So then based on what Alphinaud told us, the poor girl ended up tripping and falling on her face and when she was being helped back up she had the darkest blush on her face.” Raven heard Tataru explain and everyone busted out laughing at Raven’s expense. 

“Tataru why?”

“Oh come on dear sister that’s funny. It’s better than when I went poking around the waking sands and ran myself into Thancred.” Rukia offered as she remembered when she first met her boyfriend with an amused sigh. “Nothing like a little b&e to meet a guy you like right?”

“Ugh that’s so like you Rukia.” Luneda sighs as she ruffles her hair.

“It can’t be worse than when Aymeric made an absolute buffoon of himself in order to earn Serella’s trust.” Lucia offered.

“Way to sell out your boss Lucia.” Art’imis giggled as she downed her wine.

“To be fair, I was incredibly distrustful of him when we first met so it was warranted.”

Everyone soon hears a laugh as Serella brings in more snacks and wine and Lucia grins. “Might those chocolates be from a certain someone’s secret stash?”

Raven quirks an eyebrow but soon gasps as Serella giggles. “Raided it this morning. And replaced the stash itself too with sugar-free treats I made last night. You were stuck in a meeting and I didn’t know where anyone else was.”

“What are they?” Ysayle questioned.

Raven grins. “Rare and expensive as hells chocolate that I hear only the nobility can get their hands on. Serella where???”

“Nobody is allowed to say a word to the boys. Mostly because if it gets back to the one who’s stash we raid from it might come back to bite us in the arse.” Lucia explained.

Everyone nodded, but Art'imis soon spoke up. “I think I know where you’re getting your stash from.”

Mingxia looked between Lucia, Serella and Art’imis. “Do I even want to know?”

“Lucia and I sometimes raid Aymeric’s sweets stash. We don’t do it enough that he gets suspicious.” Serella explained.

Everyone laughed, and Hilda fistbumped with Serella and kissed Lucia’s cheek. “You two have some balls.”

Lucia felt her face burn as Hilda wrapped an arm around her with a cheeky grin while Serella laughed.

Raven smiled as she settled in at her spot on the window sill with her wine and chocolate, the window panes cold against her legs as she looked out over the city of Ishgard. She thinks back on everything that happened up to this very moment and can’t help but sigh.

Who’d have thought, a lowborn bastard child grew up to be the savior of Ishgard and all of Eorzea and about to marry the love of her life that’s a kid of a noble house?

“Is aught amiss?”

Raven blinks as she sees Ysayle sitting next to her, having already finished her own wine. “Yeah I’m fine. Just…reminiscing is all.”

“Oh? You’re more than welcome to share if you’d like.”

Raven giggles but soon sighs as she takes a sip of her wine and notices everyone’s eyes shift to her. “It’s just…All my life I’ve been told how far I would not go. That a lowborn bastard child that was a quiet loner as a kid wouldn’t amount to anything. And yet…here I am. Surrounded by so many people I care about and call family. One of Ishgard’s champions, one of the Warriors of Light and saviors of Eorzea.”

She looks out the window towards Camp Dragonhead as her thumb brushes against her locket. “And along the way, I fell in love. I fell in love with a wonderful man who saw past my uses as a weapon and loved the woman I am underneath and I’m going to marry him in a few days. It just…feels a little surreal, I guess. It feels surreal and crazy and yet this is my reality.”

Ysayle smiled and took her hand and squeezed it. “You are full deserving of the happiness you’ve been given Raven, you all are. Hold onto it.”

“Raven come on! Stop being broody like Estinien and come sit with us.” Serella encouraged as she patted the spot next to her on the big bed.

Raven grinned as she felt Rukia slide an arm around her and a pull on her hand from Alisaie. She looked back at Ysayle with a grin and squeezed her hand back. “Hey you, if I can’t be broody neither can you.”

“I-”

“It’s a night to relax with friends, and you’re one of them Ysayle. Come on.” Raven encouraged.

