#lavampira

[galadae]

“kissing your lover's forehead, then bending down to meet their lips” for calien? 🫶

this took me so long lol, thank you for sending this dani 💕

Before Dawn | ~950 words | mid ENW spoilers under the cut (and vague mentions of ranged role quest stuff, but nothing major if you haven't done it)

Calantha wakes to find the space beside her cold and empty. 

"Hien?" she whispers. She blinks sleep from her eyes. How long has he been gone? It's some odd time of the night, far past midnight but not yet dawn. The room is dark and quiet but for the wind gusting against the roof. She rises to her feet, feeling around in the dark for her haori and boots. He must be outside.

They've both slept fitfully in the nights since her return. With the blasphemy's last appearance, terror and unrest simmer under the surface of all in the enclave and beyond, threatening to mutate into something far more deadly. 

Calantha had kept watch for the blasphemy the first night, too on edge to sleep, her mind replaying the memory of the sky falling over Thavnair. A disaster she'd set in motion, despite her best intentions. But the intentions made no difference now. She’d locked up her guilt and fear in favor of action. She hoped her actions would be enough.

Perhaps it was selfish, coming back to Doma now, when the whole world needed her. But she couldn't ignore his request for aid. 

Now she dresses quickly and steps from the room. Despite the new number of those taking refuge within, the Kienkan is silent. She finds no sign of him in other rooms, or anywhere out in the streets of the enclave.

Her ground search fruitless, Calantha takes Giles into the air. She guides him above the river, going over any places Hien likes to visit in her mind. None of them seem likely. The moon is high, almost full, bathing everything in a soft, cool light. A fitting cold sky for the chilly wind.  

After half a bell of telling herself not to worry, the sight of his yol resting on the abandoned moon gate platform floods her with relief. Giles lands with a sharp "kweh." She slides from the bird's back and lands softly on her feet. 

Hien doesn't seem to have noticed her approach, or at least, he doesn't acknowledge her. He stands a few feet from the stark drop of the wall. His gaze falls on the flooded ruins of the castle. He still wears only the loose smock and trousers he slept in. She doesn't see his sword anywhere.

"It's chilly without you," she says. Calantha steps up next to him, boots crunching on the old stone. She clutches her haori around her, fighting off a shiver. 

He says nothing. He's been quieter, more reserved in the past few days. She doesn't need to ask why. 

"You've barely slept since you arrived," Hien says, finally. He doesn't look at her. "I thought you might prefer to not be woken again. I do seem to steal the blankets when I toss." A hint of a smile lifts his lips, but doesn't reach his eyes. 

Calantha rests her hand on his shoulder. "That's kind of you," she says. "But I would prefer having you next to me. I sleep alone enough as it is." She doesn't say her next thought. How else will I keep you safe?  

He turns his head to offer her another weak smile. "I shall keep that in mind." 

She studies his face, relief at finding him and worry for his well-being conflicting inside her. The cold moonlight does him no favors. He looks washed out, haunted. Far too tired. "Hien... Are you all right? I came to offer company, but if you'd rather be alone, I can go back."

Hien sighs, a long slow breath. He looks back out over the river.  "I thought myself in need of time to clear my mind, but it has solved nothing. I would not begrudge you for returning to bed, but if you wish to stay–"

"Of course I do." Calantha slips her arm around his shoulders. 

She brushes a hand against his cheek, tucking a free strand of dark hair behind his ear. He meets her eyes. 

"Do you want to talk? Would it help?"

"I am...unsure." His brow furrows. He looks down at his feet. "Forgive me," he murmurs. "I do not mean to make you worry." He wraps an arm around her waist. "You have enough cares as it is." 

The weariness of the past days is plain in his voice, dragging his words down like an iron weight. Try as he might, he can't hide it from her. 

She cups his cheek, pulling his gaze back to hers. "My worries for you aren't your doing." 

She presses her lips to his forehead, willing the kiss to take his cares away. He sighs and closes his eyes as she lowers her face to leave a small, soft kiss on his lips. 

