#ffxiv miyu

[ffxiv-f13ndish]

Calm Before the Storm: Rooftop pt. 2 emotional boogaloo

Collab. write w/ @ro-valerius ! [credit for gpose and the title]

Characters:

Tofu (ro-valerius)

Daen Lad [mention] (ro-valerius)

Kore [mention] (@sorrel-haven)

Miyu [pebble brain]

Virgil, Magnus [mention]

Another moment on the roof.

Perhaps going up on the roof when it appeared dangerously close to raining wasn’t the wisest idea, but Miyu climbed their way up for a breath of air. They couldn’t see many stars through the thick array of clouds, but the glorious gleam of a full moon was unmistakable. Carefully, Miyu laid back on the roof, and they turned their eyes to the celestial body. Maybe the longer they stared into the white light, the more it could drown out everything else in their mind. 

Tofu briefly considered going to his other usual spot to think, but Miyu had mentioned the roof before, and that was starting to sound really appealing. He climbed the stairs beside the house and swung over the railing down to the edge of the roof easily, a motion he’d done many times before. He looked down from the top of the domed area on the sides and caught sight of a familiar Miqo, as promised. Softly, he made his way over, settling beside them and propping himself up with his elbows. 

The moon simply couldn’t hold Miyu’s stare. The moment they heard movement, they propped themself up on the balls of their hands and looked to the Viera that came to join them. The gloom that had stuck to their features the whole day vanished in that moment, a gleam of delight in their eyes and a little smile budding at rosy lips. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” they greeted Tofu in what they presumed was a casual manner, as they didn’t want to express just how surprised they really were that he had come to show up tonight. 

“You did say to come, did you not?” he said, and though he tried to have some warmth to his tone, there was a lot on his mind that kept his tone and expression neutral. He glanced over at them, reaching over and brushing a strand of hair out of their face.

“I did. But you also have a lot of responsibilities, and I’m sure… a lot on your mind.” Miyu averted their gaze, but found themself leaning into the hand that brushed their hair by a fraction. “You’ve been… far. And you can take your time, and I can wait from a distance. But I guess I’ve missed you.”

Miyu furrowed a brow as they stared out to the horizon. A chill went across their skin as they recalled recent events, and what was fast approaching. They brought their knees up close, curling up within themself. 

“So much on the mind,” they mumble, distantly. 

“Indeed, a lot on the mind… Sorry if I made you worry. I’m right here,” Tofu murmured softly. 

“You don’t need to apologize to me for that,” Miyu responded with a faint sigh, head giving a little shake. “I am… really happy to see you, though.” 

Tofu sat up straighter, leaning forward to rest an arm on his knee. “I got…somewhat of a gist of things from Kore and Virgil. Soon, yeah? I’m sure that’s…a lot to get ready for and not enough time. But… Well, we’re right here. No matter what happens, I’ll be right there, and you’ll be alright, I promise.” 

He reached out and put his hand on their far shoulder, pulling them to lean against him. Even if he couldn’t get his expression and tone to listen, his body could still be comforting, he hoped. He leaned his head against theirs. 

“I’ll be right there…” 

Miyu’s features tensed when Tofu brought up the looming matters at hand. They didn’t say anything about it for a long while, instead just leaning into the hold as they reflected. They turned their face towards the hand on their shoulder, lips pressed to his knuckles in a lingering peck of thanks. 

“I know. I trust you. Everything will be taken care of,” they say, turning their head back towards him. 

“And that… is something I fear I will be afraid of. Last night, I had… dreams. With him. And I regretted everything. I have every right to… to… turn the guy into ground beef, you know? But what if I regret this? Change my mind at the last moment?” Miyu lamented quietly. “A lot to get ready for. And I fear I’ve hardly processed anything. I’ve heard I’m not reliable, but this is…” they scoff. 

Tofu grew quiet as he listened to them. Admittedly, he had far fewer reservations about killing the man than Miyu seemed to, so he couldn’t relate, but he could attempt to assure them, at least. 

“...If you hesitate, I’ll be right there to remind you why we’re there.” He met their eyes evenly. 

“I know…you’re set on taking his head yourself, so I’ll do whatever it takes to remind you what this is all for. And only if that fails, will I step in for you. But…I promise I’ll give you the opportunity if you still want it,” he said, realizing once more that his choice of words might be less comforting and more concerning. 

Miyu went still when Tofu’s eyes met their own, and they held both their gaze and their breath as they listened to every word. A shaky sigh of relief escaped them, and they leaned their forehead against Tofu’s. 

“Thank you, my dear Tofu. I am fortunate to choose you.” Gently, they rested a hand on his cheek, thumb brushing against the slope of his cheekbone. “I do adore you.” 

He leaned gently into them as they leaned against him, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He had to focus on the business with the pirates, or he’d fall apart. But… For the time being, he wanted to savour the moment. Even if he didn’t have an answer yet, even if he didn’t understand anything yet…

Miyu’s eyes flickered over Tofu’s face, admiring the long lashes that twitched at the crescent of his closed eyes, just above the dashes of freckles along his cheeks. They were quiet for a long moment as they admired him. Their eyes lowered to his lips, and a thought came to mind. 