Ysayle smiles and the four of them joined the rest of the girls on the bed and shared more hilarious stories of their friends, each other, or their respective lovers.

“Wow Lucia, you’re less smooth than me.” Raven giggled.

“Shush! I am not the best when it comes to the whole…courting…aspect.” Lucia muttered, a blush staining her cheeks.

Hilda laughed as she stared at her girlfriend fondly. “Ahh it’s alright, I’m amused by it. Pretty endearin’ too if you ask me.” She teased.

“Raven you eating that chocolate?” Luneda asked as she stuffed her face with another one.

The black mage glowered. “You touch my chocolate I’ll kill you Luneda.”

Luneda laughed as she reached over for another one but Rukia stopped her. “Hey now don’t hoard them all for yourself!”

“Oh come on Rukia, rare and fancy Ishgardian sweets? I’m all over these!”

“At least make sure everyone else has had some before you go for seconds.” Art’imis chided with a sigh, and Raven is reminded of the times she’s witnessed Art scold Bel.

And watching Luneda being scolded by the paladin was hilarious.

Just as Art’imis turned her head to look at Serella did Luneda try to snag another one…

…only for Ysayle to move the tray of sweets closer to the rest of them.

Luneda glowered, she was comfy snuggled up between Rukia and the blind yet really pretty Miqote woman, and the house itself kept out the chill.

She soon had a thought and let out a laugh. "Hey Raven, if Sola is in Camp Dragonhead right now, he is probably brooding over how cold it is." 

Raven sighed. "I told you guys you didn’t have to come and suffer through the cold.”

“Sola would grumble about missing his sister’s wedding a hell of a lot more.” Luneda laughed as she looks between Rukia and Y'shtola. “Besides, I’m pretty cozy.”

“This place is incredibly warm.” Y'shtola notes as she settles in next to Luneda, who has a slight blush on her face that she blames on the wine.

Serella laughs. “That was the intent. The greenhouse is probably one of the warmest places in the house.”

Luneda perked up at the mention of a greenhouse, both her and her brother hate the cold. “Okay if I even come back can I stay here?”

Raven giggled and soon saw that Alisaie and Tataru were already asleep, and Mingxia was halfway there, muttering something in Doman that she couldn’t quite make out. “Maybe it’s time to start winding down? Start going to sleep?”

“Probably. Luneda and Y'shtola look like they’re about to pass out themselves. Ming’s halfway there, and the same can be said for Hilda and Lucia.” Serella noticed.

Raven looked over to see Hilda and Lucia peacefully snuggled up together, Hilda’s face buried in Lucia’s neck as she runs her hand through her long black hair. “Aww…”

“Right?”

“They are pretty cute I will admit. Makes me kind of wish I could…” Ysayle started, but both Raven and Serella wrapped an arm around her.

“Everyone gets cuddles tonight.” Serella states.

“But I-”

“Ysayle.” Raven soothed as she settled herself next to the other Elezen. “Are you uncomfortable?”

She blinked but shook her head, her icy eyes wide.

“Then it’s okay.”

“It’s a big slumber party, it’s basically a rule to have a mass cuddle pile at some point.” Serella adds with a laugh as she settles in on Ysayle’s other side.

Ysayle smiles as she relaxes between them, both of her hands finding each of theirs as she closed her eyes.

Raven smiled as she looked around the room at everyone who at this point were either asleep or very close to sleep.

Alisaie, Mingxia, and Tataru were piled together in one corner of the huge bed, Alisaie’s head tucked under Ming’s chin as Tataru was propped against her side.

In another corner, Art'imis found herself with her back to Lucia, who’s chest Hilda had her face buried in. Lucia felt the presence of someone at her back and wrapped an arm around her.

She soon heard a slight squeak as she saw Luneda blink, a dark blush on her face as Y'shtola curls into her side while Rukia gently knocks her horns against hers with a mutter of “Shush you now snuggle.”

Raven giggled and she felt a shift next to her.

“You okay?” Serella asked softly.

