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#ch: thancred
oathoftherealm · 4 months
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sneke time
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heirsofdiscord · 3 months
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Etheirys' Warriors of Light
Friends old and new. TBF I think Ying's WoL status is indetermined actually but I still wanted to draw them with Illya so!!
Feat.
My; Hibernia bas Vergilus, Yorick Faust, Laury kyr Nivalis, Montresor Molyneux
@whitherliliesbloom's Kaye, Ying, Illya Skawi
@ancientechos' Saanvi Arundhati, Arianna Rowen, Ueno Hibiki, Brigid Nystrom
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lavampira · 3 months
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rotating so many thoughts about the alia-minfilia-thancred-ryne dynamic during shadowbringers at terminal velocity
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myreia · 1 year
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Sand & Stone
Rating: G Pairing: Aureia Malathar / Thancred Waters Words: 1915 Notes: Takes place early in the post-ARR patches. Major spoilers ARR ending spoilers (for sprout friends). Headcanons running wild. Read on Ao3
Aureia finds him on the roof.
He sits with a knee pulled into his chest, his hands clasped firmly around it. The breeze rustles his hair as it sweeps through the air, carrying the scent of salt and brine. Sheathed daggers and an aetherometer lie beside him, the burnished goggles glinting in the sun. He straightens, tensing as she approaches—no doubt he heard her arrive. Stealth has never been her forte.
“Is this my call to action?” he asks, not looking at her. Though he speaks with his usual easygoing charm, she hears the hollowness beneath it. He puts up a good fight to pretend it isn’t there, acting as if nothing has changed. But a façade is still a façade, no matter how good it is. “Has Minfilia seen fit to request my aid once again?”
She exhales a slow breath and walks briskly across the rooftop. “Not quite,” she says, settling down behind him. Sweeping a lock of black hair behind her ear, she sits back-to-back with him and curls her legs beneath her. “I’m sure she will in due course.”
He makes a strangled sound, so quiet she almost misses it.
Shielding her face with a hand, Aureia casts an eye across the square below. Busy on a good day, Vesper Bay is now positively bustling with traffic. The Scions’ exodus from the Waking Sands is upon them and their final day has attracted a crowd. Porters scurry to and fro, weaving through the milling bystanders as they load the carriages. Y’shtola flits in and out of the chaos directing what she can. Papalymo and Yda, too—even Urianger has set aside his studies to assist. They are easily picked out in the crowd, their white clothes shining like beacons in the noonday sun.
“Besides,” Aureia continues. “I think our friends can manage it.”
She feels him nod and they fall silent. She hesitates, picking absently at her ringbands, the worn leather coarse beneath her fingertips. How long has she had them? It must have been during those early months in Ul’dah, not long before she met…
“Surely you didn’t come all the way up here just for me,” Thancred says. “The famed Warrior of Light has greater things to attend to than little old me.”
Aureia stiffens, her fingers threaded through the ringband. It’s been like this ever since the Praetorium. He’s done his best to avoid her, finding one reason or another to quietly excuse himself should they happen to be in the same room. Gods, she can’t remember the last time they looked each other in the face. Whenever she thinks of it, all she can see is Lahabrea. The way the Ascian stared at her through those familiar eyes, twisting the expression of her closest friend into one of malice and contempt before blasting her with enough magic to toss her like a ragdoll.
If not for Hydaelyn’s protection, she would have died. Even now, she bears the marks of the fight, her body bruised and burnt and aching. Despite all her training, she never felt more powerless. Magic is her domain, her area of expertise. But no matter how quickly or cleverly she wove her spells, the Ascian was always one step ahead. She barely survived and the incident has left her raw and broken, incapable of casting even the simplest spells. The moment she tries, she is thrown back into the arena, Lahabrea’s cruel laughter ringing in her ears.
Some black mage I am…
Aureia swallows the lump in her throat. She can’t bring herself to blame Thancred for her own faults. He is as scarred by those events as she is—if not more. She can’t imagine what it must have been like for him, to have his body overrun by another, to be complicit in nearly killing her even though he had no control over his own actions…
Seven hells, no wonder he can’t look her in the face.
“…Aur?” Thancred asks quietly, startling her out of her thoughts.
She scuffs a heel against the stone. “I came because I was worried about you. Historically, things haven’t gone well when you disappear for long stretches at a time.”
He chuckles and shifts his weight, pressing his back into hers. “I needed a moment,” he murmurs. “Leaving Thanalan is…”  
“A lot?” she offers.
“I was going to say momentous. This is our home. Of course Urianger has chosen to remain, but even so…”
“I know.” She releases her ringband and places her hand on the ground beside her. The stone is uncomfortably warm to the touch. The heat flares across her palm in a way all too reminiscent of handling magical fire. “I feel it, too.”
Thanalan is her home now. It surprises her how quickly she came to love the rugged sands and desert heat. When she first arrived in Ul’dah, she swore she would never step foot in it again. The city assaulted her senses with sound and smells, confounding her until she lost her way in the labyrinthine streets. Even making her way from the Quicksand to the western gate without losing her way was a challenge in and of itself.
She had never felt more alone in her life. Branded as refugee, ridiculed as a newcomer, and terrified every day that someone might trace her identity back to her Garlean sympathizer parents, she closed herself off. One month, she promised herself. Enough time to accumulate what gil she could by working odd jobs and purchase passage out of the city. It was clear that if Thanalan didn’t want her, she didn’t need Thanalan.
How that has changed. And the person responsible for that is sitting beside you.  
Aureia tilts her head and closes her eyes, half-leaning against Thancred. There’s something comforting and familiar about sitting here with him beneath a vibrant blue sky, basking in the sun as it beats down upon them. “This is good for us,” she says quietly. “The Scions, I mean. We’re exposed here. Ascians, Garleans… it’s only a matter of time before they try again. Mor Dhona will afford us some means of protection we’ve lost.”
“We’re not vacating completely, you know,” he replies. “Are you telling me that when they do return, you’re content to let Urianger take the blow?”
“Let them contend with Urianger, be my guest. I know who’s coming out of that alive.”
He laughs, a deep, shoulder-shaking laugh she feels reverberated through his back. A smile tugs at her lips, but as much as she wants to, she can’t give into it. Once again, they’re dancing around the topic neither them are brave enough to broach. She can’t let it go on like this. Though she has filled her days with work and missions, his absence is an ache in her heart. She needs to talk to him. Properly.
Aureia opens her eyes. “Than—”
“Aur—”
They stop, each biting back as they speak over each other. He sighs and shifts his weight, changing positions. His hand drops to his side and he reaches behind him, his fingers ghosting across hers.