“I believe… we all need a little extra luck. No matter how certain something is… there’s no harm in some extra luck.” Miyu inched closer, but made no contact. “When the time comes, when you are ready, when you need... I have a good luck kiss ready just for you.” 

He could feel their breath ghost across his face as they inched closer, the scent of mint lingering. He remembered what happened with Kore and panic set in as he sat up straight again, looking away as a blush crept across his face. He really didn’t understand those two… Yet he didn’t stand up. He tried to will his panic to subside, but his breaths came out shallow. With effort, he drew in a few deep, shaky breaths, and though his breathing returned to normal, his heart still pounded in his chest.

“S-sorry,” he murmured. 

Miyu kept their body language relaxed to hide their concern. They drew their head back an inch, but didn’t move away entirely just yet. Rather, they kept a gentle smile on their face to try and reassure that everything will be okay. 

“You’re fine, dear — there’s nothing to apologize for. No rush, and no pressure. I’ll be here for you as long as you need,” they softly remarked, before they finally leaned their body back again. They brushed some hair from his face, then dropped their hand. 

“Oh! And I have something for you!” Miyu remarked, casually moving on as they turned to the basket they had brought up with them. 

They hadn’t been certain if Tofu would come up to join them tonight, but they had brought it just in case. Miyu presented to him a bouquet of dandelions and forget-me-nots, the bundle of flowers tied together by a pale lavender ribbon. 

He stared at the flowers for a while in surprise, then up at their smile. For a moment, he was quiet, but slowly, a smile crossed his features as a gentle laugh escaped his lips. There was something like relief in his eyes, though he wouldn’t be able to tell anyone why. He looked down, burying his face in both hands as he felt…was that the sting of tears? He hadn’t cried in years, but he was just…so relieved that he hadn’t hurt them by pulling away so abruptly.

“Thank you,” he murmured. 

Miyu’s lips parted in a quiet awe as they listened to the faint melody of his laugh, hanging onto each note like they did when they listened to him up on the stage. They watched him again for a long moment. With his face buried away in his hands, they couldn’t see any signs of tears to come.

“My pleasure,” they say, gently placing it on his lap. “I do apologize, however, for making it that you have to give Daen Lad another trip for some flora. If you’d like, I can bring it to them… though I think they are also starting to like you now, hm?” 

He lowered his hands to lift the flowers, revealing a gentle smile as the fingertips of one hand brushed softly over the blooms. He would have to have these preserved, for sure. His shoulders relaxed and he turned his smile towards Miyu. 

“I’ll treasure these.”

Perhaps something shifted, or the clouds had cleared. The stars regained their brilliance again that night.

[f13ndish]

quick lil miyu doodle ! and my cat making his own signature lol

[scionshtola]

it's lesbian week of visibility /showleft

[xenodile]

p11 was the one fight I really wanted to do on savage this tier and the gang made it happen. I got to tank Themis!!

[airehoney]

Oh hey I only started this like two years ago. Maybe now I can push the two people that log in somewhat regularly to finish these bad boys out.

[ro-valerius]

[Miyu belongs to @ffxiv-f13ndish !]

After a few moments, the pixie returned, giggling and poking Tofu on the nose.

“Clever rabbit indeed~ I have located your dear one! They are indeed at Forgotten Springs. Shall I send you there posthaste~?”

“Sh-shut it, pixie…” he grumbled. They shot him a look. He grew sheepish. “I-if you would, please, yes, send me there…” With another twirl, the pixie opened up a portal juuust big enough for the viera…right underneath him. With a thud, he landed on his ass, having been dropped from several feet up; the pixie probably getting back at him for his grumblings. For several reasons, he sat there, wincing in pain, clutching his chest where the Ruin spell had got him prior. The use of magic sent waves of white hot pain throughout his body, his nerves feeling as if they were set on fire. After a moment, he pushed himself to his feet, trying not to look as unsteady as he felt, and cast a look around.

After all that had occurred, Miyu didn’t know where else to go. For some time, it was only aimless wandering. Following several disorienting transportation spells here and there, the Miqo’te found themself treading through what appeared to be an endless sweep of rolling sand dunes. Many would find themself lost in what appeared to be a labyrinth of sand – but for them, it was a familiar path. A path they’ve traveled many times in their childhood. Miyu’s travels halted in the settlement of the Forgotten Springs in the depths of the desert, where they sat at the edge of a bridge that arched over one of the springs that trickled through the middle of the small town. 

Miyu remained seated and undisturbed for some time in the night, their eyes affixed to the sky as they waited for the sun to rise.

Tofu found the familiar silhouette of his dear friend, seated at the edge of the bridge over the creek that ran through the settlement. It didn’t seem like they noticed his…less than graceful arrival, as their eyes were glued to the sky in thought. He took a moment to push aside the waves of fire across his nerves and approached with soft footsteps. 