Raven nodded. “Yeah.” She looked around at everyone who was happily sleeping in the big bed before sighing. “We needed this.”

“Damn right we did. And you’re going on another vacation with your husband in a few days.” Serella replies with a grin.

Raven grins. “Not gonna lie, that still feels a little surreal to me. Calling Haurchefant my husband and that it’s happening so soon…”

The hand that wasn’t clasped in Ysayle’s felt for the locket at her throat as her eyes closed with a dreamy sigh. “I didn’t even dream of this if I’m honest.”

“Hey now you deserve to be happy. You both do.” Serella encouraged with a smile.

Raven gave a soft laugh. “I am happy. And I can’t wait to see what this next chapter of our lives brings us.”

With that, both women took their spots on either side of a sleeping Ysayle and relaxed in the sheets, a warmth of her friends and family surrounded her as she slipped under into her dreams of a beautiful wedding and seeing the man she loved waiting for her at the end.

[chysgoda]

September 06 Halcyon

Spoilers: Dawntrail, Arcadion

“Mylla!”

Long experience with high strung gladiators meant that Mylla Swordsong did not startle when her office door slammed open unexpectedly. Quickly she put the stopper in the inkwell. There was a one in three chance that the next thing to happen was hands slamming down on her desk depending on who was coming through the door.

Art’imis Chysgoda’s hands slammed on to her desk. Mylla leaned back from the slightly crazed look in her friend’s eyes.

“There’s a city that has gladiator fights in Tural!” The raen woman’s broad smile showed her sharp canines. “All of their fighters are augmented! Mylla! I’m allowed to play! Also their contract negotiation skills are shit.”

“A return to the good old days?” Mylla asked with a smile. Art’imis was stronger than she’d ever been when fighting on the sands, but she’d also confessed to Mylla she missed the roar of a crowd on a firesday night.

“Not quite there’s some birdshite with souls I’m figuring out at the same time-”

“Souls?”

“You don’t want to know.”

Mylla nodded when Art’imis’s tone dropped its manic energy and warned her off asking any more questions. When Mylla didn’t press for details Art’imis smiled again and leaned further over the desk, “the crowd is so fucking hot! I got to be a heel! It was great!”

Mylla was sharply jealous of the other coliseum. Art’imis had been a good showman back in the day. Now with the jewel toned enamel painted over the gold that edged ivory scales and a presence that could feel the room? If her every fight wasn’t a squash Mylla would beg her on hands and knees to come back to the sands full time. “I’m very happy for you.”

“You’re a horrible liar Mylla,” Art’imis laughed. She motioned to the door, “Come on, lunch is on me.”

Well at least there would be free lunch. Mylla offered to sentiment to her ego. Art’imis motioned for the guild mistress to follow her. Mylla sighed and followed her friend out.

[chysgoda]

September 13 Telling

Another Way: Found Out

Spoilers: Stormblood

Art’imis Chysgoda is told about her daughter’s current endeavors.

—

Something was making the back of Art’imis Chysgoda’s neck itch.

It wasn’t Lolorito’s agent in Kuagane. (She was still annoyed that he brought up ‘stealer of pants’ in front of the twins. You take one set of pants from a jack ass at an after party and suddenly it’s a thing.) It wasn’t that this plan to make Garlemald fight a war on two fronts worried her. (It did, but not in an itchy way.) it wasn’t even that the twins were just a hair taller than her and she didn’t know when it happened. (She did, but was in denial about it.) she scratched at the scales on the back of her neck trying to alleviate the itch that seemed to radiate from her soul.

Art’imis debated wandering out to the pleasure district. Maybe exercising the beast with two backs would help. She pushed herself up and off the rented bed. She’d let Alisaie and Tataru know where she was going, that way they wouldn’t worry. Art’imis blinked, her ears popped and there was a rush of displaced air and a small dragon hovered in front of her face.

Well that kind of attention explained the itching.

“Warrior,” Midguardsommer greeted her, as grave as he always was.