“I never apologized for…” He trails off, fighting with himself as he searches desperately for the right words. “Aur, what I mean to say is that… I’m sorry for dragging you into this. This is my fault. Ifrit, Castrum Centri, the Praetorium. All of it. I never wanted to see you hurt.”
“I know. But it wasn’t your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself—”
He stiffens. “But—”
She seizes his hand. “Listen to me for once, all right?” she interrupts fiercely. “Every time you tell Minfilia that you’ve recovered and want to return to your duties, you’re lying to yourself. You can’t bear the guilt for something over which you had no control. If you’re going to move forwards, you have to acknowledge that. This is no easy life we’ve chosen for ourselves. What happens the next time something like this occurs? Or the next? You have to let it go.”
He makes a garbled sound, too taken aback by her ferocity to argue. “When did you become so loquacious?” he says with a shaky little laugh. “I swear, that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say. Maybe I should make you angry more often.”
She makes a face and twists around, craning her neck over her shoulder. “You have impossible standards for yourself, Thancred Waters,” she says. “Keep this up and you’re going to bleed yourself dry. Take it from someone who knows that all too well.”
A sober silence settles between them. “Your magic hasn’t improved, I take it?” Thancred asks.
Aureia pauses, her teeth scraping her lower lip. Magic has always been so personal to her, as natural to her as drawing breath. To lose her focus, her connection, her innate talent… It’s humiliating. So much so she has barely mentioned it. As far as Minfilia and the rest of the Scions are concerned, there’s nothing wrong with her. She is their Warrior of Light—unbreakable, infallible, and flawlessly reliable.
How wrong they are.
“Maybe I was wrong to think it was my calling,” she says, twining her fingers with his. “Did I ever tell you that when I was training at the Thaumaturge Guild, Cocobuki asked me what I would do if an opponent closed the distance?”
“No. This is the first I’m hearing of it. What did you say?”
“I told him I would hit them with my staff.”
He snorts with laughter. “The wrong response, I imagine?”
She can’t help but smile. “Quite. He berated me, called me a fool, and told me the correct response was to run away. It wasn’t a lesson easily learned. But considering my current situation, perhaps I should look into it. Until I find a solution for my predicament, I’m useless in the field—”
He turns sharply, the profile of his face cast in shadow. “Not useless. Never useless.”
Aureia’s breath catches in her throat. Slowly, she uncurls her legs and shifts her weight, drawing up beside him. With her hand still entwined with his, she rests her head on his shoulder.
He pauses, tensing with momentary panic. This is the closest they have been in weeks. “Speaking of solutions, I may have one,” he continues. “Or several. As Minfilia still refuses to give me work, I find myself with too much time on my hands. I could train you. If you wanted.”
Her heart clenches, warmth blossoming through her chest. “Thank you, Than,” she replies. “But this is something I need to do for myself.”
She glances up and her eyes meet his. The sun beats down, as brilliant as it is harsh, and she looks at him fully for the first time since the Praetorium. Though there is a part of her that flinches when she sees him and conjures a memory of Lahabrea, it’s easier now to deny it. She won’t let it control her. Lahabrea has taken enough from her. She won’t let him take this, too.
Thancred nods and wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I know you will,” he says, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t lose hope. You’re the most brilliant black mage I know. You conquered it once, you can conquer it again. It will come back, I promise.”
Aureia leans into him, fingers still threaded with his, and together they watch the shimmering waters of Vesper Bay.
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relamune · 9 months
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pt 2 of my ffxiv oc's refs, this time my special boy Styx <3 hes my #1 catboy
as with the prev ref, Im still not confident with my ffxiv lore knowledge (ive been here for like 3 months) BUT this guy is a *bit* more developed than Savvel.
tl;dr he was born in the middle of nowhere, gridania before escaping his shitty home life, became one of the transients in Ul'dah for awhile, before accidentally stumbling himself into becoming an adventurer (started off bc of the money it brought in to support himself & his son & then as luck would have it, found himself involved in the MSQ)
I often WolCred post with him as they've quickly become a comfort ship of mine :3
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snow-system-wol · 9 months
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No harm no foul
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wiltf · 2 years
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it was a wonder to him how the swaying addition to her horn did not deter her. so fondly carved and moulded, thancred was not so blind as to not recognise the piece. not wound behind the ear as it once had been, but still within sight. as if to taunt him, endlessly. as if, he knows, others too mourned.
fixated stare on the metal. catching the morning sun. they surely made a pair, all the way back here once more, under the ul’dah sun. her idea, as it tended to be. to sit so in sweltering heat, with orghana preoccupied with picking at the weeds that poked at her legs.
his turn? her turn? conversations that always tended to be picked up and left behind. both of them had struggled to find words for so long, when there was just too much room. when a desert stretched all around them, and orghana sighs something that thancred will never catch, before she pushes herself to stand.
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klopford · 8 months
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Convalescence (ch 1)
Eyy so that WIP I posted earlier? First chapter is done! Here it is on AO3 if you prefer to read there!
But also here it is as a post because some people prefer to read these here and it's only 1,843 words right now? (I'll only tag the characters that actually make an appearance in this chapter)
IDK, is this enough space for a jump?
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“We’re home, my friend! We’re home!”
As the Ragnarok continues its descent and makes the switch from artificial to real gravity, the Warrior of Light’s knees buckle. The crash of her armor against the floor as she collapses gets the attention of everyone on the bridge, and she’s once again surrounded by Scions, with Alphinaud quickly on his knees beside her.
“Katina! Are you alright? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to stand so soon!”
The Paladin gives a halfhearted wave of dismissal from where she lay. “I’m fine…” she mumbles, “…just tired.” She tries to get up again but feels dizzy, placing her head back on the floor and closing her eyes.
Alisaie joins her brother in kneeling beside Katina and puts a hand on her chest to encourage her friend to stay still. “You’re not going anywhere,” she says firmly, “except back to the stretcher and then off to a bed.” She looks up at Estinien and Urianger at the mention of the stretcher, as if to ask the taller and stronger Elezen men to help move the fully armored Highlander Paladin.
Katina gives Alisaie a weak smile. “Says the one who refuses to stay in bed when injured… eep!” She yelps as Estinien carefully picks her up and places her back on the stretcher.
“I’ve never been as injured as you are right now!” Alisaie exclaims
Alphinaud speaks up. “You’ve been close…” he says, but refrains from elaborating as his sister glares at him.
The Paladin smiles at the twins. “Calm down you two,” she says before closing her eyes again, “I don’t think I could go anywhere even if I wanted to...” Her voice grows quieter as she trails off, raising some concern from her friends.
“Are you still with us?” Alphinaud asks as he kneels by the stretcher, looking Katina over for any signs of trouble. She turns her head to his voice, but doesn't respond other than a weak nod before losing consciousness again.