“Hey,” he said gently, once he was close enough for them to hear him.

Miyu’s ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps, pinning back against their scalp as their limbs tensed. They shot back a look in alarm, hand to their side as they began to reach into their pocket. Upon seeing it was Tofu, their hand fell to the side again. Their eyes were framed with a faint flush of red and still slightly swollen from tears and exhaustion. The hardened appearance of their gaze softened as they recognized the Viera. Before they could even give a greeting in response – which they couldn’t even think to gather at the moment – their eyes began to quickly well up again. They quickly looked away from Tofu again.

“You know, this bridge seemed a lot bigger when I was a kid.”

Tofu’s expression softened at the tearful reception. He reached out, turning Miyu’s face back to him gently. He scanned their face for any signs of injury, narrowing his eyes at the bruises around their neck. But he quickly buried the anger, returning his eyes to meet their’s once more, offering a smile. 

“I promised I’d find you, didn’t I? Sorry if I was too late to protect you, but I’m here now…” He took their hand gently in his and placed the withered carnation in their palm. “It looks like it’s seen better days, I-I can get you a new one if you’d like-” His hand twitched slightly as a particularly intense wave of pain crossed him, but that was the only outward sign he allowed himself to give, and even that was too much for his liking.

Miyu held their breath at the touch, but nevertheless allowed Tofu to guide their face towards him. Despite their discomfort in being seen in such a state, their gaze didn’t once waver from Tofu’s eyes.

“I didn’t want to be found. And I didn’t need any protection, and I still don’t,” they remarked hastily, being somewhat frustrated that Tofu really had gone out of his way to come and find them. They really did try to keep up a hardened appearance, even when they were still actively crying. But when Tofu placed a familiar carnation into their hand, they couldn’t bring themself to keep on building the wall between the two of them. 

“I won’t object to more flowers, but I’ll keep on holding onto this one… thanks.” They continued to hold onto the carnation with one hand. With the other, they brought their fingers to their lips a moment, but paused a second. Miyu leaned in closer, giving him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks. When they leaned back again, their eyes lingered on the skin, noting the stain of the black lipstick left behind. Amused by the sight, they regained some mirth and gave a light chuckle. “Not the only one that has seen better days, though. You look tired. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, I’ve been through worse, I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t realize that the words were less assuring than he thought they were. He lowered his eyes. “I know you don’t need protection, you’re strong on your own, but…still…”

Tofu blinked in surprise, briefly wondering if that was just how they were when they were comfortable with people, but his momentary distraction allowed for the next wave of pain to catch him off guard, a visible wince crossing his features. He buried it quickly and smiled.

Miyu gave a dubious squint at Tofu’s assurance. Considering how closely they were seated to the other, the shift in his expression wasn’t exactly discrete. Their brows twisted in concern as they recalled that if Tofu had to have gotten a hand on the carnation, it meant that he had to have met with Virgil… they doubted that only a simple conversation had occurred. And only the Twelve knows what else Tofu had gotten into before coming to find them here. 

“I don’t care if you’ve been through worse, I care about you. Let me help you..” They reach for their pocket, considering taking their staff, only for them to pause a moment as they recall some startling information of the wand they held. “...get you home. We need to get you home to rest. And I’ll… figure out what to do next.”

Tofu’s eyes flickered to Miyu’s hand as they reached for their pocket and he tensed. But they seemed to change their mind, which was a bit more alarming. He considered asking for an explanation, but considering he was withholding his own information, he decided against it. He averted his eyes.

“I can rest later. I- there’s more to do still.” His expression was hard to read, but he softened as he continued, glancing back up at them. “Y-you should rest for a bit. You can rest at our house, Ro’s set up wards to protect against watchful eyes, rest for a bit?” he suggested, brushing aside Miyu’s hair briefly.

Miyu gave Tofu a long, troubled stare. “I don’t believe that will be possible, Tofu.” They placed their carnation down on their lap for a moment to free up both hands. Gently, they placed both hands on both sides of Tofu’s face. “I won’t be able to rest unless I know you’ve come to rest, too.” They brushed their thumb over the slope of his (unmarked) cheek. “Will you come along to rest with me, darling?” They request in a soft plea.

Tofu sighed. “If you promise to stay and rest at our house, I will rest as well. Deal?” Normally, he’d refuse, but if it meant that Miyu would rest too, he would. The thought startled him. He glanced down at the carnation in their lap. “M’alia will be glad to see you, and you can see Fiora’s surprisingly bright alchemy station.” He offered a soft smile.

Miyu once more held their breath, this time anxiously waiting for Tofu's response. When he acquiesced to their request, they let out a faint sigh in relief. “Deal,” they confirmed with a nod. “Ah… yeah. I’ve missed her too. I hope the table still has four legs…” they trailed off a moment, eyes lingering on the black lipstick stain on his cheek. For a moment, they considered wiping it off with the pad of their thumb as their hands lingered on his face. However, the cheeky cat decided against it. 

“Hey, Tofu? It’s good to see you.” They move in, giving him a firm hug. “Thanks.”

