Text
Nael van Darnus - The White Raven
Tsuki ni kawatte, oshioki yo!
#ffxiv#final fantasy xiv#nael van darnus#ffxivedit#gamingedit#'she did not say that!' didn't she though#girlbossed too close to the moon#favorite part of binding coil was when she broke free of tempering long enough to be like#i want you all to know dropping dalamud on eorzea was MY IDEA BEFORE I GOT TEMPERED#absolute girlboss moment#final fantasy 14#binding coil of bahamut#myedit#mp#she had a great magical girl transformation in here too tho i didn't gif that bit#flashing gif#for that last one#(for anyone confused the Japanese is sailor moon's catch phrase and means 'in the name of the moon I'll punish you'#it just fit you know)
127 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Gentleman Asks, Rather Than Does - Chapter One
Time to actually officially crosspost this here since someone’s been poking around my AO3 and I had to change my password. Limiting myself to one a day as to not spam.
Summary: The Warrior of Light calls Hildibrand out on his bluff regarding his knowledge of ‘the fairer sex’ and teaches him a thing or two about courting a lady. So begins the dramatic courtship of Hildibrand and the Warrior of Light. Fluff abound, idiocy guaranteed. Hildibrand/Female, non-Lala WoL. Sorry Lala lovers, I couldn’t figure out the height difference.
Fic as a whole is rated E for spice. True spice begins chapter 9.
CW for plot points in later chapters including stalking and implied/referenced assault.
Chapter One: WoL acts on a whim. Mild spice. Rated M.
In hindsight, you should have realized things were going far too smoothly to be true to form. Not once during the course of any of your investigations with this motley crew had everything fallen into place like this. Something was bound to happen; the other shoe had to drop.
And so it did.
It dropped in the form of sudden inclement weather. Upon attempting to charter a way to the Western Highlands, you and your party were informed that all travel to and from Ishgard was suspended for the day or so due to an incoming blizzard, effective about five minutes before you arrived at the gate.
So much for simple.
Defeated for now, you slunk your way back to the gazebo. It was time to plan, and Idyllshire would have to wait.
“WhAt Do We Do NoW, pApA hIlDy?” Gigi asked, large inquisitive eyes turning to his ‘father’.
Hildibrand twisted his hips and pressed his fingers to his temples before seemingly coming up with a brilliant idea. “Ah! Is it not obvious? We merely wait out the storm here and continue on with our brilliant plans when the skies clear!”
Well, yes. That much was obvious. But wait-
“You… you aren’t seriously planning to sit out a blizzard out here, are you?” you asked, glancing around for any other voices of reason. Cyr and Julyan were nowhere to be seen; perhaps they’d made it out of the city before the lockdown.
Hildibrand raised a practically non-existent eyebrow in response. “Whyever not? This is a perfectly fine gazebo!”
“The inspector and I have been through way worse, back before Dalamud!” Nashu added from her perch on the bench. It seemed she’d already made herself comfortable.
“You’ll freeze!”
Gigi tilted his little head to the side as he looked up at you. “Is ThAt TrUe, AuNtIe? WiLl wE fReEzE oUt HeRe?”
That threw you for a loop. “W-well, maybe not you, Gigi...” Could mammets freeze? Logic said yes, but little Gigi had spent all that time buried in the snow and was perfectly fine after a little maintenance…
“It takes more than a little cold to knock a Manderville man down!” Hildibrand exclaimed, flexing.
“Besides, we have the kettle!”
You blinked incredulously. Surely, you should be used to the deficit of rational thought by now, and yet-
“The kettle won’t keep you safe from the wind!” You retorted. Before you could open your mouth to argue further, you heard footsteps coming towards the gazebo.
“Is everything alright out here? I am hearing quite the commotion.”
All four of you turned almost in unison to see Lord Edmont approaching. He wore an amused expression rather than an irritated one.
You bowed slightly. “Lord Edmont. Pray forgive the noise. We were simply debating on what to do next.”
“Ah, yes. Have you heard the city is on lockdown due to an incoming blizzard? I just received word from one of my knights. You should really come inside before you catch cold.”
“I’m trying to explain to these three why sleeping outside in the gazebo through a blizzard is a bad idea.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, gesturing towards your friends.