In the background, Thancred is still on the linkpearl with the waiting party in Sharlayan. “We will need a chirurgeon available as soon as we land,” he says.
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When Katina wakes, she finds herself in a soft bed, stripped of her armor and dressed in a simple linen gown that reaches her knees. As she stretches and stirs, she feels a searing pain in her right hip, and her left foot nudges something.
Alisaie is curled up at the foot of the bed, asleep and trying to take up as little space as possible, but the nudge wakes her and she sits up quickly, blushing. “You're awake! Good!” Her voice rouses Alphinaud, who was asleep in a nearby chair. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was trampled by a primal...” Katina grumbles. The horrified look on Alphinaud's face tells her this comment may have been in bad taste, remembering Arenvald. “Sorry,” she says quickly. “Where am I?”
“The Sharlayan Infirmary,” Alphinaud answers, yawning as he gets his bearings. “We brought you here as soon as the Ragnarok landed.”
“By 'we,' he means Estinien and Urianger carried your stretcher while the rest of us escorted you,” Alisaie clarifies.
“Where is everyone else?” Katina asks, trying to push herself up onto her elbows but wincing at the pain.
“Thancred, Y'shtola, Urianger, and G'raha are giving their report to the Forum. Estinien is standing guard outside... you've had no small number of admirers and well-wishers wanting to visit and express their gratitude!” Alphinaud explains. “Tataru and Krile have been making sure any 'get well' gifts are delivered to the Annex.” He frowns as he watches Katina struggle to sit up. “You mustn't strain yourself! Please, continue to rest!”
“Here,” Alisaie says as she gets up to offer a hand, assisting Katina into a seated position as Alphinaud reaches behind the bedridden Paladin to prop up a pillow for her to recline against.
“Ah... thanks,” Katina sighs as she's carefully moved to rest against the pillow and headboard, gently touching her right hip to get an estimate of the extent of the injury and gasping in pain at even her own light touch. “Not a very good location to get injured... damn scythe.” Noting the worried looks on the twins' faces, she asks, “How bad is it? Overall? Have the chirurgeons said anything?”
Alphinaud sighs before relaying everything he knows. “You took quite the beating. We did what we could on the Ragnarok , but we didn't have time to remove your armor and do a thorough examination, you were barely hanging on as it was!” He looks somehow disappointed in himself for not being able to do more. “You lost a lot of blood, and the wound on your hip is resisting most attempts at healing. It could be days, if not weeks, before you're allowed out of bed.”
“Honestly, it was a miracle you could even stand up for the brief time you did as we arrived!” Alisaie scolds, clenching her fists and resting them on the edge of the bed as she leans closer. “What did I say about taking better care of yourself?”
Were it any other person, Katina might not appreciate the scolding, but she knows this is Alisaie's way of showing that she cares. “It's alright, it's not like I have much of a choice right now,” she says before looking at Alphinaud. “You said weeks? I sure hope not...”
Their conversation is interrupted by Estinien opening the door and poking his head in. “Ah good, you're awake,” he says, a faint smile on his face. “There's a chirurgeon here to check on you.”
The Azure Dragoon steps aside and a middle aged Hyur walks in, carrying a tray with potions, tea, and a bowl of soup. “Mistress Star, glad to see you up! I just need to do a quick examination and change your dressings, then I have these potions for pain management and blood replenishment, as well as some supper if you feel up for it.” He sets the tray on the bedside table and then turns to the twins with a shooing gesture. “If you wouldn't mind giving my patient some privacy?”
Alphinaud and Alisaie, realizing that the exam would probably expose more of the Warrior of Light than either of them wanted to see, simply nod at the chirurgeon and step outside to wait with Estinien. While they wait, G'raha Tia enters the infirmary and spots everyone outside Katina's door, causing him to rush over with a worried look on his face. “Is she ok?” he asks.
“She's awake now, just being looked over by the healers,” Alisaie explains.
As if on cue, the door opens and the chirurgeon exits. “You can go back in, but let's try to keep the visitors to a minimum. She does need to rest.”
G'raha does not hesitate to go inside and see his friend. Alisaie follows, but Alphinaud lingers outside for a moment. “Estinien? Did you want to visit as well?”
“Room's too crowded,” Estinien grumbles, “You go ahead.” To this, Alphinaud simply shrugs and joins the group inside.
Katina was still sitting up in bed, with the tray that had been brought in now set on her lap. She looks up from idly stirring her soup with a spoon when she hears her friends enter. The twins, she expected already since they were just there, but she beams at the redheaded Miqo'te leading them. “G'raha!”
G'raha immediately moves to Katina's bedside, smiling. “My friend! 'Tis good to see you awake!”
Katina smirks as she remembers saying the same thing to G'raha a few times in the past. “'Tis good to be awake,” she replies, just as he had.
The Miqo'te's ears twitch as he remembers being on the other end of this greeting, and he smiles even wider. “Zenos did not damage your sense of humor then?”
“Oh no,” Katina laughs, “It will take way more than that for me to lose it, Gods willing.” She takes a bite of her soup and swallows, but then pauses for a moment with an unpleasant face.
“Not to your liking?” Alisaie asks, noticing the hesitation.
“It's, uh...” she prods the soup a bit with her spoon as she tries to describe it. “It kinda tastes like Archon Loaf. But in soup form. If that makes sense?”
Alphinaud gives a small chuckle. “When it comes to treating patients, nutrition is far more important than taste. I know you are unaccustomed to Sharlayan cuisine, besides that found at the Last Stand, but it's still very important to make sure you get the nutrients you need to heal.”
“Could use some salt,” Katina grumbles, “or any seasoning at all, really.” She looks up at her friends. “Have you all eaten yet? I don't want to keep you if you need to take care of anything.”
“Alphinaud and I grabbed a bite while we were waiting for you to wake up,” says Alisaie.
G'raha nods, confirming that he too had eaten already. “I stopped at the Last Stand after leaving the Forum. If I had known you'd be up, I would have brought you something. My apologies.”
Alisaie grins, getting an idea. “If you're feeling better tomorrow, perhaps we will bring you lunch? But do try to finish your soup for now. Alphinaud is right, after all.” She turns and gives her brother a look. “Don't let that go to your head, by the way.”
“What? I know I'm...” he trails off and sighs, “never mind.”
Katina laughs at the twins' bickering, and resumes eating her very bland soup.
Alphinaud looks over at G'raha. “So you have finished reporting to the Forum, then?” he asks. “Do you know if the others will be coming over?”
“They've all decided to retire for the evening, but they send their regards and will check in on Katina tomorrow.”
“What time is it, anyway?” Katina asks as she finishes her soup, looking around for a chronometer. “It was daylight when we were landing?”