[sorrel-haven]

Calm before the Storm: Pirate Attack

another part of the Calm before the Storm Arc! a triple collab between me @ro-valerius and @ffxiv-f13ndish

f1endish characters: Miyu (featured) Virgil (mentioned) Ro-Valerius characters: Hana (featured) Tio (featured) Tofu (featured)

Kore and friends had some unwanted visitors.

---

Kore was pretty sure she made a deal with a devil, but if it got them where they needed she was prepared to pay that price. Her own searches were not getting them any closer to finding Magnus. Virgil probably wasn’t their best shot, but it was as close as they were going to get. She just needed to explain all of it to Tofu and Ro and hope that they understood.

She walked home with Tio and Hana this time. Tio could watch Hana fine but she felt more comfortable being there to watch Tio’s back. Not knowing exactly how close these grounded pirates were made it that much more imperative to stay in numbers. She just hoped Tio didn’t think she was babying him.

Hana grabbed Tio by the sleeve, a bit of exhaustion showing on her face; while she may have gotten better with the stone, she still wasn’t fully able to use it properly. Tio looked down, noting her tired features, and leaned down for her to clamber onto his back. With a light grumble, she put her arms around his shoulders and let him lift her to carry her home. 

“Don’t waste your efforts on that guy, Hana… Especially since you haven’t properly learned how to use that stone yet,” he murmured. She only nodded and pressed her forehead into the crook of his neck. 

“That guy…his aether was…wrong. Like he’s dying by inches. I hate him…” she murmured.

Kore patted Hana on the back. “We don’t have to like him, sweet girl. We just need to use him.” Her jaw set as she spoke. Tio gave Kore a sidelong glance.

“I should hope we don’t have to like him. Whatever it is you lot are up to, let me come with you. I don’t trust that guy at all. I don’t trust anyone who circles around what they mean to say like a vulture after finding its next meal. And I’d rather you and Tofu don’t have to deal with him alone- er, not alone alone, but you get what I mean,” he said, giving as good a shrug as he could with Hana still latched to his back. 

Kore sighed. “I suppose it might be prudent to have strength in numbers. But it’s not my call. It was hard enough getting Tofu to agree to bring in Mina…” that last part came out more of a murmur.

“Ah yes, stubborn rabbit being stubborn again. I suppose we’ll have to see,” he said with another half-shrug. 

Meanwhile, another felt like they were dying by inches. 

With Tofu’s fever down, Miyu didn’t feel the need to hover around the man anymore – and didn’t exactly want to suffocate the guy with their presence. It helped that there were other folks at home, too.  Miyu was much too tired to go out to the cafe, so they settled on going out for a brisk walk around the neighborhood, just to feel the fresh air on their face. 

Now, they were fighting to get some air into their lungs. An assailant’s hand was clamped over their mouth, the other holding a rope taut as it tightened around their neck. The more Miyu struggled, the more it tightened.

“Don’tcha remember me? I was one of yer visitors,” a voice from behind growled into their ear. There was a harsh tug of the rope. “This is how ya tried to take the big man out, wasn’t it? A shoddy job, too. I’ll show ya a better one.” 

There was an exchange between the assailant and another, a woman’s voice. Only words they could pick out between the whooshing and popping in their ears were “dead” and “alive.” Probably one after another in the form of a question. Two voices, perhaps. Three? They couldn’t tell. And it won’t matter if they try and find out if they run out of air before then.

Blood spilled into their mouth as they bit into the hand clamped over their mouth, a sickening crunch erupting under the sound of a pained yell. Startled, the man let go of their face, and Miyu took the chance to run. The rope slipped from the man’s grasp as he collided into his partner nearby, and it fell away from their throat as they bolted, though not without a stinging burn across their skin. 

With splotches of black and flashing little lights swimming across their vision, Miyu wasn’t entirely sure where they were running, or if they were even anywhere close to the house. All that they knew was that they couldn’t stop.

It was nothing short of a miracle that when they did stop, they had dizzyingly arrived at the house they had been staying at. They fell to their knees in the lawn as they finally tried to catch their breath.  Miyu held a hand to their throat, staying hunched over as they caught their breath. Their brows gave a pained twitch when they heard a very familiar set of footsteps. A familiar trio, even. Fantastic. Kore rushed to Miyu’s side, sensing their distress.

“What happened?! Are you okay?” She caught sight of their neck and began channeling aether to heal the rope burn. 

Hana, now alert after hearing Kore’s panic, and seeing the state of Miyu’s aether, launched herself off of Tio’s back and rushed over to them, lifting their face in her hands gently. She blinked slowly, trying not to let the images flash through her mind, her friend’s current state is more important than the how of it. 

“H-hey…why are you pulling a Tofu and coming out alone?” she asked, softly indignant. 

She leaned forward and kissed them softly on the forehead, letting a small amount of healing go into it as well. They wouldn’t have wanted her to see what happened, so she pretended she didn’t see anything, though she wondered if the slow blink might give her away after the last time...

