#ffxivwrite prompt 7: speculate

[crossroadsdimension]

FFXIV Write 2024 Day 7

Prompt 7 - Morsel

(FFXIVWrite 2024 Masterpost)

The kitchen in the Rising Stones, unlike the one in Seventh Heaven, rarely saw much use. Between access to the bar and the scholars rarely thinking of making their own meals, they spend more time than not paying the chefs at the bar for a quick meal or two. Or asking F’lhaminn for a quick meal, if she was behind the counter in the Rising Stones.

Which made today a little different and very surprising when the Scions gathered in the main space to find the smells of spiced pork coming from their own kitchens.

“What’s this, now?” Y’shtola sniffed the air, frowning curiously. “Is F’lhaminn experimenting with new recipes?”

“Whatever it is, it smells good!” Yda bounced on her heels.

“Oh, this is hardly my doing.”

The Scions turned at the voice, and caught sight of the white-haired miqo’te woman sitting at one of the tables, drinking tea.

Yda turned her head back and forth between the kitchen and F’lhaminn. “If…not you, then who—”

“Cross asked for time to make a few things,” F’lhaminn explained. A small smile settled on her face. “It seems she missed a taste of home and wished to put her culinary skills to the test.”

“I wasn’t aware that she was capable of the culinary arts,” Thancred remarked. “What brought this on?”

“You can thank my mother!” A red-haired miqo’te head poked out from the kitchens, blue eyes bright. “She wanted me to have some skills to care for myself.”

Cross vanished back into the kitchen, leaving the Scions to exchange looks.

“It does make sense that an adventurer should be self-sufficient,” Papalymo remarked. “It should not be that surprising.” He turned and walked towards one of the tables and sat down. “Whether or not she intends to share is another matter entirely.”

“She does,” F’lhaminn replied. “She is currently making a feast of a meal.”

“A feast?” Yda licked her lips. “That sounds delicious!”

“What did we do to deserve this kind of attention?” Thancred asked. He walked up to the bar counter that F’lhaminn often worked behind — and the door behind it that led into the kitchens. “I have to wonder what drove you to do this.”

“Nothing drove me.” Cross poked her head out of the kitchen again. “Nothing except a desire for something delicious from home, I suppose. It’s been some time since I’ve eaten this in particular.”

“I can understand that,” Yda said, nodding. “I like eating foods that remind me of home, too. But…” She frowned, tilting her head. “You’re not that far from home, are you?”

“No, but…well, I’m not inclined to make frequent trips home right now.” Cross ducked back into the kitchen.

“Oh?” Yda tilted her head, frowning.

Papalymo sighed and shook his head. “Best not continue that conversation, I assume.”

“Why not?” Yda turned to look at the lalafell.

“I would assume her relationship with those she grew up around is not entirely friendly,” Y’shtola remarked. “Or, at the very least, that she did not leave with all of their blessings.”

“If Cross wants to speak on it, she will speak on it,” Thancred said firmly. “Speculation will not get us anywhere otherwise.”

The other Scions looked at Thancred with surprised, confused, and curious expressions.

“You know something.” Y’shtola didn’t word it as a question. “When did you come across this knowledge?”

“He found me writing letters home.” Cross stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a tray laden with two smoking rows of ribs. She stepped around the counter and towards the table F’lhaminn was sitting at. “My relationship with my mother is shaky at best, for the moment. As events in Eorzea settle, I hope that her fears will settle with them. But that is only if the primals will calm down, which I doubt they will in the near future.”

The remark didn’t receive sympathetic winces so much as sympathetic nods. It seemed the Scions did not have the exact same experience with parental figures that Cross did.

“In that case, let us hope her worries are eased in the coming days,” Y’shtola said lightly. “For I have not heard of any summonings in recent days.”

“Nor I,” Papalymo agreed. He leaned forward and sniffed in the direction of the tray. “Now, what is it that you have prepared?”

“Nothing special,” Cross replied. Her voice carried relief — whether it was the confirmation that the primals would not be present in the near future, or the change in subject, no one asked. “It’s a recipe I found in my mother’s stores, but it wasn’t in her handwriting. I do recall it being a favorite of mine. I think Dad used to make them — the pig ribs are meant to marinate in spices for several hours, then be grilled. I did my best, but it’s not like Revenant’s Toll has an outdoor grill for me to use.”

“Well, they smell quite delightful. How do we…?”

Cross picked up the knife on the tray, cut off a rib, and held one end in each hand. She grinned and took a bite of the meat, peeling a long strip off the bone. “Mm! Oh, that’s good. I think I got it right.”

“Oh.” Papalymo blinked, surprised.

“Oooh! Don’t mind if I do!” Yda reached forward and cut a rib free. “It’s not every day we get proper finger food around here!”

“Proper?!” Papalymo reared back. “I beg your pardon — that is going to cause such a mess!”

“All the more reason to lick your fingers!” Yda replied cheerily. She took a bite, tearing the meat off the bone in the same way Cross had. “Mm! Thish ish good!”

Thancred chuckled and shook his head while Cross put down a clean bone and reached for the knife again. “I wonder how well a meal such as this would do in the Bismarck.”

“I doubt they would let it into their kitchens,” Y’shtola replied wryly. “The Drowning Wench, perhaps.”

“Well, regardless, it certainly smells delicious.”

Cross cut the rest of the ribs free of each other and set the knife aside before picking up a second. “Thank you. I feel as though I’ve found a little more of home.”

F’lhaminn smiled, although something about the motion didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It is always important to find a piece to carry with you. I’m certain your father would love to see you making this recipe wherever you traveled.”

Cross finished pulling a bite of meet off the bone and nodded. “Mm.” She chewed and swallowed. “Y-yeah. I bet he would.”

[crystalbahamut]

ever onwards

FFXIV Write Day 12 – Make-up for Day 07 Speculate

Summary: G’raha Tia likes to gather facts first, but sometimes he still is surprised by the outcome.

Author’s note: I try to write ambiguous WoL but I always forget to take height into account. Deepest apologies to my lala friends; everyone else is more easily fudged. Also please forgive any mistakes; I wrote the whole thing in third person and found I just…really didn’t like it. I know second person isn’t for everyone, especially when used while shadowing another character’s perspective, but I just liked it better. And this is as edited as it is going to get.