Alphinaud retrieves a small pocket chronometer from his jacket. “'Tis half a bell past ten in the evening.”
“Gods!” Katina exclaims, “No wonder you two were asleep when I woke up! You should be resting as well!”
Alisaie's face reddens with a slight blush. “We just wanted to make sure you were ok, and that you didn't wake up alone.”
The Paladin smiles. “I'm fine. Well... fine as I can be given the circumstances. I appreciate your concern.” She stretches and covers her mouth as she yawns. “Guess the potions are kicking in.”
G'raha picks up the tray from Katina's lap and sets it on the bedside table. “We should let you rest then,” he says, offering a hand to help her scoot and settle without moving her legs too much. She accepts the assistance, though still winces in pain at certain movements. Eventually, she's laying down once more.
“We'll return tomorrow morning as soon as we are able,” Alphinaud says. “Pleasant dreams, my friend.”
Katina yawns again and waves as her friends depart. “Good night.”
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autumnslance · 1 year
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Bearing Sins of the Past Ch 8 Understanding
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“You’re still handling this better than I did,” he said.
“That’s a low bar.”
He huffed out a laugh. “True, and I know it.” He idly rubbed her left arm as they continued to sit, the sun setting slowly. “Can’t stay up here all night, though.”
“Technically, we can.”
“Yes, but Thancred might try to scale the tower if you do. Urianger and Y’shtola might make the token effort to restrain him, but then they’ll be taking bets on how long he takes to fall and crack his stubborn skull.”
“You’re the worst.”
“And yet you insist upon my company.”
“You came up here to find me.”
“Because you shouldn’t be alone right now. I know.”
Chapter 8 Understanding is live!
Aeryn has need of some brotherly understanding and looking-out. What she has is Estinien; good thing he has some experiences to draw on.
Cameos by a certain damn rogue and some Job pals that hang around the Toll.
And a link to a certain silly edit I did during the original prompts month.
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potassium-pilot · 6 months
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FFXIVWrite 2023, Prompt 26: Last
Alphinaud called his comrades back to the Rising Stones once again. The seven of them stood in Dawn's Respite near the desk, all in a group minus Estinien, who leaned near a wall. Alphinaud awaited one face in particular, one that he had hoped would stand with him once more.
"Has Dia arrived?" Alphinaud asked Y'shtola.
The Miqo'te shook her head. "No, I've not seen her come in. She may be unable to join us, given her injuries."
"I can only pray she will. I've held off on asking this specifically because I needed her input."
"Give her some time, Alphinaud. I can only imagine she's struggling to move about in her condition", Thancred added.
Still, the teenager couldn't help but be nervous. It wasn't necessarily out of concern for her condition alone, although her health still played a role. Rather, it was what he had called them for that filled him with doubt. Alphinaud could well remember times where she attempted to talk sense into him and he rebuffed her advice. This time, he would listen, and none knew how to fill him with confidence better than her.
The door to Dawn's Respite opened.
The seven of them turned around and saw who walked in. With cane in hand, a brace around her left knee, and an arm in a sling, Dia hobbled in and gave a sheepish smile. "Hope I didn't keep you all waiting."
Estinien lifted himself off the wall, ready to offer help, but she seemed to refuse it from any of the seven of them. Thancred, knowing well who they were dealing with, prepared a chair instead, holding it solid while she attempt to sit down, muscles creaking and sharp breaths following her attempts. Once she was well and seated, Alphinaud returned closer to her.
"Worry not for our sake. How are you feeling? I'm glad to see you've not lost your ability to walk."
"No, I've been working on that much. I'm doing better. I'll leave it at that."
"Don't tell me you walked here", G'raha asked in disbelief.
"Gods no. I will say, though, I'm very lucky I made this place a favored teleport ages ago. Never mind the tax savings- it's easier to latch onto Revenant's Toll."
Alphinaud smiled. "Undeterred, as ever." He nodded. "Very well. As we've all arrived, I should probably explain why I've called you all here."
"If this is about whoever keeps eating through the bloody food supply, I'm ready and armed", Estinien half-joked.
"No." Alphinaud cleared his throat. "I called you all here to discuss something I'd like to bring up with the remainder of our members. Before I do that, I would like to know that the idea has your support."
"Go on, Alphinaud. I'd like to return to Garlemald sooner rather than later", Alisaie nudged him.
Alphinaud bowed his head and closed his eyes. "I wished to discuss the future of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn."
"What about the future? We're here to aid in times of crisis", Thancred asked.
"But that was not the original goal of our humble group. My grandfather worked with Minfilia and several others to combine the Circle of Knowing with the Path of the Twelve in an effort to combat the primal threat that yet existed. With the existence of warding scales, however, anyone can combat the threat given that they have the strength. The only reason the group developed any notoriety was due to the existence of Warriors of Light within our ranks, including Dia here. The Echo is no longer a necessary measure against primal activity. Not to mention, the Grand Company of Eorzea is fully formed, making the idea of more primal activity seem unlikely. Even if there are tempered, there now exists a cure for this condition."
"It does need work, mind you. It's not perfect", Alisaie reminded him.
"And I'm afraid that I've more information to scrounge on the matter from our friend from the Third Astral Era who provided us this supposed cure", G'raha added.
"And I've no doubt you'll both continue this work. Nevertheless, the existence of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn seems redundant in the face of these changes, all of them admittedly spearheaded by us.
Thus do I propose that we disband and allow the nations of the Grand Company of Eorzea to care for their own concerns without our aid."
An odd mixture of looks were received by Alphinaud. Shock mixed with confusion and some relief was worn by the faces of most of the Scions, except for Dia, who remained stone-faced.
"...so we would go our separate ways", Y'shtola mused. "You would propose that we no longer aid as part of an organization?"
"Aye. 'Twould seem that we are more than capable of doing such a thing on our own", Alphinaud answered.
"Well, I see now why you asked for advise", Tataru piped in as she entered the room in a rush.
"T-Tataru!"
"Sorry, Alphinaud. I'm afraid I had Dia on linkpearl the whole time."
Alphinaud scowled at Dia.
"You're sorry? I'm not", Dia cracked with a wry grin aimed at Tataru.
Alphinaud sighed. "Well, now you know."
"Alphinaud, there are people here who rely on having what we have available here...like me, for instance...", Tataru admitted.
"Tataru?" Alphinaud asked.
"I don't know where I'd go. This is my home, Alphinaud."
Alphinaud frowned.
"I do see thy wisdom in ensuring that the disparate nations rely not on our puissant name", Urianger piped in. "However, to abandon the organization entirely would be to add difficulty for any future endeavors. Thou art correct that the threat of everlasting despair hath been quelled by our efforts, and that the purpose of our organization hath been fulfilled. But we know naught of the future. 'Twould be in the best interest of all that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn yet live to fight another day."
