#the coils of d'espair ; irene

[just-the-mage]

A Return from Dark Waters, Part III

Part I / Part II

Written with the lovely and talented @iris-ymir​! <3 

Iris picked up the fork, holding it between her thumb and middle finger. While poking the pie lazily, she kept rubbing her temple. Her head was pounding, like something was trying to force its way out through her skull. Purple eyes followed Eva, as the woman was working around the kitchen. Iris had never seen this side of her. Maybe it had always been there, but she had never paid attention to it, while toying around with the poor girl. She saw Evangeline in a completely new light. Was this because Blacksoul had taken her in, and given her a job? Or was this because of Irene? Iris did not know what to think of this Irene-person yet. Evangeline seemed to enjoy the company of the foxy creature, but there was something about Irene that Iris could not get a hold of. Compared to Lareine, she was completely different... There was something sinister in Irene. 

“Where do you keep your cigarettes? I can fetch one for you…” Evangeline had walked up to Iris, while she had been lost in thought. The pale viera raised her gaze up to the woman, giving her another uneven blink. Eva still had her towel around her, and another wrapped around her long, red hair. The towel was the same Evangeline had when she first took a bath in the manor. It was way too small for her tall, muscular form. It took a moment for Iris to notice she was staring, and she quickly turned sideways on the chair, gazing towards the hallway. 

“...Heck... Dere should be a pack in da drawer, ‘aight next to tha damn coat hangar... At least dere was... Another should be in tha pocket of mi leather jacket...

...Danke, Evangelin’.”, Iris sighed out, as the woman headed towards the doorway, leading into the hallway. The scent of fresh coffee started to fill the kitchen. Iris picked up the glass of water Eva had given to her, and held it to her lips. It was weird being here, after such a long time. In this kitchen, where everything seemed to be as it had been...long ago. It was like the whole world around had frozen in place for two years. Iris tipped the glass, taking a long sip, and then it happened. As the water ran down her throat... as she tasted it on her tongue, it suddenly returned her to the bottomless sea. She gasped for air, ending up only breathing in the rest of the water that was in her mouth. Cold fingers of terror ran up Iris’ back, and the glass dropped from her fingers and onto the floor, shattering into pieces with a loud crash, echoing through the manor. She curled up, coughing, and finally threw up onto the floor, where the remains of the glass were resting.

The viera’s hands were shaking as she grasped her upper arms, digging sharp fingernails into pale skin. The image of the white beach faded, and she was in the kitchen again. 

“I... Im not comin’ back...”, Iris muttered to herself, as tears ran down her cheeks. “... Ye ‘ear mi, motherfocker?! Im n-not comin’ back!”, she broke into a shrilling giggle, rocking back and forth on the chair. The coffee pot was boiling alone on the stove.

The shattering of glass broke the night-time silence that sat heavy in the air of the manor, piercing Evangeline’s reverie as she approached the jacket hanger near the large oaken double doors that led out into the courtyard. Eva turned on her heel, the cigarettes forgotten, her instincts kicking in immediately. She dashed back down the hallway, all manner of decorum immediately thrown from the window, unwanted and unneeded. Was Iris okay? Had someone broken a window? She knew she shouldn’t have left her alone...even for a second. Iris was severely traumatized...Eva should have brought the girl with her. Cold raced through her body as she turned the corner, skidding on the hardwood floors of the passage leading to the kitchen. She felt something drive into her foot, but paid it no mind. Bursting through the doorway to the kitchen, she scanned the room in one swoop, noticing the windows were intact, but Iris’ glass most certainly wasn’t. The pale, slight woman sat, rocking back and forth in her chair, weeping uncontrollably. The floor underneath her was littered with shards of glass, topped off with a puddle of vomit-this time neither black nor bloody. Evangeline swept towards her, taking Iris in her arms without a second thought.

“Iris? Are you still with me?” She said softly, cradling the woman gently against her.

A shiver traveled through Iris’ corpse-like body as Eva held her in her arms. How did she always end up being carried by this woman? The feeling was not completely unpleasant, but she still felt tied down...On the other hand, the warmth of Evangeline’s body tore her free of the remnants of bone-white beach’s grip. 

“...Damn, Cinnabun... Y-Yer gonna c-carry mi over tha frickin’ doorstep or whut..?”, Iris tried to laugh, but it came out as yet another cough. From the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw a figure, sitting on a top of a cupboard, but as she turned her gaze, it was gone. 

“...Seriously though.. C-Could ya put mi down? Tha... heckin’ coffee pot sounds like its about to blow up... D-Did ya find mi cigs..?” 

Evangeline finally noticed the coffee pot.

“Oh! Shite! Shite, shite, shite…” Still holding Iris, Eva stepped quickly across the floor, caution to the wind again. Transferring Iris to one arm, she moved the coffee pot off of the burner, spun surprisingly gracefully, and deposited Iris in another chair, well away from the glass and the sick that was slowly starting to seep in all directions, running along the cracks between the tiles. That would have to be cleaned up soon.

“I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have picked you up like that. Instinct, I guess...I don’t have too much control over it. I didn’t get to your cigarettes before I heard the glass break...I’ll run back out and get them in just a moment. Would you like to come with me? I don’t want you to have to be alone…” Evangeline said, suddenly realizing her towel had slipped quite a bit running back to the kitchen. She adjusted it as surreptitiously as she could manage, and turned away. She took the coffee pot and poured a mugfull of it for Iris.