Warnings: G’raha Tia/WoL, Shadowbringers spoilers, Crystal Tower questline, mostly unspecified/ambiguous WoL, romantic sap, fluff, 2nd person

Words: 2,692

 ---

G’raha Tia knew this expedition to explore the Crystal Tower would be the opportunity of a lifetime, but he had no way to know just how much it would change his life. The ruins, the relics, even the enemies left to guard the tower do more to serve his research than any tome he has ever found. It’s fantastic and more than he had ever dreamed it would be.

And part of what makes it all so much more is the presence of the Warrior of Light. It is thanks to you he can even access the tower, but more than that you are one of the few friends he has been able to make in his life. And…well, at first G’raha couldn’t help but start flirting. You are so much more wonderful and human than any story has ever made you out to be, and he can’t imagine anyone spending time in your presence and not becoming irrevocably in love with you. He had resolved to stop immediately should you make your discomfort known, but then…

Then you had started flirting back. And now G’raha doesn’t know what to do. Now that he has thought about it (a bit obsessively, perhaps,) he cannot help but marvel at his own foolish bravery to even try, and he wonders how in the world the Warrior of Light does not yet have a suitor. You have nearly all of Eorzea singing your praises, have even wrested the respect of your enemies, and hobnob with some of the most prestigious personages in the world. So how can it be you will not only laugh at G’raha’s jokes, but sometimes smile so abashedly when he himself praises you?

It is entirely possible you have no one special in your life– and given your favorable response to G’raha’s affections, it is not outside the realm of possibility that you might be interested in him as he is in you. While it may seem too good to be true, G’raha won’t relinquish such an opportunity if there is one…and the wondering thereof is starting to affect his work. If he is ever going to focus on anything other than your love life ever again, he must needs find out for certain.

So he shall end his speculation by collecting data. And today is perfect– everyone on site has the day off and you have told him you intend to spend the day not doing any work. ‘Tis a veritable miracle if he ever heard of one– even Cid had looked shocked. And so when you set off…G’raha sets off after you.

G’raha is not a bad hunter, and so he puts that expertise to use as he follows you around. You hadn't noticed him in the Shroud that first time and his tracking skills remain a point of pride now as he follows you to and around Gridania. You do some shopping– and he can’t help but stifle laughter as you get roped into helping out a stressed merchant, a distressed mother, and a pained courier, in that order.

But you do take the time to buy some things– some supplies for crafting you had mentioned wanting, a snack that makes G’raha’s stomach grumble in jealousy– and then you just walk slowly and take in the city, trading hellos with some few that feel comfortable enough to greet you. But through it all you remain alone, and when you pause to sit on a bench G’raha would say you actually look a bit…lonely.

‘Tis food for thought, for certain. Do you have a paramour who simply couldn’t spare the time today? But you are attuned to nearly every aetheryte in the realm; surely if you wanted to spend time with a beloved it would be no hard feat to manage? In fact, surely anyone lucky enough to have you would travel the world to be with you wherever you want them?

You dust yourself off and leave out of the east gate into the Shroud proper, and G’raha follows from a safe distance. You walk leisurely and G’raha can admit to himself the forest is nice, with the faint sounds of birds and a gentle breeze blowing leaves to and fro. He wonders what it would be like, to walk at your side…perhaps hand in hand…perhaps with his tail curling up your forearm…

There are a couple of times you seem to know you’re being followed and you turn to glance in his direction, but even while daydreaming utter nonsense G’raha is ready for such an event and makes certain you see naught but nature itself. Whether or not you feel a presence, you don’t seem terribly bothered, and he follows you all the way down to the South Shroud.

You cleave a little close to Toto-Rak for comfort, but it is a slight shortcut and nothing comes out to bother you before you’re back on the path to Quarrymill. You stop to talk to someone in the small hamlet and G’raha errs on the side of staying out of the way, so he cannot hear what is said, but he can clearly see when you leave out the other gate, which only leads to…

Urth’s Gift. So much for not working today. G’raha cannot help the way his tail twitches in annoyance as he follows behind you. You’re supposed to be resting and Urth’s Gift is dangerous. Yes, you are clearly capable and he has seen you in action in that very area before, but he can’t help but worry at how relaxed you seem about the whole business. Thankfully he had the foresight to bring his bow, and he follows a little more closely, until he gets the benefits of trees and rock faces to clamber and climb for better sight lines.

He doesn’t realize his mistake until you reach the edge of the water, stop, and fold your arms across your chest.

“Don’t worry; I’m not going to make you race me to Ixali territory,” you say with a raised voice and tilt your head to glance back in his direction. “I just fought Garuda again and I’m not keen to incite another summoning so soon.”

He drops down from his branch and assumes his face must be as red as his hair. “How long have you known?”

“I caught a glimpse of you in Gridania and couldn’t help myself,” you say and walk up to him with a friendly smile. “You know, if you wanted to come with me you could have just accepted the offer when I made it.”

“I ah…didn’t want to impose,” he says weakly and puts his bow on his back again. He would be content to run back to Mor Dhona with his tail between his legs right now, but you reach out and grab his hand and he has not the strength to deny your touch. Sweet Azeyma, how deep is he in already?

“If I invite you it’s not imposing,” you say. “I like your company G’raha.”

He looks at you. “Truly?” It comes out so desperate he coughs into his hand and tries to cover it up. “I simply thought– perhaps your time would be better spent with someone you like more than any other.”

“And who do you think that might that be?” you ask him.

“I…don’t know,” he says. Gods; how rude would it be to rip back his hand and run away? And yet this is too much like the tepid fantasies he had just indulged in. Granted the wild hogs and darker shade aren’t quite as lightly atmospheric as just outside the city, but he is still holding your hand in the forest. It must count. “I simply assumed you…must have someone.”

You step forward and you are so close G’raha’s very breath stutters. “No one has ever said anything to me,” you say and you lick your lips and now he’s staring at your lips by the Twelve why. “But I do have someone I like more than any other. And I suspect he likes me too, though I cannot be certain.”

G’raha’s heart sinks. “Oh,” he says and bites back a sigh. “Well if- if it makes you feel any better, there is no one that could receive your affections and not return them. And if this person does not then they are a fool.”