Miyu readjusted to sit up straight, coughing to clear up their airways before they could respond.

“Three of them… not far from here. I think,” they got to speaking, though their voice was still hoarse. They looked down the road, squinting as their vision focused on shadowy figures delving further back into the distant void of the night. They gave a frustrated huff, fingers hastily working at untying the binds at their wrists. “Lovely night for a run, huh?”

“Agreed,” Tio said, immediately bolting in the direction Miyu had indicated before anyone could stop him. 

“Hana! Get Miyu inside!” Kore shouted before rushing after Tio. She trusted Hana to listen.

She dashed forward chakrams out, catching up to the reckless miqo’te. She was not about to let him go alone after he expressed his own concerns of doing things alone. Not that he had the intent to go alone, but he’d be damned if he let the bastards get away from them so easily. He could hear Kore close behind him and smirked. He knew he could trust her to catch up.

Touched as Miyu was that their friends were so quick to defend them, they couldn’t help but give a little snort in amusement at how fast Tio and Kore ran off into the dark. They reached over to Hana, taking her hand to give it a squeeze in thanks. 

“For the record… I was not intentionally pulling a Tofu. I thought those snakes were off in the middle of the ocean still,” they gently rebutted with a weak chuckle. 

Miyu followed Hana inside, and froze immediately at the door as another thought came to mind. 

“Speaking of such… let’s wait a bit on telling him, yeah?” they said in a low voice, not yet noticing the man in question sitting across the room. Tofu looked up from a stack of papers he had been working through at the dining table, a look of suspicion on his face.

“Tell me what?”

Miyu gave Tofu a long stare when they registered his voice. Subconsciously, they held a hand to their throat. 

“Tell you what?” they absurdly returned his question, not quite prepared for an alibi. 

Kore threw her chakrams over Tio’s head, catching the closest one square in the back. They zoomed back, narrowly missing Tio as Kore recalled them. Tio barely registered the chakrams as he leapt onto the back of the guy that had just been hit, slamming the man’s face into the ground with force, before launching himself back towards the other two assailants. Kore aimed at the one that Tio didn’t take, throwing with an overhand one after the other.

A portal opened up in the sky above them, a familiar orange haired viera falling through and landing on the woman that Kore had just attacked, the second chakram just narrowly avoiding hitting him as she recalled it back to her. Tofu pulled both knives out of the woman’s back as he straightened, a dangerous look on his face.

Kore huffed, “A little warning before you drop in would have been nice!” 

She threw her chakrams at the last man. Tio saw the chakrams coming and ducked out of the way, finally noting his brother in the fray and smirking. He figured it was only a matter of time. 

Tofu’s eyes locked on to the last man standing, the one Kore had just thrown her chakrams at. There was a disturbing lack of expression on his face as he rushed the man, giving no time for reaction before both knives were buried to the hilt in the man’s stomach.  

Kore caught her chakrams, and eased up her stance. She rushed over to the dying man and grabbed his face, trying to look into his mind for any others in the area before he had the chance to take the information with him. Tofu turned his attention to her.

“Are there more?” he asked, with even less inflection in his tone than normal.

“Not here. But… In Horizon. We should go,” she said through the pain of delving into the fading memories.She let go of the man, letting him slide off Tofu’s knives to the ground and turned to Tio and Tofu. Without a word, Tofu started off towards Horizon, using the small window of time with the two of them being behind him to press a hand to his chest and wince before burying the pain. Teleportation still sucked, confirmed. After a brief moment of surprise at not being told to stay behind, Tio followed along behind him.

[redwhitebreeze]

Since my ffxiv sub is over for now, let us chronicle some of the best moments with the hopescions. Featuring: The ovewhelmingly powerful Humu Humu, the ever stylish Kaitan Jihiren, the stout and chivalrous Bylgrael Blaetbyrtwyn, Miyu Mikazuki (Double Legend, by the way), the always prone to Reaper moments Rinne Bujingai, the glamorous and elegant Noelle Remina and the ever hospitable Sandalphon Wingbearer. Love each and every one of them.

[kanna-doryean]

The Suite Life [L] - FFXIV Housing Walkthrough

Welcome to Audrielle and Miyu's elegant urban suite at 60 Shiro, where the luminescent glow of aquariums greet you upon entry! Tour the chic, minimalist interior at your leisure but be sure to leave the lovely couple a message that you stopped by! Address: Crystal/Zalera/Shirogane W13, P60 Owner: Audrielle Everleigh Designer: Kanna Doryean

[miss-miyu]

Miss Miyu.

[ffxiv-f13ndish]

Calm Before the Storm: Not a Hallway Conversation

Collab. write with @sorrel-haven [ also credit to sorrel-haven for gpose shot ^^]

Characters:

Kore Grimvik [featured] (sorrel-haven)

Lament Sorrel [mentioned] (sorrel-haven)

Tofu Curry [mentioned] (@ro-valerius)

Miyu Murasame

Miyu has had a little too much to drink, and their guilty conscience has brought them to talk to Kore of a conversation they overheard. A talk of shared feelings for another takes a turn after Kore notices a spot of blood on their dress.