For a moment the wind calms to a gentler breeze. Hien rests his head on her shoulder. His arm is warm around her. She wraps her other arm over his shoulder, holding him close. They stand in silence. The river is a distant roar mingling with the near, soft sounds of their breath. 

"Come back to bed," Calantha says. "Daylight will be here before we know it. Let's rest while we can." 

The wind picks up again, sending a shiver through her. Hien leans closer, hiding his face against her neck.

"It will be warm inside, at least," she adds.

"You are right," he says, with a tired huff. He steps back, but he still holds onto her hand. "I’m glad you came to me." 

"You can thank me by sharing the blankets," Calantha says. She squeezes his hand. "Let's go." 

By the time they fall back onto the futon, huddling close for warmth, birds are singing just before the dawn. Calantha closes her eyes, trying not to think about the days ahead. Everything is uncertain. Everything could go to ruin in a moment, with her helpless to stop it. But for now Hien is safe, asleep, and warm against her. She can take some comfort in that.

[jarael]

Wishing everyone a Merry Starlight and a Happy Heavensturn.

[sirotras]

suns out, guns out babey

[scionshtola]

fir 5, mistletoe 5, pine 2, birch 1 + cori? 🖤

ty dani!! 💗 i put it under a cut bc i got a little long abdjsk

fir 5: How many setbacks can (or will) your OC endure before they give up on a course of action?  Or alternatively, how many times can they be let down or betrayed before they turn their back upon another person?

Hmm Cori is very much an optimist of the “I will make this work” kind (rather than “everything will work out fine” kind). So they may give up on a course of action if it doesn’t work, but it’s just so they can find a different course of action that will achieve the same or similar goals. They’re really not one to give up! And they’re also very forgiving. I honestly don’t know that they would turn their back completely on a friend or someone they trusted, but they’re far more likely to do it if their betrayal hurts someone they care about than if it’s just to them. They always see the best in people, and they might trust someone less after they find out they’re lying or they betrayed them, they might even distance themself, but I don’t think they would completely turn their back on a friend who let them down.

mistletoe 5: Who is your OCs most unlikely friend? What made their friendship so unexpected?

answered here!

pine 2: What is the worst emotional or spiritual wound that your OC has ever suffered?  What was the long-term impact of this experience? What helped them to move on from it (if they ever have)?

Poor Cori has suffered a lot of emotional wounds lol but I think the worst has been losing the ability to cast since In From the Cold (well not quite losing completely, but it’s very hard to even summon carbuncle because the whole thing messed up their ability to channel aether). Summoning and magic use in general is such a big part of Cori, for like their whole life! And to be cut off from this thing that’s so fundamental to them is really difficult.

They have not yet moved on from it—between the end of ENW and the patches Cori hides on her island to recuperate and avoid her feelings on this and some other things. They get coaxed off their island by Shtola for the patches, but they still can’t cast. I’m not sure how long it would take to move on if they had to accept they could never cast again, but fortunately they will at some point have the idea of consulting Stephanivien about using aetherotransformer tech to help them channel aether. But I haven’t moved on to happy Cori yet so she’s stuck in low key misery in my mind ahdjkssk

birch 1: Has your OC ever experienced something that changed them irrevocably?  If so, then how do they view the person they were before?

I think there are a lot of things I could choose from but I’ll do something positive after the last answer lol. Prior to joining the Scions Cori was a really lonely person who worried a lot about letting down anyone who did care about them by not being perfect, by not living up to what they should be, and who tried very hard to do things by themself/without bothering anyone. This didn’t go away overnight but by the end of Shadowbringers I think it’s really cemented that they are not alone, they have friends and family who love and care about them, who will fight by their side and pick them back up. They still have a tendency to fall back into their bad habits and run away a little bit (see above answer lol), and of course there’s a loneliness inherent in being the WoL (at least to Cori) but. it has definitely made a difference in them to feel so loved. to be loved is to be changed and all that.