"That in mind, I wouldn't mind branching out into my own personal ventures", Thancred added.
"Indeed. I could use this time of peace to study further rather than taking on different duties here", Y'shtola joined in.
"What of you, Estinien?" Alphinaud asked.
He laughed. "I'm afraid I'm only here to follow wheresoever it is you lead. I've no idea what to do with this group we have here. Comparatively, I've only just arrived."
"Alisaie?"
"I'm with Urianger for this purpose. We don't know what's coming in the future."
Alphinaud nodded. "G'raha?"
G'raha grimaced, then shook his head. "Though I'm pleased to have been a part of this group, I refuse to control its destiny. Much the same as Estinien, I've only just arrived."
Then the seven of them looked to Dia. She seemed not to notice before asking, "Huh?"
"What do you think?" Alphinaud asked.
"Oh, you know me. I've always left the important stuff to you. I'm here for the ride."
"The ride's almost over", Thancred pointed out, "And in case you've not noticed, what we've done as an organization had led you in here with a cane and an arm sling. If anyone should have a say in the future of things, it should be you."
"We've three people who believe it might be time to disband and three who believe we should stay as a group", Alisaie counted, "And two who have chosen to abstain", she glared at Estinien, who gave a shrug. "Now what about you? I think you would be our tie-breaker."
"So what are you thinking, Dia?" Y'shtola asked before giving a laugh. "It's odd. I remember when I found you, a fledgling adventurer who had only just begun to make a name for herself in La Noscea. Now I'm asking you to control the fate of the very organization I helped recruit you into all those years ago."
They continued to stare. Dia, who didn't like it at all, decided to pitch, "Why not both?"
Eyebrows raised across the room.
"Let's just...stick together, but make it seem like we've broken up."
Alphinaud seemed rather fond of that idea. "But of course...we return to secrecy. We go our separate ways, but we would all remain Scions at our core. This way, should the world need our aid, we would yet have a headquarters to return to in a pinch."
"I like it. We should probably make it seem as though we're no longer using the place, however", Thancred pointed out.
"Indeed." Alphinaud looked to Tataru. "My friend, would you like to own the Rising Stones officially?"
Tataru's eyes sparkled. "Yes! Yes, that would be perfect! I can get started!"
"Started?"
"Never mind that. Oh, I love it, Alphinaud!"
"A solid idea, Dia. Where did you get it from?"
"I'm barely here, yet I'm still a Scion. Why can't that apply to everyone else?"
All of them conceded to her point with a "Hm."
"Then, let us bring this chapter of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn to its end. We go our separate ways, but we know now more than ever that we are bound by our promises made here", Alphinaud declared.
A feeling of satisfaction hanged in the air. Light chit-chat took place between all of them; Alphinaud and Alisaie chatted between the two of them while Thancred, Urianger, and Y'shtola conversed among themselves. Estinien was waylaid by Tataru before he could make his way to Dia. G'raha, however, stepped towards Dia and squatted down to face her eye to eye.
"Well, I didn't quite expect that my time with all of you would be so short."
Dia smiled. "You're still a Scion. You'll just be a Scion in wherever it is you're going. Speaking of, where in hells are you going? Back to N.O.A.H?"
G'raha laughed to himself and shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I've become too intimately familiar with the Crystal Tower. Their research, albeit of great importance for the future, even without an Eighth Umbral Calamity, is a field I would rather leave to them."
"Fair enough."
"No, but Krile did make an offer of sorts- something that would allow me to remain in Sharlayan and be useful."
"That sounds nice."
"And you? I presume most of your time will be spent towards making a full recovery?"
"Tell you the truth, though I would never forsake any of you, my life, with or without the Scions, will remain ever the same. While I intend to make a full recovery before I go back to doing anything too strenuous, I'm planning on returning to my usual historical studies of Nym and refining the DuPointe method. I also received a strange letter from a researcher named Nemjiji in Sharlayan about some oddity discovered that they think I might know more about, but I told them I can barely walk, and that they might want to look elsewhere if they want more immediate progress."
"Do you know if they've done that?"
"They said they'll have to accept slow progress."
G'raha smiled.
"Still", Dia continued, "Even if things aren't really changing for me, it's odd to see this. An end of an era, really. I remember going to the Waking Sands back in the day. Now Min's not even here."
"Minfilia, you mean?"
Dia nodded.
"I wouldn't think of this as an end. Rather, a beginning", G'raha tried to advise.
"I think I've heard that one too many times."
"It is true, however. While you have been irrevocably changed by your experiences with the Scions, this presents you with a blank slate, and in a much better condition than when you started."
G'raha smiled. "Fate no longer controls you. Hydaelyn is no more. The expectations once thrust upon your shoulders shall diminish. You will have no obvious duties to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. You are free to write your own destiny."
Dia looked down. "I think if you told me that a year ago, I would have been far more excited. Right now, however, I'm...I'm so fucking tired, G'raha. I'm too exhausted to consider writing any destinies right now. My destiny, as things stand, is that I will return home, I will take some painkiller, and I will sleep. That's the most amount of destiny I can handle at the moment."
She looked back to him sheepishly. "Sorry you're getting the sleepy Warrior of Light. Technically, you're not even getting a Warrior of Light; I tossed that out on the way home from the Ragnarok. Still, I know you would have preferred the one that could show you more of Ishgard and take you on that grand adventure. I'm just not there."
G'raha shook his head. "Recovery from this sort of thing is not easy in the least. We managed to somehow return you from the dead. And I certainly do not feel entitled to the promises we made to one another in Base Omicron. You gave me the hope I needed to face despair with your promises. I will wait for when you are fully ready and willing to do such a thing with me. Whatever ends we see here, rest assured that our friendship will not."
Dia nodded, touched by his sincerity. "Thank you."
"Of course. Now, shall we see this final meeting to its conclusion?"
"Let's do it."
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sunderedazem · 1 year
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Soulshards (Ch 2)
Little Spark (Early ARR, post Ifrit battle)
Chapter rating: Gen, No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary: Thancred escorts a shaken warrior to safety after defeating Ifrit, and discovers a couple of surprising truths about the newest member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn
Ao3 Link!
He was shaking still, even now, and that was never a good sign - but even worse, he was trying to hide it and failing miserably.  Thancred couldn’t find the strength of heart to blame the poor thing for the post-battle terror, though, not when it was half his own fault for putting the young man into that awful situation in the first place. He hadn’t intended for the situation to spiral out of control so quickly, of course. And never had he imagined even for a moment that the kid would have ended up abducted by the same villains he’d been set to investigate.