He cannot help how emphatic he becomes, but the idea that you could fall for someone and that person would squander such a precious–

You put your hands on either side of his face and lean in to kiss him. He can do naught but stare, wide-eyed for several seconds, though thankfully the kiss is chaste enough that his delayed clumsy movements can count for a returned gesture before you pull back, an enigmatic smile upon your lips before you ask him, “Are you a fool, G’raha Tia?”

He puts his hands over yours and, again, it takes his brain several long seconds to comprehend what just happened. “I…” He licks his lips. He wants to taste you, feel you, in ways he could have only imagined before. A world, a future is opening up before him, and he wants to see where it leads. “I may be a fool, but not such a deplorable one.”

You roll your eyes but there’s a faint embarrassed smile trying to hide in your face. “It’s not deplorable to not want me, G’raha.”

“We must agree to disagree.” Something snaps and he whips his head around, but there is nothing to be seen, no hogs in the wind, and he relaxes with a sigh. He winks at you. “I must say though, your choice of locale for such a stirring confession is a bit…odd.”

You chuckle and put your hands on his shoulders. “We first met here, so technically it’s where we first started our working relationship,” you say. “I thought it would be nice symmetry if we started our new relationship here too.”

He finds the suggestion…strangely appealing. Perhaps he is odd too, then. To be as odd as his Warrior of Light– well, there are much worst things in the world to be. He puts his hands on your sides and walks forward, guiding you along, until your back meets a rocky wall and he pushes in for a deeper kiss to sate his newfound hunger. Or perhaps it is a thirst he knows he will never quench. It matters not– you are more precious than water in an oasis, and he intends to savor every drop.

---

Decades later and a world away…

G’raha doesn’t know what he’s in for with your invitation to meet him out by the main gate, but he goes with a sense of curiosity and naught else. The night is cool, with a light breeze that blows pleasantly against his face as he walks. He nods in response to those that greet him as he passes by, but, curiously, there is no one present when he arrives outside the Crystarium– no one but you, and you walk up to him with a smile that reaches his heart. It’s embarrassing how quickly you can reduce him to an adolescent miqo’te with his first crush.

He clears his throat and tries to focus on something else. “Where is the guard?”

“Shift change.” You pull him close by his robes. “We have one minute and thirty-seven seconds at most.”

“To do what?” G’raha asks, laughing.

You answer him with a kiss. A deep kiss, dizzying, more than welcome, and G’raha returns it with all the hunger he has felt for far too long, tasting, touching, feeling you in a way that is so intensely personal and warm and wonderful and familiar in a way that makes him realize how much he has ached without your touch. It is, alas, too short, but you both pant in the wake of it.

“Oh…” G’raha gently touches your cheek and his soul sings as you lean into his hand. He licks his lips. He wants more, but the way you shift your eyes towards the gate makes him conscientious of the privacy you’ll soon lack. “I wasn’t sure if…”

“I’m sorry it took so long to arrange,” you say and take his hand to start leading him up the path back to the city. He will follow you wherever, if only you keep your hand in his to guide him. “I knew you probably didn’t want to do that in front of the guards, so I had to watch them to see when we would have a chance.”

But why do it out in the open at all? Why that road? G’raha doesn’t want to ask a question he should perhaps already know the answer to, but curiosity burns at him until he stops and grips your hand to keep you from slipping away. You turn back to look at him and he clears his throat nervously. “Pray forgive me but…why that particular spot?”

Thankfully you don’t seem offended by his question. Instead you grow a wide smile– nay, a full grin. “Do you remember…it’s been a long time, but do you remember the first time we ever kissed?”

“In the Shroud?” he asks. As though he could have ever forgotten; it was only ninety percent of the daydreams he’d had to soothe his mind and soul when the weight of his duty had nearly gotten to be too much. How you tasted, how you felt, how he had felt towards you– it had never failed to stir his heart and renew his commitment to his course to save you at any cost.

“You had followed me around all morning so I led you back to the Shroud, back to where we first met.” You step closer to him and his arms slide around you in automatic response. “At the time I wasn’t completely sure if you liked me like that, but I took a chance and it seemed appropriate to have our first kiss where we first met.”

Slowly, G’raha starts to understand. “Where we first…met. I see.” He cannot help his smile even though it feels so wide as to be ridiculous, and he pulls his hood over his eyes to try and hide how red his face must be for how warm it feels. But he covers the act with, “Perhaps this would have been more appropriate then?”

You laugh and G’raha thinks it shouldn’t be possible to be this happy, after so many decades of pain and fear and loss and longing, but he surges forward to kiss you again and you return the act in full.

“Mm, well,” you drawl sarcastically and gently run your thumb over his bottom lip. “I admit I did spend many a night wondering why on earth I couldn’t stop fantasizing about the Crystal Exarch’s mouth.”

“Oh?” His lips curl of their own accord as he thinks about it– because you would have a crisis about wanting to kiss a man you thought you didn’t know. The idea of you lusting after him though serves to boost his confidence and he pulls you to his body suddenly, tightly. “And what about G’raha Tia’s mouth?”

Your eyes soften. “Ridiculous man,” you say and kiss him again. “You still are, have always been, my G’raha, even when I didn’t know it. But I do now, and if you’ll have me I promise I love you just as much as I did then.”

“I’m not the same as I was,” G’raha says but leans in to nuzzle you.

“Neither am I. So…” You gesture at the gate. “Here’s to new beginnings?”

G’raha smiles. Perhaps he does not deserve to be so happy when his plans went so awry and only worked out due to your sheer stubbornness, but he has never thought himself so austere as to deny himself what he wants when it seems to want him just as much. So he leans in, takes your lips in his, and kisses you tenderly, savoring every second he can, before he pulls back just slightly and whispers, “To new beginnings.”

[fair-fae]

FFxivWrite Entry #7: Speculate

FFxivWrite 2021 Prompt #7: Speculate Waiting. Watching. Listening. The things that were worth knowing were rarely spelled out plainly. Instead it was a matter of piecing together the clues. Reading between the lines. Turning the questions into answers. Sometimes it was just guesswork, of course, but she trusted the wisdom and instincts she’d honed. Speculation often led to discovery. 

But how many would speculate about her?

[house-vexile]

FFXIV Write 2021 Prompt #7 - Speculate

“The other ones talk more. At least the white-scaled ones do. This one’s touched, ain’t she?”