[hylfystt]

🏖️ for the ffxiv screenshot meme !

ffxiv screenshot meme

🏖️ to see them in their favourite climate(s) || thank you dani!!!!! i know i've said before that leida doesn't really have a favorite weather/climate but if we're being honest she will always, always have a fondness for the sea. it reminds her of the better parts of home.

[rosenfey]

happy birthday!!!!!! I hope it’s been a lovely one 🧁💚

thank you kindly dani!!!! ive had a cozy day uwu 🌸🐇

[kirnet]

1 & 5 for the book asks?

How many books did you read this year?

26 so far, which I'm really proud of bc the last couple years I've read like. 5. I'm gonna try to finish 3 more before the year ends!

5. What genre did you read the most of?

Sooo much sci fi omg. It's all the murderbot and locked tomb this year

[ravensgard]

8 + 15 for spotify wrapped? 🖤

8. bunny is a rider by caroline polachek. 15. devil by the window by tomorrow x together.

[hythlodaes]

5, 7, 13, 24, 30, 33 for emilien 🥰

ty beloved!! <3

5. what is their love language?

acts of service comes first for both of them just based on who they are, but quality time is probably more important to them, especially in the beginning.

7. who is more sentimental?

i think emile wins out but only by a little. neither of them are particularly sentimental but it comes out in small ways—estinien saves all of emile's letters from when they're apart, emile frames a drawing of the two of them from alphinaud. i think it's def something that grows over time though.

13. which member steals borrows the other ones clothing?

estinien admittedly never brings extra clothes anywhere, so having a partner that's roughly the same size as him solves that problem entirely sdfsdfs besides his armor he's pretty much always wearing something that belongs emile, but emile will never complain, he thinks it's cute :')

24. which of the two is the most competitive?

estinien. emile can be competitive but that's mostly because estinien brings out that side of him, whereas he's usually like. let's just have fun everyone :)

30. what is their favorite place to kiss the other?

emile loves to kiss the back of his neck, the tips of his ears, his hands. estinien loves kissing emile's nose, the place where his neck meets his shoulder, and the top of his head when emile lays on his chest.

33. who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them?

they both deal with nightmares regularly but estinien's come more often. emile usually feels out where he's at after, sometimes estinien wants a distraction, and they'll take a walk or put on the orchestration and talk the rest of the night. sometimes he just wants to be quiet, and emile will hold him close and rub his back or run his hands through his hair. either way it's that simple reassurance that he's there for him ;-;

[shirleyjacksons]

3 & 17 for the book asks?

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

i was surprised by leech! people are pretty divided on their reactions to it but i thought it was good, especially for a debut

[jarael]

Snow bnuuy.

[sirotras]

5 + 13 for all your xiv characters? or whichever inspires if that’s too much 💚

Thank you!!

5. Where are they from? What was their childhood like?

Nadezda - Nadezda is from Ishgard, and grew up in the lower levels of the Brume. Her mom was a hyuran adventurer from [insert undecided location here] and her father was an elezen Ishgardian, born and raised. She was very close with her older brother, and practically followed him around as a little kid. Money was always tight, especially after her father passed, and her and her brother started work as soon as they could. but no matter how hard things were, her family was a comfort and support. She never felt alone growing up

Isolde - Isolde grew up in a family of mid- low level merchants in Limsa Lominsa, not particularly wealthy, but certainly comfortable. She has an older brother and a younger sister, though she's closer to her sister. She had ample time to pursue her academic interests, and her parents were, for the most part, supportive. They did however have a pretty narrow expectation of what sort of career she would pursue (they imagined her going into the family business like her brother, or taking on some other sort of clerical work). This caused conflict when she was in her teens, but theyve since resolved it

Cella - Cella also grew up in Limsa, but from a different angle. She was taken in by the Rogue's guild when she was pretty young. Her childhood was filled with many ill advised, unsupervised shenanigans because she had little else to occupy her time. (think climbing the ropes between decks, jumping on/ across the railings, "well if you think about it, the quickest way to the lower decks is straight down, and if its a race--") shes well aquainted with all the little nooks and crannies of the city, and also very lucky