“Midguardsommer, how can I help you?” Art’imis eyed the small avatar of the father of dragons. The ancient king was not in the habit of popping by for a casual chat.

“Your daughter was not able to avail herself of the knowledge kept within the stone that the knights dragoon use and has sought help from my son.”

Art’imis arched an eyebrow. She couldn’t say either fact was surprising. Aymeric, the Knight Commander of the dragoons, and she had spoken at length about if someone who’s family did not have the blood of Ratatasker could even use one of the dragoon soulstones. Aymeric and the knight commander had agreed to let Bel try, but did not have much faith it was even possible. She wondered who Bel had convinced to go out to Dravinia with her.

“Hrasvalger thought to deter her by requiring a task he believed she would not attempt to accomplish.” Midguardsommer continued in that slow measured way dragons had that made every other intelligent race on the star want to yell at them to hurry it up.

“Are you telling on your son?” Art’imis asked incredulously.

“He required that your daughter divest herself of Hydaelyn’s blessing before he would consider her request for aid.”

Art’imis blinked. There were several responses she could have to this. She decided to clarify the situation first, “Hrasvalger, told my daughter that if she wanted his help to do the thing that she has been dead set on doing since she decided that Ishgard was home and she would help protect it, she would need to remove the blessing of light. One of the few things that can keep MANY undesirable things from happening to her, which includes the Ascians. My daughter who has hated Hydaelyn since we found out that the mother crystal was using her aunt as a puppet-”

“That is not a very reasonable-”

“She’s fourteen! Reasonable is not in the equation,” Art’imis took a breath to get her temper back under control, “hopefully whoever Bel talked into taking her to the Zenith told him off before they went back to Ishgard.”

Midguardsommer was silent for several moments. Art’imis started going through the list of people Bel could talk into going with her, Estinien was most likely. She could beat his ass if she needed to. After another moment the old dragon spoke again, “She came alone when she sought out an audience with my son-”

“SHE WHAT?!” Art’imis had no doubt that the entire floor of the inn heard that, she also did not care.

“And she found a way to accomplish the task.”

Art’imis blinked again and went to the armor stand where she had hung her field leathers to air out. Midguardsommer watched her get armored up in silence until she grabbed her sword and shield. She felt his focus change and spoke first, “I’m just going to talk to them.”

“Art’imis Chysgoda-”

“I just want to talk,” Art’imis repeated herself. “At most I’ll throw one of his eyes in the siren song sea so he has to go fucking diving for it. And she is fucking GROUNDED for the rest of her life.”

The father of dragons evidently found this to be acceptable as he didn’t speak up again as she settled her shield on her back and walked out of her room and down the hall to Alphinaud’s room.

“SHE DID WHAT?!” A changing voice cracked as it shouted, disturbing the inn once again.

In Art’imis’s room, Midguardsommer considered whether or not he should let the Warrior of Light know that the next task was to recreate the blessing and if he should be concerned for his son’s life.

[chysgoda]

Duel (make up on 22nd)

Another Way: Zenith Tension

Time frame: Stormblood

“Are you an idiot?” As far as greetings to a dragon of the first brood went, Art’imis thought she’d struck a good balance between respectful and stabbing Hrasvalger in the eye.

The white wyrm reared back radiating offense. His luminous yellow eyes fixed on her with an intensity that few mortals had ever withstood. “You dare-”

“What were you fucking thinking?” Art’imis was so far beyond giving a damn. She snarled back, “If you did not intend to help her you should have said no!”

“Your daughter would have just kept coming back.” Hrasvalger bit out. He lowered his head so that his eye was level with her face. “I thought to deter her with a challenge that could not be accomplished.”

Art’imis wondered if she could actually get away with smacking Hrasvalger’s nose. She glared and let his words hang in the air. He’d already been proven wrong, she did not need to say anything to rub that in. She knew that it was a patently stupid idea to start a staring contest with a dragon, but this fucker was going to break first.