Edmont was, very understandably, taken aback by the idea. He turned his gaze upon Hildibrand and friends. “Have you three been sleeping out here this entire time?!”
Three simultaneous nods, slightly bashful.
“Why!?”
Hildibrand raised a finger, taking a moment to think. “Er, you see… the funds of a traveling inspector are sometimes…” He seemed reluctant to admit it.
“We’Re RoUgHiNg It LiKe TrUe InSpEcToRs Do!”
Edmont shook his head. “While your sense of adventure is… admirable, I simply cannot very well allow you three to stay outside in this horrid weather. Why, the storm is already starting!” As if to punctuate his point, a gust of wind that chilled even you whipped through the Pillars.
“I would hate to impose…” Hildibrand looked conflicted between his pride and his likely desire to stop being out in the cold, if his shivering was any indication. Every second that passed made it look like the latter was going to win out in the end.
“Nonsense! I insist. It would be poor manners to merely leave an esteemed member of House Manderville and his companions out in the cold.”
Gigi tugged at his hat, shaking his head. “We ArEn’T sTaYiNg In ThE gAzEbO?”
Uh oh. You had to act fast. “Uh, we’re going to go stay in the big gazebo, Gigi! They’ve got more than just a kettle. They’ve got a whole fireplace!”
“A rEaL oNe?”
You nodded. “A real one, with real fire!”
“YaY! bIg GaZeBo!” Gigi jumped for joy.
Edmont couldn’t help but chuckle at Gigi’s enthusiasm. “Yes, a real fire. Though do take care to keep your distance from it, young man.”
“OkAy! ThAnK yOu, UnClE eDmOnT!” Forgetting about the true gazebo for now, Gigi puttered off in the direction of Fortemps Manor.
“Gigi! Hold on a moment, my son!” Hildibrand called, dashing after him.
Nashu hopped up from her seat and ran after Hildibrand. “Wait for me, Inspector!”
You shook your head affectionately as you watched them go.
“What a lively bunch they are,” Edmont commented with a smile. “However did you come to know them?”
“It’s a long, long story. Perhaps Lord Godbert could tell you sometime. But I can assure you that while they may be somewhat… eccentric, they are perhaps some of the kindest souls Eorzea has ever known.”
Edmont nodded. “Then that is more than enough for me. I trust your judgment.” He patted your shoulder affectionately. “Are you staying for dinner?”
You grinned. “You know it.”
~
After a lively dinner in which miraculously no one was maimed, injured, or heavily insulted, it was time to settle in for the night. All of the guests were given a room… only for Nashu to fall asleep in front of the fireplace with Gigi, who had entered a ‘sleep mode’ of sorts.
Outside, the snow was falling and the wind was howling. It was likely for the best that your entourage had been invited inside, because from what you could see from the window, the gazebo outside was already half-covered with snow and the kettle long snuffed out by the winds.
You retired to your room as you usually did, and settled in for a night’s rest… only to find yourself completely unable to sleep. This happened from time to time; occasionally thoughts kept you up at night, thoughts of the past, the present, the future…
After what you estimated to be about three or so bells of trying, you gave up and decided to see about tea. The halls of the manor were dark, and it was doubtless that everyone was asleep.
Everyone, that was, except Hildibrand.
The man in question was sitting on a couch in the foyer, hunched over parchment and muttering to himself. There was a low fire crackling, which gave the room a dim glow. In the firelight, you could see that Nashu was still fast asleep on the floor, curled around Gigi like a mother coeurl. Someone (probably Edmont or one of the stewards) had draped a blanket over them and put a pillow under Nashu’s head.
“Hildy?” you called softly.
He startled a bit, dropping the quill in his hand. “Oh, it’s just you,” he said, relaxing.
You gave him a tired smile. “Can’t sleep,” you replied, moving to look over his shoulder. “What’s all this?”
“Plans!” he exclaimed, though he thankfully had the sense to lower his voice when Nashu, still curled up by the fire, shifted. She muttered something about chickens as her ears twitched, but otherwise remained fast asleep. Sometimes you envied her ability to sleep anywhere.
“For when we get to Idyllshire?” You leaned over the back of the couch, resting your head on your folded arms as you attempted to make heads or tails of Hildibrand’s elegant scrawl.
He grinned. “Precisely! As sharp as ever, my friend.”