Khai listened in stoic silence to the merchant's chatter as she waited to be paid for the hunt she’d completed. Why she couldn’t just take the meat and pelts directly to the food stalls to trade was still beyond her, but not all worked the same as it did in the Steppes. Much to her frustration.

“Careful,” the merchant’s neighbor whispered, “she’s got a few words in her head that aren’t the foreign type. Might understand you one of these days.” 

The insult in the men’s banter wasn’t enough to warrant a response from the crimson Xaela. Not as though she felt particularly venomous. It was talk - it took far more to harm her. Instead, she focused her attention on a more interesting repetition down the street as one of the youth scampered about. Her eyes caught small hands grabbing bits from the bins here and there, watched as small pockets nearly burst at the seams with the stolen snacks and baubles.

“Oi. Your gil, girlie.” The sharp jostle of coins in a pouch grated her horns, making Khai grimace. Reaching out, the Tumet wrapped her hand around the pouch and clenched tightly to cease the jingling sound and snatch the offering from the gruff merchant. Without so much as a thanks, she moved on to one of the food stalls that had been victimized by the small thief.

“You’re welcome,” the merchant called out after her, which she ignored. Khai was already pointing to some spices and herbs at the next stall down, her dark eyes reading the opinion of the next merchant she’d have to tolerate. Maybe if this one stayed quiet, they’d learn what she knew about some mysteriously disappearing goods.

As it stood, her former business partner could cry out in consequence later.

[phoebe-of-ivalice]

FFXIV Write Prompt #7

>

Speculate: form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence.

The Hunted Series: part one. this whole week I’ll be using the word prompts to create a series of linked short stories. Please look forward to it!

Her contact had been missing for three days now. Phoebe had been at the usual table at the Drowning Wench for hours, with little to show for it. She ordered one last drink before she'd have to call it and head back to the inn. How many more days would she wait before making her move on her target? She pressed her lips together tightly, tipping her ale glass towards her to eyeball the contents. The waitress I'tolwann noticed her motion and came forward to ask if she wanted anything else.

"Yes, I'll take a weak ale please," Phoebe asked her sternly.

"Are you certain?" I'tolwann asked her warily. The girl seemed to sense there was something wrong. Her eyes shifted about nervously.

"I'm sorry but we are all out of weak ale tonight, you'll have to come back another time," the waitress turned on her heel before Phoebe could ask her for a real drink instead of information. She grumbled as she finished what was left in her cup. What the hell was going on here?

Phoebe's eyes roved across the other patrons in the bar. The waitress wouldn't have been acting strangely if she didn't suspect someone in this very room. Anyone there could be a suspect. The Drowning Wench was a home away from home to many an adventurer and pirate. Most of the people there were drinking and laughing, wholly expected in a bar setting. There was one figure that caught her attention, seated near another party of pirates at the bar. They had a drink in front of them but knew if they had even touched it. Who came to a bar but didn't drink what they ordered... unless?

Her ears twitched as she watched the figure from the other side of the room. Something wasn't right here, but she'd need to test her theory and see if it held any water. She got up, slapping down a handful of gil on the table and scrapping her chair across the floor to make obvious noises that she was leaving. She waved at I'tolwann as he opened the door and stepped out into the foggy night.

She wouldn't get far before she heard the door shut again. One ear swiveled, listening intently as she walked away. The footsteps seemed to be going in a different direction. She circled to the nearby stairwell that leads to the lower decks. If anything happened, it would be helpful to be near the Rogue's guild. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she heard the distinct thudding of heavy boots behind her. She increased her pace, the person behind her did as well. She rounded the corner and broke into a full run.

Her pursuer wasn’t far behind. She sprinted down to the fisherman’s wharf, ducking behind a pile of shipping crates. Phoebe drew her daggers and waited for the shadowy figure to get closer. She sprang out from behind the crates, knocking the hooded person to the ground. The hood fell back to reveal a midlander man she didn’t recognize. The man drew a sword, immediately jumping in to attack her. His swing was too wide, and Phoebe dodged the blow easily. She parried his next blow between her daggers, kicking him in the chest to push him away. The man stumbled at the edge of the dock, sword plunging into the waters below. Grabbing him by his collar, she pointed her dagger into the skin below his eye.

“Who are you, why are you following me?” She pressed the tip of the blade into the skin, blood trickling down his cheek. He spit at her, grinning widely for her to see he was missing most of his teeth.

“Don’t matter who I am. What matters is he knows who you are, Nightingale. The Hunter has made you his prey,” the man laughed hoarsely in her face.

Phoebe heard the hidden knife drawn from his boot, and before he could strike she had slit his throat. The corpse plunged into the water below, crimson blossoming on the surface. She grimaced as she turned away. Who was this Hunter he spoke of?

A fog had rolled in across the bay, leaving her feeling unsettled. Footsteps marched in from the docks, most likely Maelstrom guards in duty. If they found her here with a body, she’d be arrested. She needed to make herself scarce, and there was only one place nearby that could help her now. The Rogue’s Guild.

part 2>

[aethernoise]

ffxivwrite 2021 compilation

1. foster / 2. aberrant / 3. scale / 4. baleful / 5. perihelion / 6. avatar / 7. speculate / 8. adroit (nsfw) / 9. friable / 10. heady  

12. proposition / 13. oneirophrenia / 14. commend (nsfw-ish) / 15. thunderous 

19. transpose / 20. petrichor / 21. feckless / 22. fluster / 23. soul 

25. silver lining / 27. benthos / 29. debonair

22/31 ain’t bad at all I don’t think. Numbers-wise my lowest performance, but I wrote some things I really like and some things I really wanted to write for a while. I also got started on some ideas I may return to (“adroit” and “heady” come to mind).

I bolded my favorites if you’re curious or looking for places to begin. 

Thank you as always @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast​ for running the show-- loved the prompts this year! And thanks for everyone for participating and encouraging each other, it’s really fun to see. 

[thecat-inthehat]

Phew! Another year done! A huge, huge thank you to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast​ for hosting yet another year, and for five years of this~ This is my second year participating, and I’m surprised I managed to get as much done as I did, with how hectic this past few months have been for me. I’ll eventually put these up on my Ao3, but for now I wish to melt into a puddle.

SOMEONE tell me not to try and do individual banners for each prompt next year. Phew. I might do a roundup of the ones I really like later though!