Despite having been dragged back to the Flower House from the festival, Miyu wasn’t keen on going straight to bed, as was suggested. At least, they faked it a little before they snuck out again. And when they had returned from their brief escapade, they had begun to wind down — to regain some of their senses from their inebriated, embarrassing state. 

At the very least, they were no longer nonsensical and mischievous. Instead, the thrilling buzz died down to something more reflective… forlorn. It seemed the lack of inhibition not only broke down behavioral walls, but walls within their mind that locked away a certain guilt which they have been trying very hard to avoid.

Miyu planted themself in the hall, seated on the floor right across from Kore’s door. They remained seated there in silence, up until they recognized the footsteps of their friend. Miyu didn’t look up just yet, staring at her shoes while their face remained tucked behind the knees they had folded up against their body. 

“Kore… I really need to talk to you. Theres… there's something I need to tell you,” they murmur, voice slightly muffled from their mouth pressed to their knees. 

Kore almost missed Miyu sitting there, if it wasn’t for them speaking. She had just come in from her late night practice. She crouched next to them and gently moved some hair out of their face.

“What’s wrong my little Rainbow? You sound troubled.” Her voice was soft, so as not to disturb anyone else in the flower house. 

Miyu shrank at the softness in Kore’s voice. They took the hand which brushed away the hair from their face into a gentle hold. Slowly, they looked to meet her gaze with great trepidation. Their mouth held open, lower lip wavering a moment as they gathered themself in the storm of their thoughts to collect what they needed to say.

“I’m… so sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t know. If I did – I don’t – I think…” they stumbled as the words tumbled out, and then it all surged out of them. “You deserve so much. So much better. I’m sorry you had to sit in silence with this for so long, and just watch someone take…”

Miyu took in a breath, and swallowed the lead that built up in their throat. It dropped into their chest like an anvil. 

“Miyu- what are you tal-”

“I heard what you talked about with Lament. In the garden.” 

Kore’s eyes widened. “Oh…” she said, barely audible.

She stood up, still letting Miyu hold her hand. She opened her door and gestured for them to come inside with her free hand. This was not a hallway conversation. Miyu followed Kore into the room, still holding her hand when the door closed behind them. Almost like an apology, they brought the back of her hand to their lips, and followed it up with pressing their forehead to the surface. 

Kore brought them further in the room, sitting on the bed, she pulled them down to sit next to her. She was quiet for a while, not knowing how to start. She did not let Miyu’s hand go, she didn't want them to think she’s angry. She was. But not at them. She sighed in an attempt to let out the tension building in her shoulders.

“So…” she began, “How much did you hear?”

“I got… enough to get an idea of who you were talking about. Who you were…” Miyu trailed off a moment, lowering their gaze and staring down at the interlocked hands as they idly brushed their thumb along the back of Kore’s hand. “... who you were trying to get close to.”

“Ha..” she laughed dryly. “Of course you did.”

Kore was hard to read, for she herself was conflicted. She didn’t want to be having this conversation. She had been resolved to let her feelings die, leave the words unspoken. But clearly that wasn’t going to happen. 

“Look, I am fine. I- I fall in love easily, it’s nothing to worry about really.” She tried to sound nonchalant about it and hoped this would make Miyu drop it. 

The longer they sat together in the room, the more Miyu thought of how they should’ve spent more time thinking before acting without a clear head. They began to think of how this was a knowledge they should’ve just kept hidden away. This impulse to always try and fix things only appeared to do more harm. 

“I wasn’t trying to listen in. I was just… by a window and…” they began to explain, but found that excuses didn’t help here. “I’m sorry.”

Miyu chewed on their lower lip as they thought. 

“You mean so much to me — to everybody, that I’m certain. You have so much courage and compassion and value… the last thing I want to do is hurt a friend like you.” They look up to her now, though their vision was partially obscured from their heavy eyelids as the post-drinking crash began to hit them.

 “If you would be more comfortable with me leaving, I can do that. Or if ya need someone to yell at… can do… you’ve… a right to express your feelings… no shadows,” they continued, words slurring together slightly as their speech slowed. 

Kore sighed and pressed her forehead onto Miyu’s shoulder. She didn’t want Miyu to give up their feelings for her sake… She supposed that Miyu might be feeling the same way. The problem with being friends with a, for lack of a better word, rival. It hurts to lose and it hurts to win.

“Miyu… I don’t want to yell. I want… I want Tofu to be happy. I want to protect him, and be by his side. But it’s okay if you fill that space… He likes you.” She looked back up at Miyu and smiled, though it was a bit of a sad smile.

Miyu clenched their eyes shut to try and quench the burning sensation. Come on, they couldn’t cry every time they had a serious conversation. They managed to keep their eyes dry, though a less than appealing hiccup escaped them. What followed from that was an awful onslaught of occasional hiccups, their shoulders jumping with each one as they leaned into Kore. 