You chuckled. “What have we got planned?”
“Well…” He pointed to a crudely drawn diagram. “I propose that using mainly spoons, we tunnel under where the Grand Sers have made their base and catch them unawares!”
A moment of silence passed between you two, then another.
“Spoons.”
Hildibrand made a face. “This is a work in progress, of course.” He pushed his papers aside. “What do you think?”
“Hmm… well, we should start by questioning the residents when we arri-“
“Ah, I just had the most brilliant idea. When we arrive, we should split up and ask around!”
You snorted in laughter, shaking your head. “Never change, Hildy,” you said, standing up and starting towards the kitchens. “I’m making tea, do you want any?”
“That would be very kind of you!”
You gave him a thumbs up before disappearing into the kitchens to start the kettle.
A few moments later you came strolling back into the foyer with a tray. Upon the tray sat a teapot and two cups and saucers. “I hope you like black tea.”
“Thank you, it-“ For the first time since you’d come into the foyer, Hildibrand looked directly at you… and then promptly looked away, mouth slightly agape.
Huh? What was- oh. You looked down at yourself, remembering you were wearing a nightgown that, while very comfortable, left little to the imagination.
So Hildibrand was shy, hmm? You nearly giggled at the thought. As you poured the cups of tea, you took a moment to look at him as well. Given the late hour, it seemed he’d shed his coat and gloves, setting them neatly beside him. His bow tie hung to one side of his neck and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. The fire from the hearth gave off a warm glow to the room, reflecting off his eyes in a way that almost made them twinkle.
Your stomach flipped a little. How had you not truly paid attention before to how handsome a man Hildibrand was?
Well, objectively you knew this as it was an undisputed fact. But here and now, with the firelight dancing off the walls and highlighting his strong jawline and muscled form? Now, it was hard to deny on a personal level.
Deciding to test the waters and see where this went, you sat down right next to him after placing his teacup on the table in front of him. “Everything alright, Hildy?”
He nodded stiffly, still not looking at you. “I am completely fine!”
You drew your legs up next to you. “Are you sure? You seem flustered.”
“I assure you, nothing is wrong. But you… are you not cold?”
“Me? I’m not cold at all. Especially not next to you, I’m not.” You patted his arm for emphasis.
Hildibrand cleared his throat. “I-I see…” You could see a hint of a blush on his cheeks… adorable.
“Why would you think I’m cold?” You wanted to hear him say it.
“Well, you see… what you’re wearing… may not be the best choice for cold weather!”
You giggled. “Hildy, are you embarrassed?”
“No! It is simply uncouth for a gentleman to gaze upon a lady in such a state of undress!”
Adorable and polite. Your heart did a few more flips in your chest. Oh, you wanted to gobble him up.
“Even if the lady didn’t mind?”
The thought hadn’t seemed to have occurred to Hildibrand before right now. He turned a little bit back towards you, still not looking at you.
“Honestly, I don’t mind. I wouldn’t have worn it outside my room if I did. And I’ve known you long enough to know you’re not a creep.”
He turned back to face the table at the very least, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. You could practically hear the cogs turning in his head.
You lowered your voice to an attempt at a seductive purr. “And what would you say if I told you I wanted you to look at me, hmm?” you teased.
He raised a finger as if to make a point, but also seemed to be at a loss for words. “Far be it from me to deny a lady such a simple request,” he finally said. And so he turned his gaze upon you.
You felt your heart pounding as his eyes swept your form, wide with reverence. Sometime during the evening, he’d forgone his monocle, leaving his face clearly visible. Oh, and what a nice face it was. Now that you were thinking about him like this, you were really, really thinking about it. Hildibrand may not have been the brightest person out there, but he was kind, sincere, handsome… oh no.
Suddenly you felt a little self-conscious. You swallowed, tongue darting out to wet your suddenly dry lips. “H-Hildy?”
“The most prolific of poets could not do you justice, my lady. You are utterly radiant.”
Holy shit. Where had that come from? Your eyes widened in turn, and you could feel your face heating up. “You truly think so?”
“Of course. I always have. I have eyes, my good woman!”
“You’ve never said anything.”
Hildibrand nodded sagely. “It is hardly gentlemanly to make unsolicited compliments on a lady’s appearance. My mother taught me that from a young age.”