Stats! Total word count: Officially submitted 37,978; My doc says 38,708; and bc of deleting a few paragraphs of false starts, my total count is probably around 39,500 of actual writing Total prompts completed: 29, some were make-up days Shortest prompt: 29. Debonair (399), 13. Oneirophrenia (401) Longest prompt: 11. Preaching to the Choir (3400) Average prompt length: ~1310 words

Things that surprised me: -Again, how much I wrote. More than last year, by about 8k! -Shining Comet seemed to take center stage for a lot of TDP writing, probably because I know I’m going to be taking her through EW first -I wrote a Magnus Archives crossover, and it wasn’t for Shining’s whole doppelgänger deal? What??? -I wrote more gen fic than anything, and ended up writing mostly for my various AUs, instead of just fic without my characters.

Personal Favorites

6. Avatar -  “Oh, Ala Mhigo’s haunted haunted” combined with some very long conversations with my friend over which SB antagonists would be affiliated with which Dread Power 11. Preaching to the Choir - How many Drakenier and Star Wars references can I stuff into this before it’s not XIV fanfic anymore? How much free real estate can I call for the pre-sundered world before it’s just my own original story? All that and more for the low, low price of fantastic imagery and some ideas about what kind of threats Azem had to face on the regular. 15. Thunderous - An attempt to better pin down Helisent’s unique powers, as well as some bedrock for her and Lyse’s relationship. I also just. Like it a lot. 23. Soul - this started off as “Oh yeah I need to say that Cylva is Nive’s reflection” and then it turned into FEELINGS and I came out with a new ship and some really good prose 24. Illustrious - What the fuck is the Echo. Let’s explore that and how it can manifest.

[About Me] [FFXIVWrite 2021 Masterpost] [AU masterpost]

The Daedalus Project

14. Commend (pre 2.0) | 25. Silver Lining (unposted, pre 2.0) | 16. Crane (2.x) | 1. Foster (3.x) | 15. Thunderous (4.0) | 27. Benthos (4.0) | 9. Firable (4.0) | 17. Destruct (4.4) | 23. Soul (pre 5.0) | 20. Petrichor (5.0) | 22. Fluster (5.0)  | 30. Abstracted (post 5.0) | 2. Aberrant (5.4) | 5. Horror (5.4) |

The Daedalus Project: Anacrusis (pre-sundering era)

11. Preaching to the Choir | 12. Culpability | 18. Devil’s Advocate | 28. Bow

Growing Wings

4. Baleful

Featherpoint Repose (Either pre 2.0, or early 2.0)

8. Adroit | 10. Heady | 21. Feckless | 24. Illustrious | 29. Debonair | 31. Budding

Ardbert and the Warriors of Darkness

7. Speculate | 13. Oneirophrenia

Magnai Oronir Propagada

3. Scale

The Magnus Archives crossover

6. Avatar

[ffxiv-angora]

FFXIVWrite Info || My Characters || Daily Prompts

Week 1 -

1. Foster - Wyra'to

2. Aberrant - Wyra'to

3. Scale - Angora (with mentions of Shria)

4. Baleful - Angora

5. Adamantine (Free day) - Wyra'to

6. Avatar - Altani

7. Speculate - Shria + Angora

Week 2 -

8. Adroit - Altani

9. Friable - Angora

10. Heady - Shria

11. Preaching to the Choir - Angora + Wyra'to

12. Free/Makeup Day - Used to submit #9

13. Oneirophrenia - Shria

14. Commend - Idk man lol

Week 3 -

15. Thunderous - Angora

16. Crane - Wyra'to

17. Destruct - Shria

18. Devil's Advocate - Altani

19. Temptation (Free day) - Wyra'to

20. Petrichor - Shria

21. Feckless - skipped for now since I was sick RIP

Week 4 -

22. Fluster - Angora

23. Soul - Angora

24. Illustrious - Wyra'to + Angora

25. Silver Lining - Shria

26. Perfection (Free day) - Angora

27. Benthos - Altani

28. Bow - Shria

Week 5 -

29. Debonair - Shria

30. Abstracted - Angora

31. Yearning (Bonus free day!) - Shria + Angora

[gvnbreaker]

FFXIVWRITE 2021 MASTER POST

                     ABOUT FFXIVWRITE  •  PROMPT LIST  •  2019 ENTRIES

1. FOSTER 2. ABERRANT 3. SCALE 4. BALEFUL 6. AVATAR 7. SPECULATE 8. ADROIT 9. FRIABLE 10. HEADY 11. PREACHING TO THE CHOIR 13. ONEIROPHRENIA

[valdiis]

FFxivWrite2021 Master Post

So I’ve never really done a master post of my entries before. Never much saw the need. Figured I’d try it this time and see if it helps me collect my thoughts better. This is the fourth year I’ve participated, and I’ve been playing FFXIV nearly as long (I wrote my first FFxivWrite entry about two weeks after I began to play). I struggled this year with inspiration and I’m only really proud of a few pieces (I’ll star those). Writing has gotten a lot harder for me this last year. RP hasn’t, but freeform writing is really tough. I did like how the words chosen this year were a little easier and more relatable than prior years. I could work with these. Mostly. Looking at you, benthos. As I expected when I started, I wrote a lot about Daephrin this time around since I’ve been RPing him the most lately.

Prompt #1: Foster - Daephrin Astramente - In which Daephrin and his mecha-kitty search Allagan ruins.