However long it was, the contest was broken by Vidofnir joining them. The dragon bowed her head to her father before turning it to Art’imis, “My father bid me to come and inform you of your daughter’s good health.”

I win, Art’imis thought uncharitable in victory. “Thank you Vidofnir. Is she staying with your brood in Aynx Trine?”

“Yes, when she is not studying with the scholar in the hinterlands cave,” Vidofnir said with the rough serenity that Art’imis had admired since meeting the dragon. “She has been much more willing to help with the chores than the other fledglings and often better behaved.”

Art’imis felt one of the knots in her stomach release. It must have shown on her face, because Hrasvalger shifted to a more comfortable posture. “Are you satisfied?”

“No I am not satisfied you asshole,” Art’imis’s anger rushed back, but without the frantic edge that had chased her from Kuagane. “You will help her when she finishes this second task.”

“Remember your place, Warrior of Light,” Hrasvalger snarled.

“I know my damn place, remember your own!” Art’imis matched his tone and her posture shifted balancing on her feet like she was ready for a fight, “I am her mother, I will not let a father who stood idle while his own children were savaged string my child along with false promises.”

Silence choked the high platform of the Zenith. Vidofnir watched her father with sharp eyes and made no move to interfere. Art’imis could feel the sourceless itch on the back of her neck again and ignored it. If Midguardsommer had words for her he could wait.

“You dare?” Hrasvalger’s voice burned with fury. “Be careful of your words, mortal. You defeated my brother’s shade by grace of my borrowed power. I will not tolerate your insolence here.”

“Try me.”

[chysgoda]

(@driftward) Ship meme, for Art’imis...

Aymeric. I am curious about how that dynamic would shake out.

Or Yugiri. What's that shape in the mirror.

Aymeric

Bel laid on her stomach reading the book uncle Artoriel had given her. Her mother sat on the bed next to her and stared at the wardrobe. Bel craned her head back to see how her mother’s lips pulled into a thin line and her eyebrows scrunched into the patch of ivory scales at the center of her forehead. Bel twitched her purple tail to the side to lay it alongside her mother’s sender ivory one. The young miqo’te girl placed the ribbon bookmark and closed her book. “He’s not like Ilberd.”

Art’imis expelled a breath somewhere between a huff and a laugh. “No, he’s not.”

Bel scowled when she noticed that her mom was picking at the scales on the back of her hands. She wriggled to get her knees under her and knelt up. She grasped one of her mom’s hands and pulled it towards her so that Art’imis couldn’t keep picking at herself. The paladin stared down at the hand Bel had claimed for a moment and then blew out a breath. She kissed the crown of Bel’s head and then rubbed the side of her horn against her daughter’s cheek.

They let the silence settle, soft and still between them. Eventually Art’imis sighed, “Well I know that you like him.”

“Mom!” Bel drew out the vowel into a whine, “I was ten!”

“Sorry darling,” Art’imis laughed and threw her arm around Bel’s shoulders, “seriously though, What do you think?”

Bel fussed with the end of her tail until her mother laid a hand over hers. “I think he’s kind. He never chuckles with the other nobles to keep face when someone makes a joke”- Bel raised her hands to make air quotes so aggressive she almost threw Art’imis’s arm off her shoulders - “about your scales or my ears. I know he can’t go with you when you have to be the Warrior Of Light, but he’d understand it and what it does to you.”

Art’imis hummed in thought and rested her chin on Bel’s head until the thirteen year old wriggled to get her to move. “Help me pick something out to wear?”

“Only if you never bring up that crush again.”

“Hmmmmmm, no promises.”

“Mom!!”

(The only person that doesn’t drag Bel about her school girl crush on Aymeric is Aymeric.)