“I… I want the same,” they admitted, their voice barely above a whisper. Maybe the agreement came without saying, but the words left their mouth before they could properly think over what was coming out of them. 

Miyu rubbed their eyes, an exhausted sigh escaping them. When they opened their eyes again, they looked down at the gifted ring on their finger. Their heart gave a little twist.

“I should probably go to bed before I pass out here. Sorry about tonight,” they say, averting their gaze to look at the door. They gave Kore’s hand a squeeze in apology.

“Why are you apologizing?” she held on to Miyu’s hand so they couldn’t easily leave just yet. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. I have been… I…” She looks away.

Was she really getting into this with Miyu? Slightly inebriated Miyu at that? 

She sighed. “I… fell in love with him… Before I even met him. Officially.” 

Miyu — who had just been preparing to stand — went still. Their head gave a little tilt in confusion, only for it to shift into one more downcast. Their gaze lowered once more.

“Echo, huh?” they go on to presume, knowing of Kore’s proficiency with her ability. “I… understand.”  

She didn't look at them and squeezed Miyu’s hand as the tear she’d been holding back rolled down her cheek. 

“I must seem pretty pathetic… Falling in love with a memory?”

Miyu was silent for a moment as they battled their own conflicting emotions. Their eyes lingered on the door.

After a minute of holding their breath, they turn their attention to Kore once more. Miyu raised their free hand, holding it to Kore’s cheek as they leaned in to catch the tear that rolled down her other cheek with a gentle peck. 

“I think you are pretty great,” they murmur, bringing her in for an embrace. 

Kore wrapped her arms around Miyu and buried her face in their shoulder. She wasn’t to the point of full sobs, but she sniffled. She stayed in their embrace for a moment. Miyu held on as long as Kore needed. They really were the best. She slowly pulled away, her eyes downcast, it was then she noticed the spot of blood on Miyu’s dress.

“What is that?” She asked, concern taking over her features.

Miyu tensed again. 

“T-” they began, only to cut themself off as they recalled the nature of Tofu’s ordeal. Unaware that Kore had found out about Tofu’s condition, they were hesitant to say anything.

“Tofu… tripped,” Miyu answered, giving some semblance of the truth. Maybe if they were more sober, they’d realize the ridiculous nature of the excuse. They glanced over to the door again. 

“Wow. Would ya look at the time! I am… exhausted,” the Miqo’te yawned and stood to leave.

Kore grabbed Miyu’s arm and sat them back down. Her concern was clearly written on her face.

“Please Miyu, tell me what happened? Did he “trip” or did he… Was it more than just tripping?” She knew, she hoped they picked up on that.

In their unsteady state, Miyu nearly fell back onto the bed, but they managed to stay upright. They clutched onto the skirt of their dress, tapping their feet anxiously. 

“A bit… more than that,” they reluctantly responded. 

“But he is safe – okay right now, for the most part,” Miyu added on, in a quick breath, “I just don’t know how much he… I… it might be best to ask him.” 

“So it’s getting worse…” she gripped Miyu’s arm tighter. “So he told you about it before?”

Miyu sucked in a sharp breath at the tightening around their arm. By no means was it physically painful, but the action alone set off a deep-rooted panic in the Miqo’te. They shrank back, ears pinning to their head while they turned their face away. They didn’t respond.

“I-” she sighed and let go of Miyu. “I’m sorry. I’m keeping you up.” she turned away from them.

Immediately after Kore let go, they stood and took quick steps to the door. They paused, hand on the handle. 

“Have a good night, Kore. I’m sorry,” Miyu said, a faint waver in their voice. They cleared their throat, then made a hasty exit.

[f13ndish]

pssspspspspspss (rattles treat can)

[scionshtola]

someone /cheer-ed me while i took these

[xenodile]

Better late than never, DRACULA SLAIN

[airehoney]

I got my umbrella! Last big pre-Dawntrail goal complete!

[ro-valerius]

[Virgil and Miyu (mentioned) belong to @ffxiv-f13ndish !]

Tofu had been growing more and more uneasy the more time passed without hearing anything from Miyu.

They had promised to be safe, and he was trying to have faith, but he also couldn’t help the pit in his stomach. He knew how people could take advantage of the trust of others. And frankly, he didn’t trust that woman or her captain in any capacity. He tapped his fingers against his arm in agitation. In any case, he wasn’t getting anywhere by standing around. His best lead was to go to the inn room Ro had offered Miyu. With that, he set off to Gridania with steel in his eyes.

Virgil had visited the inn room on occasion, having been sent out quite a few times to not only keep tabs on his assignment, but also keep them distracted. Going inside, however, was entirely new. The investigator let himself inside with a key he had acquired from Miyu. The Elezen poked around inside, going through some of the Miqo’te’s belongings. In particular, he was looking for a specific stone. After some fruitless searching, Virgil sat on the edge of the bed, eyes affixed on the unlocked door as he waited; after all, the stone wasn't the purpose of this visit.. Given the nature of Miyu’s connections, Virgil expected that someone would come. In the waking moments he had been with them, Miyu had expressed a hope for otherwise. Virgil sat there and waited for as long as necessary, patience not once wavering. Finally, he heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps, followed by the turning of a door handle. Virgil didn’t once stir from his position when the door would come to open, body language comfortable and confident despite the potential danger of what was imminent. “Good evening, little rabbit.”