Prompt #2: Aberrant - Aeluan Hoshinata - Aeluan muses about his beloved’s dysphoria. * Prompt #3: Scale - Daephrin Astramente - Airship! * Prompt #4: Baleful - Aeluan Hoshinata - In which Aeluan meets a thief. * Prompt #5: Extra Credit / Hair - Daephrin Astramente - A detailed examination of hair. Prompt #6: Avatar - Lhys Onhde - Lhys argues with her escort. Prompt #7: Speculate - Daephrin Astramente - What does this part do? Prompt #8: Adroit - Daephrin Astramente - Mmm, guns. Prompt #9: Friable - Vy’thanis Lusignon - It’s all an innuendo. Prompt #10: Heady - Mathaes Silverton - Daydreaming about his boyfriend. Prompt #11: Preaching to the Choir - Daephrin Astramente & Aeluan Hoshinata - A brief discussion of a phrase. * Prompt #12: Extra Credit / Barrister - Daephrin Astramente - A sunny day and goofing off. * Prompt #13: Oneirophrenia - Aeluan Hoshinata - Haunted by nightmares. Prompt #14: Commend - Daephrin Astramente - Watch where you’re going, Dae! Prompt #15: Thunderous - Daephrin Astramente - Boom. Prompt #16: Crane - Zheyn’a Lihuel - In which Zheyn’a plays a song. Prompt #17: Destruct - Daephrin Astramente - Content warning: mentions of self-harm, suicide. Prompt #18: Devil’s Advocate - Daephrin Astramente - A rejection of feelings. Prompt #19: Extra Credit / Rifle - Iovar Reynard - Rifling through ruins. * Prompt #20: Petrichor - Aeluan Hoshinata - A poem... Prompt #21: Feckless - Daephrin Astramente - A misspent youth. Prompt #22: Fluster - Daephrin Astramente - A very brief dialogue. Prompt #23: Soul - Daephrin Astramente - The soul of an airship. Prompt #24: Illustrious - Lhys Onhde - Lhys argues with her mentor. Prompt #25: Silver Lining - Daephrin Astramente - Daydreaming about his boyfriends. Prompt #26: Extra Credit / Limerick - Mathaes Silverton - A very bad limerick. Prompt #27: Benthos - Daephrin Astramente - In which I nearly responded with just a picture. Prompt #28: Bow - Aeluan Hoshinata - This one is suggestive. * Prompt #29: Debonair - Daephrin Astramente - A lady lounges in his room. Prompt #30: Abstracted - Aeluan Hoshinata - Daydreaming about proposing to his boyfriend, and why he’s too scared to.

[thevoilinauttheory]

FFXIVWRITE2021 RECAP MASTERLIST

[ It’s been a month you guys! Wow, I was actually scared for a moment that I couldn’t be able to keep up - and I know the quality of my work started to hit the fan towards the end due to some medical complications. But looking back on the past FFXIVWrite challenges, I want to say that I’ve definitely improved! It was so fun to get to know your characters a little more, and even get to know new ones along the way too!! Don’t mind me as I reblog literally everyone’s recaps as I come across them so that I may immerse myself in the prompts I missed! ]

[ Each title of the prompts are named after songs (with said songs linked in each prompt), because I love associating music with my writing! Also I’m really bad at titles lol. Even if the prompt may not be for you, I highly recommend each song I’ve posted! It was really cool to see a lot of you jumping on the music bandwagon as well, because I love hearing what y’all like and what you associate with each piece or character! ]

[ Little notes! Characters listed will be my characters only, if there are NPCs or other characters, they won’t be listed here (unless the character belongs to another person). Content warnings are at the top of each prompt, please read them before reading the prompt, so that you don’t walk into anything you might not want to read. ]

==

Prompt #1 - Foster: First Day of My Life Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #2 - Aberrant: Fire Characters: Ashley Tucker

Prompt #3 - Scale: Our Own House Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #4 - Baleful: Long Way Down Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #5 - Extra Credit: Laughter Lines Characters: Ashley Tucker

Prompt #6 - Avatar: A Sky Full of Stars Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #7 - Speculate: Kill Your Heroes Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut (cameo: Lothaire Voilinaut)

Prompt #8 - Adroit: survivin’ Characters: Ashley Tucker

Prompt #9 - Friable: Magnum Bullets Characters: Kokhjin Qalli

Prompt #10 - Heady: Choke Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #11 - Preaching to the Choir: My Fault Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #12 - Extra Credit: Mercy Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #13 - Oneirophrenia: High Characters: Ashley Tucker

Prompt #14 - Commend: Good Grief Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #15 - Thunderous: My Body Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #16 - Crane: Black Water Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #17 - Destruct: Deconstruct Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #18 - Devil’s Advocate: Carried Away Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Mayve McRae

Prompt #19 - Extra Credit: Paper Heart Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #20 - Petrichor: Dirty Paws Characters: Liliah’to Zhwan

Prompt #21 - Feckless: Punching in a Dream Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #22 - Fluster: After School Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #23 - Soul: Soul Meets Body Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Lothaire Voilinaut

Prompt #24 - Illustrious: Winter Sound Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #25 - Silver Lining: The One Moment Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #26 - Extra Credit: The World at Large Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut (cameo: unnamed business partner)

Prompt #27 - Benthos: Electric Love Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

Prompt #28 - Bow: Holding On Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut

Prompt #29 - Debonair: The Funeral Characters: Cedrenaux Voilinaut

Prompt #30 - Abstracted: Northern Lights Characters: Maximiloix Voilinaut, Caromont Allard

==

[ Here are links to the tags for the previous years prompts! ]

2020 2019 2017

[endangered-liaison]

ffxivwrite 2021 Prompt #7: Speculate

"DeMeer! Sniper perch up on one of the legs. I'll take another. Work with the fireteams they got up there already; don't be an asshole, yeah?"

Specula Imperatoris is...hectic. Max hasn't been anywhere with this many troops stationed since the Wall fell. But the Wall had felt like safety. Like a secure, boring station. This is...the opposite. This is chaos and tension and waiting for the axe to fall.

Everyone here knows the Eorzeans are going to hit this place next. Everyone knows the choices are hold it or die.

Max ain't dying yet.

DeMeer gives a dramatic shrug, as if to say he's never an asshole, and she flips him off.

"What d'y'say?" she needles, and he rolls his eyes before throwing her the worst excuse for an Imperial salute she's ever seen in her life.

"Yes sir, Decurion sir!" The grin on his face is annoying, and Max finds herself snorting despite herself.

She takes a dramatic bow. "That's more fuckin' like it. Get gone."

He gets gone, slipping into the elevators into the Specula proper. He'll find a perch and get situated. She just hopes his aim is getting better.

Fuck, she misses Castellus.

There's a loud clang! as some of the huddled infantry try to move a barricade into a better position. It rams against the rock next to it, harder, and the noise sends tension through Max's teeth. "That's a tank trap, y'fuckin' idiots!" Max calls out, voice already hoarse. She powers through. "Eorzeans ain't got no fuckin' tanks, so if y'wanna cower behind it, get some Solus-damned sandbags set up!"