Aymeric probably would have been who I shipped Art with ultimately except for one problem, I find Aymeric really really hard to write. Like to a stupid extent and I’m not sure why. On a character level though I think he would be patient and compassionate enough to wait for and help Art deal with her trauma (and Bel’s trauma) regarding the relationship with Ilberd. (Because I was evidently the only person who did NOT see that coming and I have inflicted that on Art’imis) Art was seriously messed up after the bloody banquet and it took her until 5.1 to get her feet back under her so she could trust a relationship again. With Aymeric I’d have to poke at it to get a feel for if that process would have sped up with him in a more romantically inclined role than a platonic one. As a couple I can see them working fairly well together. I can also see Edmont playing matchmaker just a bit because then he knows at least two of his kids are in a stable relationship. Also Aymeric as Bel’s adopted dad would be hilarious and adorable.

And now have some AU photos where Art’imis de Borel takes her husband to see the home of the twelve. (She’s pretty sure that there won’t be any trials while they’re there. Mostly sure. Well reasonably sure… okay she told him to bring the damn bow for a reason)

And here in particular she points out how you can see the tower that SOMEONE used to drag the scions to the first.

[chysgoda]

Waiting for the Valentines festivities to begin

[chysgoda]

Thinking by the fireside

Happened to be in the forgotten knight and the lighting was just so cool.

[chysgoda]

Thaliak, the Scholar 7. When it comes to formal education, does your character have any goals? 8. Does your character enjoy reading? If so, what kind of books? 9. How important is education to your character?

So quick (ha ha I thought before I actually started writing this) head cannon to contextualize some of what I’m going to go into. Also this is a very YMMV head cannon so ya know I like it others may not. But we’re talking about my characters so full steam ahead!

The Echo acts as a hand dandy hand wave for why WoL can speak to everyone and written language is included in this universal translator per Eorzean Encyclopedia 1. However, on a logic level this doesn’t work entirely for me.

Spoken language works in the meta of the world because when two or more people are directly interacting there also all of the related body language, vocal intonation, and aether/dynamis right there to add all the delicate nuances that come with spoken language. the Echo can really just fill in the gaps (I also think this a big charisma stat bonus for WoL because their in person communication skills have a pretty strong empathic boost)

Writing however has more than a few levels of abstraction and varying amounts of time between the writer and the reader. There’s a lot of very specific ways different cultures use written language to fill in the blanks left when you take out body language and vocal intonations. Another layer of abstraction is translation where you go from an original writer through another person(s) before it ends up in a language the reader can consume. This translation even exists within one language if there’s a chunk of time and language shifts. Two examples of this are; Received Pronunciation vs. Original Pronunciation in Shakespear’s plays (look up the youtube channel Shakespear on Toast and watch his lecture series on this and other things. It’s fascinating) closer to home older Millennials trying to interpret Gen Z slang/abbreviations. So given that the Echo is the ability to “cross the boundaries of the soul” there’s a lot of dead space between the souls and the Echo acts more like google translate rather than a nice fat stat boost. I also think some kind of actual experience with the language outside of the echo is needed otherwise WoL could just read all of the ancient allagan nonsense that keeps popping up.

So given all of that, on to actually answering the question.

Art’imis is ambivalent with regards to any formal education in relation to herself. She’s very well aware that she would be an absolutely dreadful student if someone made her plop her butt down in some Studium class. A large portion of that is her struggle to actually be able to read most of the materials. She was entirely illiterate when she first got to Eorzea (her echo woke on the Azem Steppe before she came to Eorzea) because she had no experience with Eorzean common in any way other than what was spoken in the Kuagane port and on the ship to Eorzea. Her mentor in the gladiator’s guild taught her to read well enough that she could negotiate contracts and part of that negotiation was an instance on plain language. That demand however isn’t something you can ask of an already written book and books are kinda important to formal education. It isn’t until she’s with the scions and Bel is learning to read that Art’imis’s own skill starts improving because she doesn’t want bel to have her limitation and so helps encourage her daughter by learning with her. Even after her reading improved, complicated texts, both technical and poetic, took her a long time and a lot of effort to wade through. So technical stuff she can learn but prefers to learn through conversation. Eorzean trashy penny romance novels are generally straightforward enough and entertaining (in both good and bad ways) enough that she enjoys reading them. Which was where she was kinda floating until Hozan and Yugiri showed her some of the texts that they had managed to save and bring with them. Art could get through those easily and had her first solid clue as to where she came from.