(And calling them old was just fine, apparently.)
Suddenly a lot of things about Hildibrand made more sense. You almost shuddered remembering how effortlessly Julyan had taken out not one but three people during the course of the investigation in Ul’dah.
You chuckled softly. “You did say you were well versed in the ways of the fairer sex.”
Hildibrand looked away for a moment. “About that…”
“Hm?”
He cleared his throat nervously. “‘Tis true I am highly experienced in the art of treating ladies with the utmost respect! However, when it comes to courting one…”
You saw what he was getting at. “You haven’t had the chance.”
He nodded, seemingly grateful that he didn’t have to admit it himself.
“Well, I’m open to the idea.” You placed a hand on top of his.
Hildibrand’s jaw dropped. “A-are you?”
“Whyever not?” you said, parroting his words from earlier in the day. “You’re sweet, earnest, and devilishly handsome. I’d say you’re quite the catch.” You winked, causing Hildibrand’s face to erupt in a blush which in turn caused you to giggle. “You look like you’re surprised. What about your ‘swaths of adoring fans’?” you teased.
“I would never dream of taking advantage of someone’s admiration!” He looked scandalized by the very idea. Gods, how was this man real? He had an ego and a half for sure, but somehow also managed to still be utterly sweet and sincere in his words and actions.
You leaned in closer to him. This close, you could practically count his eyelashes. “If I’m offering, it’s hardly taking advantage, now is it? In fact…” You shifted so that your lips were right by his ear. “I could even teach you a thing or two about how to please a lady.”
Hildibrand stiffened, and you could have sworn the man shivered (and not from the cold). “I suppose not, no. I have a question for you, though.”
“Yes?”
“Are you propositioning me?”
If you hadn’t been supported by the couch, you’d have fallen over from the sheer shock of such an obvious question.
(Was anything ever really obvious to Hildibrand, though?)
“I have been this entire time, yes.” You laughed. “Thank you for noticing.”
Hildibrand huffed a laugh in response. “Well! I must say this is unprecedented!”
You pulled back a little to give him breathing room. “You can say no. I won’t be mad, honest. I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“Pray do not mistake my reaction for reluctance! I am merely… pondering my next steps. I would be a fool to refuse a beautiful woman such as yourself!”
You crept your fingers up his arm. “If you don’t know what to do… I could show you?”
He swallowed audibly. “I would be most honored, my lady.”
Grinning, you stood and offered him a hand up. “Not here,” you said, glancing over to the fireplace where Nashu and Gigi were still fast asleep. “Let’s go to my room.”
Hildibrand nodded dumbly and took your hand. You led him down the hall to your room, hips moving in an exaggerated sway the whole time. If you were relaxed about this, hopefully he would be too.
You flitted about your room, setting up candles for mood lighting while Hildibrand took a seat quite politely on your bed. He looked very much like a deer in the caravan lights, and the sight made your heart melt just a little.
Hildibrand looked up at you in awe as you approached, radiating confidence that matched his on an average day.
“Before we start, I want you to know: you can tell me to stop at any time. I don’t want to do something you don’t want to do, Hildy.” You smiled softly at him.
“Er, likewise! I will not force a lady into an uncomfortable situation!”
You chuckled. “There’s not a lot I haven’t done. Hope that doesn’t bother you.”
He shook his head. “A gentleman does not judge one on their history, merely on their present actions. Not to mention that there is no shame to be had in such a thing!”
“You’re sweet.” You took a seat next to him on the bed. “What would you like to do first?”
He froze a moment; apparently he hadn’t expected you to ask him what he wanted. Eyes widened and lips parted slightly, he held up a finger as if to ask for a moment, which you gladly gave him.
“May I… kiss you?” he finally asked, blinking a few times as if to confirm the sight in front of him was indeed real.
You grinned. “You certainly may,” you said, leaning forward and placing a hand on the side of his face as you gazed at him affectionately with eyes half-lidded. You moved closer, but left him space to close the distance or back away, whichever he wanted.
He chose the former, pressing his lips to yours cautiously. You gladly accepted, kissing back softly as to not overwhelm him. It was… it was clumsy to start with, to say the least. His lips were puckered far too much, and it was like kissing a fish.
