#disaster wol sagas

[arcanisluna]

“You’re not okay.”

Summer looks up from the knives she was repairing (Sumire wouldn’t let her repair them without her taking the auri’s money), to see Elli standing there at her workbench. His voice had snapped her out of the mindless drill of repairing items for her teammates in the chance of someday regaining their trust in her, and she raised a brow. Her visible eye focused hard on him, as if she was still learning how to only see with one. Lips twisted into a fine line, and she lowers her head.

Back to the knives, back to work.

“Summer.” His voice is a bit sterner this time, and a hand falls upon the miqo’te’s shoulder. She starts just a bit, ears flattening against her head and her tail poofing up to the point of danger. But he’s got her attention. Removing his hand, he sighs and sits in the empty chair.

“You’re punishing yourself when you’re not supposed to be. We all can see it-” (Not Kokejin, she thinks) “-and we’re not mad.”

“...’All is forgiven’.” She repeats it in the same stiff tone Kokejin delivered to her, and Elli shakes his head. It’s gotten to her more than he’d thought, and she was destroying herself and her own health over this. She’d come so far only to fall flat back where she was when they’d lost Gosetsu...

No, it was worse than that. She was still there, still lucid, but a part of her had gone to slumber. The part of her that made her a whole person. He takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose. Kokejin was the hardest to understand out of all the Disaster WoLs, but he knew the auri teen better than the rest of them.

“I understand why he’s upset, Summer, but give him time. You did it for our sake and not out of malicio--”

“Don’t.” Summer’s voice breaks through, cutting him off. “Don’t excuse my actions. What I did was wrong, and it’s only right I do what I must to regain everyone’s trust... I don’t have any right to stand by your sides until I do.”

She’s smaller than him, and yet she used to wield a claymore much like Kokejin with her own two hands. If she so wanted, she could throw him out the window if he did this... But Elli takes her by the shoulders and makes her face him. Makes her look at him.

He wishes he didn’t.

He sees no life in her dull grey eye. No semblance of her being alive. It makes him remember the days when Summer had stopped responding to outside stimuli and was much like a lifeless body being pulled around on strings. It makes him remember the days she would look at him as if she was responding, but only because he would say her name.

Her eyes are cold, lifeless and don’t see the colours of the world anymore. Much like then.

There’s no semblance of Light in them anymore.

She doesn’t speak, but it’s clear from the tears welling in her eye that he’s gripping a bit too tight on accident. With a quick apology, he lets her go and she returns to working. Souless, lifeless... It was as if she wasn’t even there anymore. Still living in that one day.

Was this what the doctor said, when he’d brought her back? Was this some form of an illness that was uncurable because it was in the mind? He puts his glasses back on and stands up. She doesn’t look at him until he offers his hand.

Elli will put her and Kokejin in a room the moment Kokejin is fully recovered, so the two of them could talk things out. Until then, it seemed as if Summer hadn’t eaten for the past couple of days.

“We’ll go to the Wandering Stairs and get something to eat, and you’re going to tell me what’s wrong.”

“.....I guess.”

That was better than nothing.

[arcanisluna]

Story Title: To Reforge & Restrengthen (Commissioned) Characters: Summer Kazehana, Aettir, Cronus, Kokejin Qalli Theme: Trust Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Word Count: 810

“He left us behind again!” Aettir wasn't happy about that. They were his beloved swords, how could they be left behind like that? Cronus, meanwhile, saw nothing wrong with it. Kokejin wasn't required to bring them around everywhere he went, so Aettir was just being... a child, in a way. It wasn't uncommon for this to happen, but they were there to protect him and help him protect others. It was probably another training session. Whenever Kokejin left, his Miqo'te friend would come in to repair his things so they'd be in top shape.

The two of them had noticed this often. She would often just say hello to them before going about her business. They would see her repair the other weapons, even themselves, when Kokejin wasn't around. Though it was probably due to guilt, as they'd heard many conversations where the Miqo'te, Summer, had insisted on repairing everyone's gear before a fight. She would be heavily insistent, and all of them would tell her to stop, that everything didn't need repairs (yet, at least). And it was definitely something they'd come to realize was because of what happened between the two prior to heading to the Tempest.

“There she is again!”