But it had happened, and now there was a bedraggled, beaten kitten of a man standing wilted in front of him, ears pinned flat to his head and tail bristling with terror, still staring at the smoldering crater in the sands where Ifrit had disintegrated into aetheric dust.
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oathoftherealm · 4 months
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...I'll go get the bucket of water.
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teawithaphd · 1 year
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It's a Date... wait
FFXIV
(named)WOL x Crystal Exarch
f/m
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A Day in the Life of Eorzea University
Ch. 3
Panne goes to meet up with her mysterious study partner at the library—and this time, no one’s got a levitation spell.
AO3
The library is just what she expected—not for someone like her. Bookshelves almost reaching the ceiling line the room, all filled with books upon books of all shapes and sizes, filled with knowledge Panne will never find herself looking for, lest for a situation such as this..
The click of her shoes echo on the baroque marble floors as she strolls about the utterly gaudy-looking library, looking for the partner she reluctantly agreed to meet with on this quiet morning. She stops and looks down at the time on her tomestone, affirming that she has, surprisingly yet again, made it in time. I guess Alphinaud’s been rubbing off on me…
“Ah, there you are!”
She turns to see the large grin on her partner’s face while he approaches her, noting how he’s wearing the same gold-adorned hood over his head as usual. Deciding to push away the urge to ask why he keeps wearing it like that, she greets him with a chaste wave.
“Mornin’.”
“Good morning, my friend. I pray your day has gone well thus far?”
“Mhm...”
Her tomestone buzzes, causing her to look at the message just sent to her.
barista master™️ Have fun on ur date~😘😘  
With an irritated puff, she shoves it into her pocket.
“Is aught amiss?” Her hooded partner asks with his voice raised in concern.
She crosses her arms and looks away from him to shake off the sudden tightness in her chest. “Oh, it’s nothing.. just my coworker being a pain in my arse.”
“Coworker? This means you have a job, then?”
His question makes her ears twitch, and she twists her head back to him, “Yeah, I work at a little coffee shop called the Scions Cafe.”
His lips part for a moment before being pulled into a smile.
“Ah, yes I have heard of it. I have read wonderful reviews, and others have told me that a certain Warrior of Light who works there makes the absolute best freshly brewed cup of Mor Dhonan drip coffee.”
“Oh, my coffee making skills are hardly the reason why the cafe holds such good reviews…” The Keeper sheepishly rubs the back of her neck as she continues, “That credit should go to everyone else’s hard work. I’m just a waitress who makes basic black coffee when you ask…” 
“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Panne.” He sees her eyes suddenly widen in response. “I may not have tried your coffee myself, but I always hear how much those who travel there look forward to you serving them. And besides, sometimes it is the simplest of things that brings joy to another’s day.”
Her lips are pulled into a small smile before looking down and whispering, “thanks.”
Silence between them goes on for a beat before Panne speaks up again. “Why… don’t you come sometime, then? If you haven’t gone to the café, I mean.”
What am I saying?
“Our barista, Thancred, makes all the fancy coffees and they always come out looking picture-perfect. We’ve got a mean cook too…Urianger makes the best omelets, just ask and he’ll make one for you. And while Alisaie may not look like it…she’s really great with the customers!” She puts a hand to her chin in thought as she goes on, “Though for some reason they often give me the better tips…And then there’s Alphinaud. He runs the café now, and has worked so hard putting it back together ever since the last owner…” she trails off for a second before raising her voice again, “so if anyone deserves credit the most, it’s him.”
The hooded man goes quiet, sending the Keeper a sudden burst of regret. She feels her thoughts spin, rethinking if it was wise of her to share so much to a man she barely knows and hasn’t even seen the bloody face of…
She turns away from him and mutters an apology under her breath before pulling herself together, facing him again with a pointed finger in his direction. “But before you accept that invitation, you haven’t told me much about yourself.”
He’s taken aback by her sudden accusation, but keeps his voice steady despite his now-sweaty palms. “What would you like to know? I unfortunately am not nearly as interesting a person as you, Warrior.” 
She takes a moment to think before answering, “Why have you been following me around?”
The man abruptly coughs into his hand before looking back up with a lopsided smile.
“T-That is…oh but, it’s not…I haven’t…Ah, look over there!”
He abruptly sprints towards one of the shelves—leaving Panne to blankly stare out in confusion. After an exasperated sigh, she follows after him. 
He stops at the shelf further down the library that piqued his interest when he spotted it from the corner of his eye. Panne arrives and stops several fulms away from him soon after with a light jog.
“The hells was that—“
“I believe I have found a book that may be an integral asset to our repertoire of studies for the project.” He turns to her before asking, “we agreed to have our political figure of choice be Emperor Xande, correct?”
Slightly irritated from his swift avoidance of her prior question, she shrugs. “You’re the expert, so I left that for you to decide.”
“Excellent.” He cranes his neck up to take a good look at the textbook he mentioned high up on the shelf, nodding to himself. He takes a few steps back before running to jump up and reach for the book—leading to failure as he ungracefully slides down to the floor. He clears his throat and he dusts himself off, then prepares to jump again, goes, and slides down the shelf again. He repeats the process several more times before the bewildered Miqo’te beside him decides to speak up.
“The hells are you doing?”
The man looks at her for a moment before an idea pops in his mind. 
“I need you to get on my shoulders.” The sudden seriousness of his tone startles Panne, only adding to her utter confusion.
“Huh?”
“Get on my shoulders, I’ll hoist you up to the shelf.” He jerks his head to the point he was trying to reach earlier.
“You’ll do what now?”
He fully turns himself towards her and meets her eyes with an intense gaze, hoping the gesture will convince her—despite his eyes being obscured by his hood.
“Don’t worry, I will not allow you to fall.”
She goes silent before slowly looking around them. Not seeing anyone that could possibly yell at them or report them for…what ever the hells they’re about to do, she sighs before removing her shoes and walking right up to him.
“Look up my skirt and I’ll kill you.”
“U-Understood.”
He turns around and kneels down, allowing Panne to hover her hands around him, trying to figure out a place to anchor herself before landing on the top of his head. Ignoring the feeling of two bulges that feel almost like Miqo’te ears beneath the hood, she places nervous feet one at a time on each of his shoulders, then hoists herself to a stand. He whispers “ready?”, and she simply grunts in response before he slowly stands to full height. The Keeper begins to wobble along the way, leading him to quickly wrap his hands around her ankles and hold on tightly to keep her steady.
“Are you alright?” his tone raises in concern.
She answers with a shaky breath above him, “Im f-fine.”
“Good. Anyroad, the title of the book you’re looking for is ‘Memoires of a Conquerer: A Compilation of The Life and Confessions of Emperor Xande of the Allagan Empire’.”
She scoffs, “you think I know what the hells that is? I’m not gonna spend all day on your shoulders sorting through all these!”