So tl;dr for Art: no; ambivalent/ more likely to sketch; in relation to herself no, in relation to others absolute cheerleader

For a Bel, she was raised by a mix of adventurers, post doc nerds, an ascian pretending to be a spook/post doc nerd, and Ishgardian nobility, so she has much more distinct opinions about education/reading than her mother. She started learning to read around when her echo awakened in the bowl of embers because it looked close enough to burning meteors from the perspective of a 7 year old to trigger the generational soul pstd. Learning to read for the first time, at that age, with the echo, presented some interesting educational challenges. Lahabrea was the one that taught her how to read around the echo (for REASONS (™)), the scions and various associated adventurers encouraged a love of reading and learning. If the bloody banquet hadn’t happened she probably would have gone to the Arcanist Guild in her early teens. In Ishgard any mage schooling was a hard no and Edmont tailored her education so that she could step into a role as a schenchal, politician, or just in general have a very solid I can make things happen and keep happening skills at her disposal when her career as a dragoon eventually came to an end. When that career ended very early due to injury she made the decision to go train at the arcanist guild after a lot of conversations with a lot of different people. She finished her delayed thesis for the arcanist guild shortly after Endwalker since the guild mistress had very kindly handed out end of the world extensions to anyone who asked. For casual reading Bel will pick up just about anything that catches her eye or that someone in her extensive family network suggests. When you’re raised by an eclectic group of people you end up with an eclectic set of interests.

tl;dr for Bel: She’s currently conducting research about using arcamina to channel dragon aether; yes and pretty much everything; yes

[chysgoda]

🖊️🖊️🖊️ Art and her mens!

A good time for Post Endwalker dynamics and shenanigans update!

Riol deciding to go to Meracydia was both well received and also not well received by the other two. Neither Art or X’ruhn are going to keep a wanderer from wandering but it came at a kinda awkward point when the three were settling into a better understanding of each other. The three of them more or less vanished into the Ul’dah home for a week or two before emerging. Art organized a three day party with the (former) Scions and Company of Heroes at Costa Del Sol to send Riol off.

It took a year and change for Art to recover after the climatic fight of 6.0. Most of that time was spent in Ishgard because that is where the most people that Art would let bully her live. After recovering enough to stand the only thing she was allowed to do was play in the kitchen. Largely because the housekeepers of House Fortemps and Borel are they only women she lets mother her. So she spent A LOT of time making desserts and decorating said desserts. Apart from the family and household staff the usual beneficiaries of her labor were the Rolanberry Fields Orphanage and the Congregation of Her Knights Most Holy. When she was allowed back into the field everyone was very happy for her. And also very sad the the steady stream of sweets was now back to the occasional surprise.

X’ruhn has started excavating the ruins of the ziggurats that the red mages of antiquity used as their base of knowledge and operations. He spent a significant amount of time with the qirrin tribe that lives in that area now to obtain permission to begin his excavation. His primary partner in this venture is Lulureen, an old qirrin lady who can be very cagy about how she learned to run a dig site. When they can’t dig for whatever reason he trains Ayra or accompanies Art on her adventures. Currently in my drafts I’ve got the start of the story in which he finally presents at the university of Ul’dah (after being bullied into it by Art), obtains an academic nemesis in one Bruce Carter, and has to bail Bel, Bianca, and Arya out of jail after brass blades threatened to remove Lulureen from the city (illegally threatened as Nanamo had reversed the policy regarding tribesmen) and the girls objected forcefully.

[chysgoda]

11. Do you think  your character is lucky or unlucky? What do they think? 28. How materialistic is your character?

11. Do you think your character is lucky or unlucky? What do they think?

Luck is a really strange thing to think about from the perspective of the writer. If I want a specific thing to happen to a character I can arrange causality to my liking to make sure said specific thing happens. And unless you're using some kind of randomizer as a writing tool the random happenstance that we collectively call luck just doesn’t exist in constructed worlds. So from my perspective I don’t really think in terms of a character being lucky or unlucky because there isn’t any random happenstance that would be called luck happening within the parameters of my writing.