“Another repair? But nothing's in need of it...” Though the four walls of Kokejin's room was all they saw, she always seemed to be a part of it at times. One would call it an invasion of privacy if she'd snooped... but no, she just repaired things then left. Today, though... Today was different. She came straight towards them, and carefully picked up Cronus.

“Hey!! Don't touch other people's stuff without permission-!” Aettir said, coming out from behind the sword of the same name. “We don't need repairs!”

“O-oh.. I-I'm sorry... I-I was just making sure...” Summer responded. “I... don't want anything of Kokejin's to break...”

“Y-you do that a lot... Make sure everyone's things don't b-break. But you come here a bit too... often. Especially w-when Kokejin's away.” Cronus' quiet voice spoke up as they, too, came out of the sword of the same name as them. The two spirits hovered there, looking at the Miqo'te. She wasn't like the strong, forceful and thoughtful person they'd heard of, but more of a shy and demure child... Kind of like Cronus, in a way. It was different, though there had to be a reason she was here besides repairs. She put down the sword, and looked at the two spirits. Kokejin had told them about his friends, and then the acquaintance. This was probably the acquaintance, though the two of them knew better than that. They were still friends, but she'd just need to regain his trust was all.

“So! What are you here for then if there's no repairs to be done?” Aettir asked.

“...Er... I-I figured that you two would know how to reforge the bond I lost with... with Kokejin.”

So that's what she was here for? The two of them looked at each other and then back at her. They knew more about Kokejin, and Kokejin would usually just brush her off and go about his business.

“Bonds aren't lost! So there's nothing to reforge, but you want to restrengthen it to its prior strength!” Aettir said, hands on hips. “I guess that's why you've been coming in here, to restrengthen that bond!”

“O-or she just... likes repairing things?” Cronus offered. Aettir shot them a look.

“ANYWAY!” Aettir flew over to the other side of Summer. “He doesn't like lies. And according to him, that's what you did. You kept secrets and lied to him. But, he still cares. He's a classic Tsundere!”

“A-and he... has a diary, too...” Cronus said.

“That's not any of her business!” Aettir huffed. “He's not capable of turning his back on someone, and he's a good person at heart! He's just a big dummy sometimes!”

“I-I see...” That seemed to cheer her up slightly. “I-I'll keep that in mind... O-oh, I should get going. He'll be back soon. Th-thank you!” Without looking back, Summer exited the room, leaving the two alone.

“We didn't get to tell her everything.” Aettir looked to Cronus, who was staring after her. “Hey, Cronus, what do you think?”

As Cronus went to respond, Kokejin came in to his room, putting his shield down and the training sword in a rack before heading over to the two of them. Cronus went to hide behind his horn, like usual. “So, what have you two been up to while I've been training?”

“W-we were-” Cronus started, but Aettir cut them off.

“Waiting for you, Kokejin! Take us with you next time! We were worried sick!” Aettir clung to his face. Kokejin laughed.

“Alright, alright. Next time, promise.”

[arcanisluna]

Story Title: To Learn Anew (Commissioned) Characters: Y’shtola Rhul, Hikari Poole, Summer Kazehana, Kokejin Qalli, G’raha Tia Theme: Loss Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV Word Count: 1,194

When she first realized she could no longer speak, Hikari had put a hand to her throat. She'd tried speaking, tried forming words, and all that came out was... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Her throat had gotten slashed in the final fight, and it had hit her vocal cords. With Kokejin out of commission and Summer forcing herself to fix things in her hurt state, it was minimal compared to their injuries. But it hurt, it hurt so much. She'd never be able to speak again. Never be able to talk to Y'shtola nor try to awkwardly flirt with the Miqo'te...  Nothing. And the worst part about it was that Y'shtola was visiting her at this time.

Hikari's eyes filled with tears as she tried talking. Tried forcing the words out. Only to aggravate her wound and caused some of the healers to rush over to get her to lay back down and healed up the newly opened wound. There was little to nothing that she could do about it, and she fell into a fitful sleep where she dreamed of Runar taking away Y'shtola. Waking with a silent scream, she shot upright. She'd never told Y'shtola anything about how she felt, despite Summer's urgings to do so. She'd felt as if she was too late, and now she knew she would never be able to.

But she wanted to.