The comment gets a chuckle out of him. “My apologies. Alright then, it should have a red cover…”
“…Most of these have red covers…”
“With gold writing in the front? If I remember correctly it has Emperor Xande’s insignia on it and pray…do not be upset with me, but I believe it may be near the very back of the shelf.”
He hears her let out a groan under her breath. “Seriously?”
“I sincerely apologize…I would have had an easier time grabbing the book myself but…you saw how well that went. And I did not want to be the one to get up on your shoulders instead…”
She giggles, making his heart beat just an ilm faster. “Ever the gentleman, aren’t you? Well, I’ll reach back there, but you better not let me fall.”
“I promise I won’t.”
She gives him an amused ‘hmph’ before leaning forward to reach for the biography. He waits a few minutes while hearing her rummage through the neatly lined stacks of books and grips onto her ankles just a bit tighter—both to keep her and himself steady. He focuses on the calming sounds of books shuffling and the feeling of her warm skin beneath his hands, making him smile to himself at the fact that she really is here. How long has it been since…
“What’s your name, by the way? Just realized I never asked.”
Her voice pulls the man out of his thoughts. “Sorry?”
“You seem to know a lot about me, but I don’t even know your damn name. So what is it? Don’t tell me it’s something embarrassing…”
“Uhm…” it was sheer luck that their first class didn’t have any sort of role call. If they had called him by name, Panne would have known right away and would go shooting him with questions—and would most definitely give him a curse-filled fit of epic proportions... He shivers at the thought of facing her wrath…but he must not let her find out about his identity. Lest he wants to bring up her past and bring her heartache with all that’s happened then…
“They call me…the Exarch…”
She sneers, “Exarch..? You got a stick up your arse or something?”
He bursts out in laughter, causing the Keeper to wobble slightly from it before steadying herself again.
“What? Only some pretentious dickwad would call themselves that.”
He calms his laughter down and wipes a tear from his eye. “Oh please, I would never do something like that…I belong to, or er, used to belong to, a club in the school called the Crystal Tower club, and because I, according to the rest of the members, built the best replicas of the spire, and was the oldest standing member of their quarry, they had dubbed me the ‘Crystal Exarch’. They wanted to call me the Crystal King or Emperor, but I thought of those titles as too flashy, so I settled for Exarch instead.”
She smiles to herself and chuckles lightly, “Makes sense. What did they even do at your club? Just build Crystal Towers?”
“Y-yes…well, that, and we did some research on it when time permitted…” he looks down shyly.
“Huh. I would have joined if I could, but I can’t make things like that for shite.”
He quietly chuckles, “would you have joined, I would have provided whatever assistance you required. With proper guidance, I’m sure you would have picked things up swiftly along the way.”
“That sounds nice…” her smile goes into a smirk, “but you still didn’t quite answer my question, Exarch of the Crystal Tower Club. What’s your actual name?”
“U-Uhm, I—”
“WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE YOU TWO DOING, YOU’LL FALL!”
Just as Panne grips what looks to be the book they were looking for, the loud voice startles her enough to make one of her feet slip out of her partner’s grasp, getting a yelp out of her.
“Panne!”
“H-Hey! I told you not to look up—“
He clings to her ankles as a desperate attempt to keep her from falling as her weight goes backwards—causing them both to tumble to the ground with a yelp.
The Keeper groans as she sits up, clutching her shoulder that took the worst of the fall. She looks up quick enough to see Alphinaud get pulled out of sight by a red-clad hand before hearing two sets of feet scurry off.
—- Earlier that day —-
Alphinaud and Alisaie quietly enjoy their breakfast in their shared apartment. It’s as Alphinaud takes a sip of his tea that Alisaie interrupts the silence.
“I asked Panne last night where she’s meeting her study partner, and she said that they planned to meet in the library at 10 tomorrow.”
Her twin raises an eyebrow as he sets his cup on the table.
“And?”
“And I say we should follow them.”
“Follow them? Have you lost your mind?!”
Alisaie puts on a smirk as she leans across the table to meet her brother’s eyes. “Mayhap, but you can’t tell me you’re not at the very least curious…”
“Well…” realizing what she’s trying to do, Alphinaud stands up and turns away from her. “No. Absolutely not—we are not doing this.”
He starts walking to his room when Alisaie calls from behind him, “But brother, aren’t you worried about our dear friend? We can just go to make sure nothing goes awry on her date. After all, this study partner of hers does sound awfully suspicious… and you wouldn’t want to leave our Warrior alone with a stalker, would you, dear brother?” 
Alphinaud stops in his tracks. After a pause, he turns his head very slightly to his sitting-all-too-comfortably sister at the table. “…I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”
She snickers before standing up herself, going into a wide stretch of her arms before making her way to her room to get ready for their little espionage mission.
Dressed in their University uniforms (instead of wearing camouflage head to toe as per Alisaie’s suggestion), the twin elezens walk down the large library, just a couple minutes prior to the time of their friend’s meeting. The two look around until Alphinaud spots a head of familiar violet-and-blonde hair and down-turned ears in the distance.
“There she is!”
Alisaie turns her attention to where her twin is looking and notices Panne walking while observing her surroundings in the opposite direction of them.
“It seems her partner hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Shhhhh Alphinaud, lower your voice!”
They spot a hood decorated with gold heading their way.
“That’s the partner! Quick, we can’t let him spot us!” The two take cover behind a different aisle of shelves and observe as the man makes his way to their friend. They begin to have an exchange, which Alphinaud and Alisaie are barely able to hear, but as they observe, they notice the change in body language of their friend as she slowly goes from being closed-off and almost hostile, to a more relaxed, open position. Alphinaud mutters an involuntary “oh no,” as Alisaie finds her smirk growing wider.
Suddenly, Panne’s partner darts towards one of the shelves, leaving the Miqo’te with a confused expression before running after him. Not wanting to miss out on the action, the twins follow after the two from down their aisle, the end of it luckily being just a few yalms from the spot where the man stopped.
Being closer and more clearly able to listen in on the conversation, the twins lean against the shelf behind them and hear the rest of how the exchange goes.
“—but you still didn’t quite answer my question, Exarch of the Crystal Tower Club. What’s your actual name?”
Alphinaud feels the need to peak out at what’s going on now, verily curious by what this Exarch will reveal about himself as if watching one of those mystery dramas on TV. Despite Alisaie’s whispers of protests, he inches his head out into the open. The sight that greets him makes his face contort into an expression of utter horror. He gasps as he looks on, and both his protective-brother mode and A+ student-who-sees-a violation-of-rules mode go into overdrive, leading him to jump out of hiding and yell at the two.
“WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS ARE YOU TWO DOING, YOU’LL FALL!”