Tofu approached the door, lamenting the heaviness in his boots; he should have come in his warm weather clothing, those boots tread more softly. But he tried anyway to be as quiet as possible as he paused in front of the door, listening for anything that might suggest that Miyu was actually safely inside and he had nothing to worry about. But it was silent on the other side of the door. He tried the handle, and to his surprise, it turned. He frowned. Miyu would not have been careless enough to leave it unlocked, would they? Carefully, he pushed open the door, really hoping he wasn’t about to invade a sleeping Miyu or something equally as alarming. But when he was met with a poisonous “Good evening, little rabbit” he was on edge immediately. His eyes narrowed at the elezen situated comfortably on the bed.

“Where’s Miyu.” It was not a question, it was a demand.

Virgil’s austere gaze followed Tofu with hawk-like precision, his composure eerily still. “I suppose I should have expected a discourteous greeting, given your upbringing,” he icily remarked, discretely inferring that he had been researching the other in-depth. How much he really knew, however, he didn’t specify. His head tilted to one side in a quick, bird-like manner. “Your companion is alive, thanks to myself intervening on their foolishness. Before you twirl your little blades, will you allow me to elucidate?”

Tofu continued to glare at Virgil, a dangerous glint in his eyes. It wasn’t his knives the man had to worry about, not yet. “Explain quickly, or they won’t stay still long.” The tone was even, but held an unspoken threat.

A fraction of a cocky grin twitched at Virgil’s lips. “Patience, little rabbit,” he said, taking a lengthy pause; whether pausing to think over everything that had occurred, or simply to just toy with Tofu, was for him alone to know. “I presume they had told you they were going to see an informant, yes? Well, they are particularly… ah… what do you call it? Easy, you know?” He remarked, putting vague emphasis on the term. “I am a man of my word, and I take my work very seriously. However, I suppose I’m not exempt from my own morals. I intervened and brought them to my own residence. That is where they were,” he explained, though in the manner of how he finished his explanation, it seemed there was more waiting on his tongue. He motioned to Tofu with a slight nod of his head, as if waiting for a response.

It took everything in Tofu’s willpower not to grab the pompous elezen by the collar. He took in a deep breath, his fingers twitching at his sides. “Lot of words for saying nothing at all. You obviously have more to say, keep it concise.” He hadn’t gotten an actual answer yet, he had noted the past tense in the location.

“Ah… of course. I’ll explain more to the level of your capacity,” he casually remarked. His eyes still trained on Tofu, the perceptive investigator made note of the ominous twitch in the Viera’s fingers. He responded by calmly resting his hand across the cover of his grimoire, talon-like nails tapping lightly against the edge of the opening. “In other words, I saved them. I brought them to my residence. And last I heard from my partner, they left. If you believe me to be lying, I do have further proof of their condition. Shall I show you? Or will any sudden movements send a knife in my direction?”

Tofu really was trying to remain diplomatic in order to get information. But this man made it so tempting to just deck him… 

“You said they left, what direction did they head in?” It was taking everything in him to stand still.

While Tofu had not given him a response to his offer, Virgil gave a response. With his other hand, he reached for his chest pocket, plucking out a withered red carnation. “Last I saw them, when they were conscious, they said it might mean something to you, hm?” He let go, allowing it to limply fall to the ground. “As for the direction they went… that, I suppose, is something I will have to figure out soon as well. It is my job, after all.” He gave a cold smile. “Frankly, Mr. Currybun. I don’t believe they wish for you to see them right now.” He tilted his head in the other direction with the same quick, bird-like movement. “Or perhaps they wish not to see you?”

Tofu had decided that was all of the information he would get out of this man. In one swift motion, he crossed the room, grabbing Virgil by the collar and landing a solid punch to his good eye. He had warned him about using that name, coupled with the many other transgressions Virgil had made in the meantime, it was high time he shut him up.

Perhaps Virgil really had spent too much time talking. While his eyes never once left Tofu, the man moved faster than he expected. The moment Tofu stepped forward, the Summoner began to quickly draw out symbols on the cover of his grimoire with the pad of his finger. But Tofu nailed him right in the eye before Virgil could Summon forth any of the more powerful creatures to his assistance. With the swiftness of the other man’s fist, all that Virgil managed to conjure was a simple Ruin spell aimed at his target before the blow startled the book right out of his lap.

The spell hit Tofu square in the chest, but Tofu was used to worse at this point. Perhaps the man hadn’t gotten a full cast out, but it didn’t matter. Tofu swiped the book and the carnation off the floor and straightened, looking down at him with dangerous eyes. And without a word, he turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him as if to relieve some of the anger that remained. He needed to find Ro, if anyone could help him, she could.