Fucking idiots. They're going to be the death of her. Not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but at some point, some oen with a gun and caffeine jitters is going to blow her head off. She can see it in her mind's eye, clear as day.

Honestly, she just hopes it won't be a jen.

"Taka, Ness!" Max ignores the rest of the soldiers to focus on her own squad. Secure your own safety harness an' all that. "You an' the rookies are close support. Watch the angles, be ready to support any breaches."

There are assorted nods from the group, a collection of "Sir", "Ma'am" and "Dec" acknowledging her orders. None of them seem to like it, but...there's not a lot to like right now.

"Hey!" she calls out, grabbing one of the twins by the shoulder. Taka, probably. Holding her back. Her eyes scream bloody murder for a moment at being grabbed, already going for the dagger on her waist.

The next words Max says are softer. They're probably the only thing she's said today in a voice lower than a shout.

"Let the infantry take the brunt of it, yeah? We ain't even s'posed to be here. Kinda takes the shock outta shock trooper. So. I see you in the front waves, I'll shoot you myself. Got that?"

I'xataka's eyes soften. She nods, once. "Didn't know you cared, sir."

Max snorts and shoves her shoulder. "Just tired of training rookies, twin. Don't make a big deal of it."

The salute Taka (or is it Ness? Max still isn't totally sure) gives is more sincere. More formal. Max waves her off with a roll of her eyes before looking up at the tower of the Specula.

It's tall. She wonders how tall it is. She can see DeMeer getting stationed in his perch, far up above, and wonders if he’ll actually keep his mouth shut for more than half a bell. She can see a handful of the Skulls, eager bastards, twirling their scimitars and wandering the catwalks. She wonders who they fucked to be stationed inside the Specula instead of on the ground.

And, as she steps into the elevator and pushes the button for the next floor up... she wonders where the hells rem Lupis is. Shouldn't she be here?

[charlottedabookworm]

#13 - Oneirophrenia

so i saw today’s ffxivwrite prompt and then had to look it up because wtf did that mean ( and anyway my first thought was something short and sweet and soft but anyway here is six hundred words of fic that made me cry twice while writing it. it’s supposed to be soft raha/set stuff and that’s there it’s just overwhelmed by a sense of overarching sadness and everpresent grief. timeline wise this is time travel au and is set sometime post #7 Speculate which is directly referenced here. no real spoilers that i can think of so

anyway

Oneirophrenia: a hallucinatory, dream-like state caused by several conditions such as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation

-

He hates this.

The swirling colours of his ceiling had only been entertaining for so long before they became nauseating and now Set is curled on his side in a tiny inn room and regretting falling into that plant.

“Go to sleep, Tefh’a,” a sleep-sweet voice murmurs directly into his ear.

He hates this and yet. “Don’t wanna,” he grumbles, yet the words slur from exhaustion. 

A chuckle, one that vibrates across every inch of the warm body draped along his back. The fluffy tail curled around his waist tightens and Tefh’a wishes he dared to touch it, dared to lean back into the warmth. “Why not?”

“Because when I wake, you will not be here.”

“My love…” It is a whisper, a whine, the sound of a heart-shattering.

It is the truth.

He shuts his eyes tighter against the burn there and gives in to temptation, to need, turning desperately into the warmth and burying his face carefully in a bare chest. “I do not know if I can do this,” he whispers into the skin there. 

The miqo’te holds him tight. He can feel the tragic, knowing smile against his hair. “How could you do aught else?” The light of his soul asks in response, the words echoing between them in echo-infused memory and he-

Tefh’a shakes his head. He isn’t a hero, he just… he tries to help. “You have always thought the best of me.”

“Nay,” he says, stern and loving and understanding. “Tis the truth of you.”

He swallows. “It hurts, Raha,” he says, speaking aloud the truth of it all. He is in a world that is happy, that is alive, and he is surrounded by friends and it hurts.

“I know.” G’raha Tia’s voice is heavy with understanding, with grief, with knowing and Set leans into him like a moth seeking flame.

“They are my friends, my family, yet not and-”

He chokes and Raha purrs, a mournful, comforting sound. “I am sorry, Tefh’a.”

“They do not trust me and I-” 

“Oh, my love, they shall. They have and they will.”

“Shtola thought I would harm them, Raha!” The words burst out of him with all the force of the hurt, the betrayal, that Tefh’a had pushed away at the time. Just thinking of that day hurts and yet- it was the proof that he needed, the reminder that these scions are not his family. His friends, yes, one day. Not his family. “And they do not even know yet that I am lying to them, that I am scheming behind their backs to undermine all that they stand for and-”

“Tefh’a, breathe.” There is a hand pressing against his back and a tail wrapped around his own and he collapses into the weight and warmth and authority of him thoughtlessly. “If any are to understand the reasoning behind your sacrifices, t’would be the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. If they do not, then they do not deserve your regard, nor your love.”

And he- he loves the scions, he knows they are worthy of that love, yet he...

He is lying to them and “I-”

“Tefh’a.”

He swallows. Nods against the chest he is being held to. “Aye.” He bites his lip, exhaustion flooding back. “I love you, Raha.”

A rumbling laugh. A hand smoothing over the back of his head. “Sleep, my love.”

Tefh’a curls a hand around a hip. “Stay with me?” It is small and desperate and he cannot bring himself to care.

“Always.”

He drifts into sleep, safe.

When he wakes, groggy and aching and dizzy, he is alone. There is no trace of another, no hair upon the blankets or lingering warmth in the sheets.

Set is not surprised.

His heart still hurts.

[grumpy-limsan-customs-cat]

FFXIVWrite2021 Master List

#1 - Foster - Ivrault Druivedare

#2 - Aberrant - Qatan Xura

#3 - Scale - Walking Oak

#4 - Baleful - Hotsu Ishiku

#5 - No Prompt

#6 - Avatar - Neyha’li Nujuun

#7 - Speculate - Shaiki Loiki

#8 - Adroit - Zimi Yobbi

#9 - Friable - Luvshan Xura

#10 - Heady - Afi

#11 - Preaching to the Choir - Oka Nikuya

#12 - No Prompt

#13 - Oneirophrenia - Fymh

#14 - Commend - Tou Harue

#15 - Thunderous - Otte Dreamwalker

#16 - Crane - Milo Xura

#17 - Destruct - Z’shakka Tia

#18 - Devil’s Advocate - V’menah Rhaka

#19 - No Prompt

#20 - Petrichor - Zimi Yobbi

#21 - Feckless - Neyha’li Nujuun

#22 - Fluster - Afi

#23 - Soul - Fymh

#24 - Illustrious - Oka Nikuya

#25 - Silver Lining - Ivrault Druivedare

#26 - No Prompt

#27 - Benthos - Tou Harue

#28 - Bow - Otte Dreamwalker

#29 - Debonair - Hotsu Ishiku

#30 - Abstracted - Qatan Xura

----------------------------------------

And with that the FFXIVwrite of 2021 is done! Thank you to @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast​ for making it happen once again, and as always it has been a blast to get to know my characters through writing silly drabbles of them.

