#onti kistuna

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 15 - spark

“Onti . . . “

You should feel something. You know that you should. But that knowledge is distant, detached; like all other knowledge, all feelings, like everything has been ever since they strapped you into that gleaming silver machine and cut away your connection to Tungli as a chirurgeon cuts away a tumor. 

You know who she is. You know what she once meant to you. You had believed her dead, all this time. As she stumbles and falls to her knees before you, you know she is dying now. You know, but you do not--cannot--feel.

“At last . . . I’ve found you . . .”

She reaches toward you with a shaking hand. Brushes back your hair, does something to the collar around your neck that makes it loosen and clatter to the floor. You lack the will to tell her that it doesn’t matter. That even without the collar, your connection to Tungli is gone; and even if it were not, it still wouldn’t matter, because the part of you that would have the will to reach for it is also gone.

She looks at you, her eyes brimming with tears as she searches yours for something no longer there. She says your name again, more like a question now. She cups her hand against your cheek, something metal brushes against your skin, and you–-you feel something.

You. Feel something.

Just a spark. Just the faintest mote of light amidst the vast, numbing darkness. The barest twitch of something familiar. But you feel it, deep in the place where your heart used to be. 

Whatever sparks in you now, she must see it in your eyes too, because relief and joy break across her face even as the tears spill down her cheeks. Tears you want to wipe away. How long has it been since you wanted something? Wanted anything?

But inertia still has a hold on you. The spark in you is only that: a spark. You remain motionless as she sags against you, dropping her head against your shoulder. Her arms and scent enfold you, the latter saturated with blood and iron, but still so familiar. 

Your limbs may as well be made of stone, for the effort it takes to move them. But move them you do. You can, because you want. Because something you thought forever lost is flowing into you, flowing into that emptiness inside you; from her, and from what you now realize is a ring (your ring, your mother’s ring, Tungli’s ring) she wears on her right hand. 

With the last of her strength, she holds you; and with all of yours, you raise your arms to hold her, too.

__________________

(Bylka's pose adapted from this pack)

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 9 - damage

Together, Bylka and Onti can handle just about anything... but not this.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 18 - stretch

Yeah so in case it wasn't obvious, Bylti (and everyone related to her) is the result of me riffing on if not outright stealing from Revolutionary Girl Utena.

This series has had a grip on my soul for almost 25 years. I first saw it when I was 13 and I have not shut up about it since. Back when I first started FFXIV I was struggling to come up with a character concept because I knew so little about the setting, but then I noticed the viera I was idly making kind of had Anthy vibes, and the rest was history. (Literally, history; I can't believe it's been almost 4 years since then. What is time.)

If you're not familiar with Utena you should absolutely check it the fuck out. It's wonderful and weird and beautiful and gay and will destroy you emotionally but in a good way. The movie is good too but I strongly recommend you watch the TV series first. (Do be aware though that both the movie and the series deal with some intense subjects, including depression, abusive relationship dynamics, sexual assault, suicide, and incest; please take care of yourselves.)

If you are familiar with the series, then I hope you haven't found my attempts to fit these characters into FFXIV's setting to be too tiresome. Maybe you've even enjoyed them; I hope you did. I certainly have.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 7 - pause

Channeling divine fury to protect your home from invading magitek armies doesn't allow for much downtime. Onti and Bylka do what they can.

(pose credit)

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 17 - energy

There's so little of them left. Bylka is shattered physically; Onti spiritually; Tungli but a shadow of what she once was. But perhaps, in transcending boundaries of body and soul, these broken pieces can become something--someone--entirely new.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 11 - longing

Captured by the Empire and cut off from Tungli's power, Onti is alone with her thoughts for the first time in her life. It is not a good place to be.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 8 - relinquish

Try though he might, Oki could never let go of his bitterness and resentment that it was his timid little sister, not he, who was chosen to become Tungli's new Dominant; could never let go of his his desire for the power and importance to which he felt entitled. And because of this, he ultimately let go of every oath he had sworn and allegiance he once held, in exchange for power of another sort.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 6 - victory

Dominants of Tungli ordinarily embody one of Her aspects more than the other; and with the Garleans on the Rava's doorstep, it's no surprise that the latest of her Dominants, Onti, favors the Red Moon more than the White. As such she is more than capable of defending herself in most situations; but that doesn't mean her sworn protector, Bylka, is going to take her job any less seriously.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 13 - release

Even with the aid of her new Eorzean allies, getting to Onti takes damn near everything Bylka has.

[scalefeathers]

Vierapril - 10 - breath