Pulling back a little, you tilted your head at him. “How was that? Was that nice?” He nodded. “Here, try it like this.” You pursed your lips just as you had before, waiting for him to do the same.
This time was much smoother, he was a lot less stiff. The hand not holding his face came up to tousle through his hair, completely pulling it out of place. You slid your other hand down and around him, pulling him closer to you, and he grunted softly into the kiss in response. Glancing down briefly told you he had no idea what to do with his hands.
The kiss ended much slower this time. As you both pulled back, his eyes fluttered open to look at you, pupils blown wide. The sight almost made you squirm. Kissing him on the cheek, you reached down and tugged on his hands gently. He let you guide them to your waist.
“Is this alright?” you asked. Wordless, he nodded. His hands were large on your waist, and you could feel the heat radiating from them through the thin material of your nightgown. “You’re doing excellent, Hildy.” He shivered at the praise, and you took note of this.
You brought your legs up underneath you as you turned to face him fully, still sitting on the edge of the bed. Both of your hands came up to either side of his face as you kissed him again. This time he seemed to get it, pressing back with intensity equal to your own.
Moaning softly into the kiss, you moved to deepen it. He responded enthusiastically, daring to put one hand up to the side of your face. You broke the liplock momentarily to press a nuzzling kiss into his palm before returning to your target. His goatee scratched ever so slightly against your face, and you giggled at the sensation. With one hand, you silently nudged him to face you as well.
He pulled you closer to him and you happily followed, coming forward and swinging your leg over so your legs were on either side of his firm thighs. Oh, they were as solid as they looked. His grip on you tightened slightly and you responded by grinding down on him. A very solid proof of interest greeted you as well as a throaty moan from him, which you returned with one of your own.
Eager to go already? My, my, this man was full of surprises, you thought.
Your hands eagerly moved down to the buttons on his shirt, fingers fumbling with the fabric. He froze, one hand coming up to stop yours. You stopped immediately, scooting back to give him some room.
“Ah, give me a moment…” he said, breathing heavily.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to if you don’t feel comfortable.”
Hildibrand looked conflicted. “But you want-“
You shook your head. “Doesn’t matter what I want.” You took his hands in yours and held them. “We go at your pace. It wouldn’t be very ladylike of me to force a gentleman to do something, now would it?” You winked at him.
“It wouldn’t be something I don’t want,” he said, scrunching his face up in thought. “Apologies for my forwardness, but this is something I am very much interested in! Rather…”
“Too fast?” You tilted your head at him, squeezing his hands reassuringly.
He chuckled. “Once again, your powers of deduction are capital!”
“I did learn from the best,” you said, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. “That’s you, in case you didn’t realize.”
“Oh.”
You giggled. “You want to just stay like this? We could sleep.” A moment of silence passed. “Just sleep.”
“Ah, what if your friends were to find us?”
“They know what I’m like.” You shrugged. “And I won’t tell if you don’t.”
He shook his head rapidly. “A gentleman does not kiss and tell!”
You grinned, moving to lay down on your bed and patting the area next to you. Cautiously, Hildibrand moved to lay down next to you. You rested your head against his shoulder. “Is this okay?”
Hildibrand was silent a moment before nodding. “This is… nice.” He moved to wrap his arms around you before stopping halfway through. “Er, may I?”
“Please,” you said, giving him a sleepy smile. Despite the fact that your heart was still racing (and so was his, you could feel), you felt comfortably tired now.
He pulled you into his strong arms and settled you down so that your head rested against his chest. You noticed he very pointedly angled his pelvis slightly away from you, and you didn’t press the matter. Instead, you snuggled into his arms and breathed him in. Somewhere along the way, he’d lost the scent of rotting flesh and picked up saltpeter and mammet oil. It was familiar, comforting.
You sighed softly, content. Here in his arms, you felt… safe, secure. Logically you knew that if something were to happen it would be you protecting him instead of the other way around, but it felt nice to be held.
Goodnight, Hildy,” you whispered.
“Sleep well,” he whispered back, and you felt the light pressure of his lips against the crown of your head.
It was there that you drifted off, safe and sound in the arms of your inspector
***
(consent is sexy, y’all)
#ffxiv#ff14#final fantasy xiv#hildibrand#hildibrand manderville#lord help me i'm back on my bullshit#spicy text#my writing
16 notes
·
View notes