Now to not write again until next year.

[rokachan]

FFXIVWrite 2021- Prompt #7: Speculate

Without her guardian on duty and tending to her, Khu had been left to her own devices to ensure a full belly when she was hungry, and some form of shelter when it stormed. Tonight was no different, and as a formidable growl rumbled in her stomach the Seeker decided it might be time for her to revisit easy marks.

With all the swagger of someone utterly in control of their life she strolled into one of the dirty little dives of Pearl Lane, fitting in well enough, looking just old enough to be there without drawing any suspicion. Sliiiiiiding onto a stool, the youth propped herself on her elbows to bat her eyes at the half-drunk patron to her right. “‘Ey there mist’ah. Fink ya fa’gaht ya’s were gonna buy me’s a drin’ too.”

The Hyur blinked in confusion, trying to focus on the large green eyes that seemed to swallow him up and the amiable, familiar smile sketched easily beneath freckled cheeks. She looked young, but… The girl seemed so certain! Maybe she was a more recent acquaintance. Regardless, if he owed her a drink…

“Of course lass! Don’ say I never paid up what’s owed, right?” Laughing loudly he flagged the bartender, gesturing to the girl. “I owe the lovely lady a drink, give her whatever she wants!”

The bartender looked at W’khusai for a long time in silence. How old was she? Was he going to get in trouble serving her? Was he ever going to have a quiet night at work before he retired? Just when his speculations on the woes of his choice in career were coming to a close and he was about to inquire the girl’s age, she held up a finger to stall the query.

“Thank ya’s, doll! I’s gonna have a doub’le orda’o dodo wings, a bask’t o’ fried pop’tos, an’ a fizzy drink, don’ care wha’ kin’, jus’ make’it tas’ like an’ orange.” She could have said an orange soda. But that was the easy route. To his credit, the bartender blinkedat her for only a moment before glancing to the Hyur who was sputtering. “Wha’? Ya’s ain’ gonna back ou’ onna deals, is’ya? Ya sai’ ya’s were gonna buys me a drin’ an’ some dinna’! Ya’s promis’d else I woul’na gon’ wi’ ya’s ta ‘at-... ‘A-at…” Bright green eyes widened as she stared up at the Hyur, expression falling to near panic as tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

“Hey, hey! No, I-I promised, right? I promised you a dinner and a drink, so uh… So go on! Get the lass her order!” Who was this girl again? He took a deep swig of his drink, staring at the sniffling catte and trying to place her. Where in the Twelve had she gone with him, that he’d had to lure her with the promise of dinner and drinks? Was it a back alley fling? She wasn’t really his type, but… Anything was possible with enough drink he supposed. Still squinting, he watched as the food came in a basket, placed before the girl along with her soda. “Say, what was your name again, lass? I’m not the kind to forget a good romp, but I can’t figure out-”

The question was cut off as orange soda splashed across his face and into his eyes, drawing a surprised squawk from the burly man as he recoiled and wiped a hand over his mug. “Thak’s fa’ t’food mist’ah! Sorry!” Snat5ching the basket of wings and fries up, she scrambled out of reach, skittering through patrons and skirting out the door before anyone had half a mind to stop her.

Only once she’d retreated a safe distance did she hop up onto an old crate, squatting comfortably, and begin cramming her prized food in her face with a triumphant smile. Once the bones were picked clean and no bits of fries were left in the basket, Khu licked the grease from her fingers lick a grooming cat, tail swishing and a Cheshire grin plastered over her features. The basket would, eventually, find it’s way back to the hole in the wall, left mysteriously hanging from the taps well after closing bells, and she’d steer clear of the venue for awhile until she was sure she’d be able to pull over a similar scheme on another unlucky bloke.

[mathemagiks]

Prompt 7: Speculate

FFXIVWrite Prompt 7: Speculate @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast​ 

“What are your thoughts?”

“Huh?” Ehn blinked a few times, glancing up as Bethric’s face came into focus next to him on the fence. “On... what now?”

“On what happened to the poor girl.” Bethric nodded to the stable across the way of the Rookery. From their viewpoint it looked empty, but Ehn didn’t have to see the amaro laying down inside to know who he meant. “I’ve never seen a wing get wrenched out of place so bad, let alone two on the same side.”

“I’m... not sure,” Ehn confessed, drooping in his seat like a potted plant. “I don’t know enough about the wildlife here to make a guess. It definitely wasn’t a Sin Eater, though; I-I know that much.” He kicked his feet a little, heels drumming on the lower rail. “How... how bad did it look when she first came in?”

“You probably don’t want to know,” Bethric sighed, reaching over to pat Ehn’s shoulder with a large hand. “But... I don’t think the lacerations were bite marks. Maybe claws but amaro wings are tough even when yanked. I’m stumped.”

Ehn gave a little shrug, struggling under the weight on his shoulders. “I wish I could be of more help guessing.” He glanced back out across the rookery, eyes on the door. Thaliak help him, those frightened murmurs and cries still rang in his mind’s ear.

“She still won’t talk to me,” he found himself musing aloud, “she’s so scared...”

“Heh. You know, every time you say that, you almost make it sound like they actually talk to you.” Bethric’s smile was almost oblivious, and Ehn found his lips pressing together as he chuckled once more. “Though I guess Skip showed is it’s the other way around with Amaro sometimes, huh?”

It was hard to tell if Bethric genuinely thought that was what Ehn meant, or if he was trying to save face for his sake. Before Ehn could ask, or even study his face further, the man was wistfully looking away with a sigh. “Ah.. if only we could always be so lucky...”