He freezes in place as the pair goes tumbling down to the floor, jaw almost having dropped to the floor with them. Before Panne could see them as she slowly sits up, Alisaie pulls her brother with her as she sprints and gets them out of the library. When they make it to the school courtyard, she stops and looks to her brother with a scowl.
“You idiot, you blew our cover!”
He pants heavily with his hands on his knees, not expecting the sudden workout. Having caught his breath enough, he looks up,
“Well, did you see what they were doing?! That was absolutely foolish and dangerous… heavens forbid if any of the library staff caught them, they both would have had to face awful consequences for their actions…”
“Well you certainly made things better for them when you yelled out and made Panne fall..” his eyes widen while remembering the sight, and he straightens himself up.
“And she could be hurt! We have to go back there, Alisaie! With my knowledge, I can patch her up, or at least take her to the nurse’s office with preliminary treatment…”
He begins marching his way back to the library before Alisaie catches his hand.
“Let the Exarch take care of it, they’ll be fine…”
Alphinaud stops and turns to his sister, “But… fine…”
She looks away and quietly snickers.
“Always such a worrywart, dearest brother mine…”
__________________
“You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”
Panne’s attention turns to the man in front of her, who’s already standing and holding a hand out to her (is that blue paint on his arm?). While most of his face is obstructed, she can almost imagine the worried expression on him. 
“No, i’m alright..” She raises a hand to smooth down her hair, wincing as a shot of pain hits her shoulder. The man in front of her moves an ilm closer in response, mouth slightly open in shock.
“Your shoulder! Are you certain you didn’t injure it?”
He grabs her uninjured hand and pulls her up to a stand. The Keeper holds her shoulder and attempts to roll the joint, causing her to hiss in pain. He places a gentle hand on her arm out of concern.
“It looks injured…here, let me take you to the nurse.”
She sighs, “It’s alright, I can walk there myself…”
“But please!” His outburst takes her aback, giving him a sense of guilt before lowering his voice, “at least allow me to lead you there. It’s the least I can do after failing to fulfill my promise and letting you fall…”
She hears the guilt in his voice, sending an odd tightness in her chest, and gives him a small smile.
“I said it’s ok, Exarch. You’d be surprised to hear that the nurse’s office is one of the few places that I can actually get to with no problems in this bloody convoluted school.” She looks down to his hand on her arm and then up to her injured shoulder, “besides, it’s probably not that bad anyways, just might be a little sore for awhile.”
He pauses before finally sighing, and smiles while he releases his grip.
“If you are certain…ah, but wait, before you go—“ he grabs a slip of paper from his pocket along with a pen and begins scribbling something down on it, using his knee as a surface, before handing it to her, “Here, call me if anything happens, alright?”
She looks down at the paper, noticing a somewhat messily written number.
“Oh, and next time we meet…” she looks up again and notices the man’s smile having gone warmer, “let’s do this over lunch instead. I’ll bring it, as payment for breaking my promise.” 
A chuckle comes out of her before she answers to his invitation, “That’ll definitely beat reaching for books in a stuffy library… but didn’t you need that book I was grabbing? Oh, which speaking of—“ she grabs it out of her bag and hands the thick textbook to him, “here, I managed to grab it before we fell.”
He holds it to his face to observes the cover for a moment— before his head droops lowly.
“Panne…” his voice raises to a whine before showing her the cover, making her jaw drop.
“This is a book on Allagan…botany…”
They pause before erupting into a fit of laughter to the point of almost going back to the floor again just to both laugh and cry at their situation.
“Shite…then all that was for…nothing!?”
“It helped break some of the ice between us, I hope?”
“It definitely broke something, that’s for sure…”
His audible gasp causes Panne to chuckle again before waving her arms, “I’m kidding I’m kidding—ow.” She clutches her shoulder and mumbles, “probably shouldn’t have done that…”
“You really should get to going to the nurse, lest I drag you there myself.”
“By what, my left arm? Or my ears?”
“Don’t give me ideas…”
“Very funny.” She turns around to face the exit, with her head tilted slightly towards him with a smirk, “Fine, I’ll start heading there.” She starts walking out when the Exarch’s voice stops her.
“Just a moment, Panne?” The sudden calling of her name makes her turn around to see the Exarch look at the ground with a sheepish smile, shuffling in place.
“Message me after your visit with the nurse? Just to—make sure everything is alright.”
She blinks before smiling, “since when did you become my damn mother.” She then gives him a wink before turning around, “but alright, I’ll text you.” 
The Exarch watches her tail sway as she walks out of the room, clutching his chest a little tighter to feel it fluttering.
_______________
—— Bonus ——-
Breathing a sigh of exhaustion after a long day, he closes the door to his dorm and pulls down his hood, finally allowing his russet ears to be free. He wiggles the numbness out of them before pulling his tail from out of his shirt, flops onto his bed, and stares at the ceiling. Along with the pure glee he feels having gotten to spend some of his otherwise boorish day with the person he’s yearned to talk to for years, the anxiety of both finding out the extent of her injuries and getting a text from her leaves him restless. The vibration of his phone causes him to abruptly sit up and grab the tomestone beside him. He swipes up and sees the message on the screen:
Unknown Number Nurse said I just sprained it, but my shoulder’s ok other than that 👍
He breathes a sigh of relief while making a contact out of the number before sending a message back:
Me: Thank the Twelve!
He places the tomestone back on the bed and smiles to himself, feeling like a giddy schoolboy texting their crush in junior high. When he hears the tomestone vibrate again, he practically leaps forward it in excitement:
Panne: Yep. U owe me lunch though 😜
He quietly chuckles before typing:
Me: Let me know when ur available, and it’s a date! 😊
He settles his tomestone neatly on his bedside table this time and pulls the blankets over his head to sleep, but spends the rest of the night tossing and turning with a smile wide enough to hurt his cheeks all night. An idea occurs to him before his consciousness finally fades to black.
Mayhap I should go out for coffee tomorrow…
<---- Previous Next---->
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lavampira · 9 months
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ough I’ve been consumed by a convo between d’alia and thancred that is quickly turning into a one shot fic at the rate I’m spiraling over their friendship development here
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crossingbard · 2 years
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"Dorien met his brown eyes and flashed a toothy lopsided grin that was so, so different than the ones he wore in front of others. This grin was messy and easy; the curtain used to make himself more cordial by hiding these parts of him was drawn and in front of him was just Dorien unfiltered, sunlight and all.
Maybe it was just the promise of what was to come, but it was the best version of him, Thancred thought as he grinned back and brought the man to his lips once more, ready to get lost with him."
-From "What Makes You Different" ch 5
Just a lil something something of the lads.
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relamune · 9 months
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kiss your favs
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