As for the characters Art has been around the block enough times that she takes the stance of assume your luck will be terrible because Murphy is a bastard. A stance she has passed on to her daughter.

28. How materialistic is the your character?

Stuff if nice, but not nice enough to value over people.

Art’imis is a clothes horse and collector of strange things. This includes everything from gifts from city state leaders to this one rock that caught her eye in Rhalger’s Reach that no one else can figure out why it’s interesting.

Bel has a few keepsakes that are deeply important to her, such as her plush Chocobo Popo the lucky, and the lute Artoriel gave her for 16th name day.

[chysgoda]

🖊

Okay more of a group HC but I’ve been having a lot of fun poking at it.

The tomestone smart phones are a piece of allagan tech that Nero reverse engineered. The phones have to be attuned to each other in order to be able to work. There are two test beds for this, the adventurers’ guild and Bel, her team, Art’imis and Grandpa Edmont. (Nero has a firm hold on the title of Bel’s favorite (non scion) uncle but also has no problem in making sure it stays that way through bribery)

They have settled into their group chat arch types

Edmont de fortemps: sends food pictures to the group chat

Art’imis Chysgoda : forgets the thing at home half the time and when she does pick it up she floods the chat with two days worth of responses.

Bel Aliender: attempts to communicate like a normal person.

Bianca Pelinore: has invented memes and is making it everyone’s problem

Asamar Oronir: communicates only in typed out emojis

Allie Baelsar: one word answers and surprisingly good landscape photography

[chysgoda]

“Never do that again.” Art’imis scowled, though her lover could not see it with her face pressed into the length of his cravat on his chest.

X’rhun kissed the crown of the Raen woman’s head. “Can you promise me that you will never throw yourself into danger in return, kitten?”

For a moment Art’imis sagged in his embrace. Such a thing wasn’t in either of their natures. She pulled him closer and ignored how the hilts of swords dug into hips and sides. X’rhun tightened his arm around her shoulders.

For right now they could steal a few scant moments in the tiny field of hopeful flowers.

[chysgoda]

Endwalker Eve: Art’imis Chysgoda

“X’rhun, darling I thought we agreed to dress down?” Riol grinned at the red mage who made sure to hold both Riol’s and Art’imis’s gazes as he straightened his tie.

“This is dressed down” X’rhun stated evenly.

Art’imis rolled her mismatched eyes and smiled. Her lips quirking up just a bit made the golden edges of her scales glitter in the dim tavern light. The two men stepped in closer to the barrel that their lover sat on. The gold touched scales were the only scars she’d ever been skittish and ashamed of. Someday she would get used to the kind of attention the glint and shine drew, but that was not today. She touched their hands and the crows feet at the corners of her eyes deepened when her smile became something deeper, something for only the three of them.

“How many times has some unfortunate bar rat tried to mug you when you’ve left this bar?” The Raen woman teased. She leaned back into Riol’s shoulder letting their warmth ground her.

“Sixteen,” the barkeep shouted the answer before X’rhun could brush it off. “Not counting the pair he taught how to throw a punch and then took them to the ‘venturer’s guild so they could get some proper work.”

Art and Riol giggled when the inside of the Miqo’te’s ears and his cheeks turned a bright red. X’rhun huffed, “I couldn’t very well leave them to starve, they were good youngsters at heart.”

Art’imis laughed merrily it was a story that was so painfully X’rhun she could not help but laugh. She pulled him in for a messy kiss and ignored the wolf whistles. When they run out of air she broke away from her lover only to twist around and pull Riol into the same impassioned kiss.

She whispered ‘I love you’ into their ears and basked in their warmth. It was these moments she’d retreat to when her burdens grew to much. Part of the inspiration that kept her moving when hope was in short saw q