She wanted to tell Y'shtola how she felt before Runar truly took her. Took the only person that Hikari loved dearly. Her fellow Warriors, she loved them too... but not in the way she loved Y'shtola, that heartsqueezing crush that was truly love towards the sorceress... It was crushing to know that she was losing her chance. Every day, Hikari started trying to talk and every day, nothing came out. Nothing.

“...I guess... we can write a letter...” Summer suggested, words coming out as if stuttered. In a high contrast to the person she was prior to the final fight, Hikari noticed, Summer was now less energetic and more... of someone who was there to fill in a slot. That was how she was treating herself, as she noticed. “...W...writing it out... your feelings, you can... you can tell her with actions too...” And Hikari understood what Summer was trying to say, but that wasn't what she wanted to do.

She wanted to tell Y'shtola her feelings. Wanted to talk to her. She didn't want to rely on anything else except her voice. That was the only way Y'shtola would ever understand how the Viera felt about her! Hikari broke down, silently sobbing in Summer's arms as the Miqo'te held her close. Their height differences made it awkward, but neither of them cared at this moment.

The fact she couldn't talk anymore was sad, but the sadder thing was that Hikari would no longer be able to cast spells with this new disability. She'd never had any interest in fighting with weapons, but that was the only thing she would be capable of. With help of the Crystal Exarch, Summer's boyfriend, Hikari was able to take up the bow and train to shoot things from afar so she wouldn't be in the thick of combat. Like Corellion, she would fight at a distance with the bow... It reminded her of the time she was supposed to be a Woodwarder, but she shook those memories aside. It wasn't her anymore, it wasn't her life nor her past.

Every day, she got more and more upset that she couldn't talk. The healers told her to stop attempting to talk, stop trying to ruin her throat even more than it was, but Hikari wasn't listening. She didn't want to listen to them. She needed to talk, she wanted to talk. She had to, that was the only way she could communicate with anyone!

“You know, back home on the Steppe, there's a tribe that only speaks in actions.” Kokejin and Hikari were out jogging, as none of the other Warriors were available (they were, but Kokejin had dragged her out on the pretense of them not being around). “They're called the Qestir, and they usually wear a mask over their mouths to not be tempted to speak. They believe that speaking means nothing but lies.”

But I want to talk, Hikari thought. She was still trying. I want to talk to Y'shtola. I want to tell her how I feel. I need to... She won't understand otherwise.

Regardless of what the other Warriors said, regardless of what was true, Hikari couldn't find any other way to talk to Y'shtola. Her voice was gone, and she was having a hard time understanding that. She was having a hard time coming to terms with it. Regardless of everyone's help... She wanted to talk, she wanted to speak. She wanted to do the one thing she would never be able to do again.

“I used to be mute for nine years. You wouldn't know it from hearing me now,” G'raha said with a laugh as he stirred the stew. He was helping with preparations for a party for the five of them, and Hikari had figured he would have advice on how to talk to people again. But the fact he'd been mute for nine years... how had he started talking again? “I only communicated by holding things out to people at first, until I was taught to write and read. I never really was capable of speaking until the Calamity happened, when I cried out for my adoptive parents. But the Calamity made me lose my memories, so I never remembered any of that...”

So he'd been like her at one point.

Unable to speak, unable to talk. Unable to communicate except through writing. It was hard to understand that. All her life, she was capable of speaking. And now, to have it taken from her.... it was too much. Why couldn't she ever tell Y'shtola how she felt? How long would it be until she could? Without her voice, she would never be able to...

“Hikari.” G'raha was beside her, the stew set aside to another burner that wasn't the one he was cooking on. “Hikari, listen to me. You can tell her what you feel without ever saying a word. Gifts, letters, actions... You have many ways of telling someone how you feel without ever once saying 'I love you'. It was how Summer and I told our affection to one another. We never said it, we just knew. And you can do the same. I have faith in you, my friend.”

He.. had faith in her? Wiping her eyes, Hikari gave a nod. She understood now. And it only took G'raha talking to her to help her realize it.

She would probably never be able to speak again, but there were other ways to tell Y'shtola her feelings. So, she wouldn't give up. She wouldn't lose Y'shtola to Runar... She would be the one to win Y'shtola over, but not with spoken words. No, she'd win Y'shtola over with gifts, actions and the written word.

She didn't need her voice to do so.