13. Are they close with any of the other Scions? Who do they get along with the best? 

I like to think theyre all pretty close with the other scions, esp by ENW, tho to elaborate on a couple in particular:

Nadezda - ofc her and Estinien are close. they have that dragoon bond! Theyre both deeply effected by their time in HW and its sort of a recognition they see in each other. Plus their both pretty reserved in most situations. Her quietness also i think leads her to bonding with Urianger, even when they dont talk alot, theyre just vibing. Sometimes Nadezda gets intimidated by most of the scions' academic backgrounds, seeing as her education was a lot less formal, and i think she finds some relief from that with Thancred, not to mention they have a lot of similarities in their protectiveness and ideals.

Isolde - Isolde is pretty close with Thancred (she did the Ul'dah starter story in my canon, thought she met him several years prior) and they often playfully antagonize each other, but have each other's backs (even tho he nearly drove her insane during SHB. he got his act together eventually, but jesus christ). She also instantly hit it off with Y'shtola, they spend loads of time digging into magical theories and arcane mysteries together, bouncing ideas off each other and collaborating

Cella - Her and G'raha got on like a house on fire during the CT raids and it hit her hard losing him. After SHB, theyre getting to know eachother again, itll be nice to think of how that develops over ENW. She also relates a lot to Alisaie, both of them being reckless women of action! And ofc one of her fave hobbies is Bothering Estinien.

[scionshtola]

🐰 like you’re friend-shaped and ik you’re always just vibing but the slightest bit of ‘oh no what if kels doesn’t agree with my take’ anxiety 🤣

🐰 for barely intimidating

ksdjfsd DANI MY FELLOW LESBIAN SHTOLA TRUTHER. MY FELLOW VENAT DEFENDER. MY FEMALE CHARACTER RIGHTS WARRIOR'S BOND SHARER. MOST IMPORTANTLY MY FAST AND FURIOUS FAMILIA. YOUR TAKES ARE SO GOOD

[hylfystt]

4, 14, and 21 for the wol questions? 🫶

send some wol questions!!

ty dani!!! muwah!! 💜

4. Do they have a canon mount or minion? What's its name(s)?

yes! kit, her company chocobo and the chocobo haurchefant gifted her, which she named crighton! both are named after the protagonists from one of her favorite romance novels. as for minions....i've always towed around with the idea of leida picking up a pet of some sort in her travels, but seeing as i have pretty much exclusively used the haurchefant and ardbert minions in game.....it just hasn't happened lol. i do sort of feel like her carbuncle fills this role in some way, as she definitely takes to talking to it a lot in her early summoning days and forms a strong attachment lol.

14. Of the Scions, who are they most worried for?

hmm. this is hard, as she worries deeply for thancred pre-shb, but i want to say at the end of the day, it will always be the twins. i mean, leida cares for them so much. she considers them her family and is fiercely protective of them as such, which is in part due to their age but also in the way they take in the world with such open hearts. they've been through far more than anyone their ages should have to, and she does worry that one day they may break.

21. Are there any raid storylines (Ivalice, Coil of Bahamut, Werlyt, etc.) you consider to be canon for your WoL? Which ones don't you consider canon? 

oof this is a tough one to answer on account of me not having completed all these myself lmao. BUT. i know for sure i don't count the nier raids as canon. as for the rest (with the exception of maybe void ark and alexander? i don't really see leida involving herself in those ones tbh. and possibly pandaemonium? i desperately need to play through those still to get a better idea.) it's probably safe to assume they are canon.

[johnnyutah]

argyle for the bingo 🫶

argyle my beloved i am taking you away from the stranger things fandom until they learn respect and also critical media analysis <3

[kirnet]

gengar and/or a gizka? 🖤

i 100% do not remember what a gizka looks like ;-;