“What would you like? Cream? Sugar?” Evangeline intoned over her shoulder. As she placed the coffee pot back on the stove and turned off the burner, she glanced at the floor, upon which she had left a few bloody footprints. She sighed internally. Arsene wasn’t going to be happy about this...not one bit.

“Uhh... Just sum cream... A-And a heckin’ whisky shot... Gramps used to give mi one wid mi coffee...” Iris leaned over the table, and could just reach the plate of pie, still resting on her former seat. She pulled the plate to her, and her eyes catched something on the marble flooring. Bloody footprints, leading towards Eva. The woman did not seem to even notice, while working with the coffee, going through the fridge, most likely searching for the cream, and struggling with her too-small towel. “’Ey!...Yer bleedin’ Evangelin’... Did ya step onto the frickin’ broken glass or sumthin’? Dat should be looked at... Yer gonna mess up tha carpet, if ya run around like dat... Come ‘ere, sit yer fine arse on tha chair, and let mi look at it... ‘aight?”, while talking, Iris waved her fork towards the chair next to her. ‘Even healed the burn on your arm’ Evangeline’s words about the fox haunted in Iris’ mind. She noticed she hated the creature already. The hate was different from the hate she felt towards Lareine though. Different like night and day... Lareine was basically a child. Annoying, yes, but in the end, rather easy to deal with. Irene though?

‘...Why are you afraid?’, the inaudible whisper in her ear.. an invisible, clawed hand on her shoulder. Iris winced, almost dropping the fork. She felt the hair on her neck standing up.  The medication... Had anyone given her the medication during these...what...? Four days,  Evangeline had said? In the middle of her train of thought, a cup of fresh coffee was placed in front of Iris. The scent was otherwordly... She raised her gaze up to the woman next to her. To those purple eyes, much like her own. With the color of her eyes, Evangeline could have been her sister. 

“Forget dat cig for a moment, Cinnabun, and take a heckin’ seat... I’ll see whut I can do with yer foot, but just payin’ mind to tha amount of frickin’ blood on tha floor, I dink we might need sum bandages or sum shite ‘ere... Whut are the fockin’ chances dat once when I could actually use Blacksoul, tha man has left da buildin’..?” Iris tapped the chair with the tip of her fork, waiting for Evangeline to take a seat, before the woman could mess the floor any further. She picked up the cup of coffee, brought it to her lips, and took a sip, focusing on the taste... on the scent... trying to ignore the whispers in her ear... chase away the creeping feeling of someone, or something, standing right behind her... a looming presence...

Evangeline sat down with a sigh, propping her feet up so that Iris could look at them. 

“Ugh...I didn’t even notice. Thank you, Iris. I’ll clean the floor in a moment...I appreciate you looking at them. I don’t have much feeling on the bottom of my feet anymore...you’re probably right. It must be some of the glass. Honestly though? I could have a nail in there and I’d have a hard time noticing.”

Evangeline glanced at Iris, who was carefully inspecting Eva’s foot. This was certainly not how Eva had expected, or wanted to spend her evening...she had been hoping for some relaxation, but she had been given a situation that was anything but relaxing. She was still surprised, though, at just how much better Iris returning had turned out. Eva had been dreading it in more ways than one...the shouting match that she had expected. The damaged feelings, the cold shoulders, the incredible awkwardness that would ensue, fallout from an earth-shattering argument between the two of them. And yet...despite the truly terrible breakdown she had just experienced, or...maybe...because of it? Everything had turned out well.

It was hardly a pleasant evening, but Eva found herself breathing a sigh of relief. And with that sigh of relief...she realized just how tired she was. The nightmare had taken its toll on her body...one that wasn’t obvious to the naked eye. Her limbs felt leaden, her eyes heavy...she felt like there was a stone tied around her neck, dragging her down. It wouldn’t be long before she fell asleep...she hoped Iris would stay with her. Sleep next to her as she had said she would.

Melancholy weighed upon her mind as she wound down, pent-up tension releasing as she felt the light pressure of Iris’ fingers on her foot. It would probably be improper for her to sleep next to Irene in the future. Especially once Silke got back. The two of them seemed truly meant to be together...despite whatever it was that was holding them back. The last thing she wanted, though, was to let go of that friendship...whatever her own needs were, she felt a pressing need to maintain her friendship with Irene...and perhaps even create one with Iris. She winced as Iris touched something. There it was...whatever was plaguing her foot.

“That’s something...ah...what did I step on? I can actually feel that.”

Iris leaned forward, while turning Eva’s foot as much as it was possible with the woman sitting down, to get a better look. There was definitely something in there. By running her fingertip gently over the wound, she could feel something sharp in there. It was a big one, and had sunken too deep for her to get a grip of it. Even less with her long claw-like nails, which in this case, were more in the way than helpful. 

“Dere’s definetely sumthin’ okai... But dis arse’ole is a big one... Let mi just try to...”, she placed her thumb onto the side of the wound, and while pressing onto it, rubbed her other thumb down from where she thought the little piece of shite was hiding in. As she did this, Evangeline’s leg twitched, making Iris lose her grip.

 “...For fock’s sake... Do mi a favor, Cinnabun... ‘Aight? Try to stay still... I almost got it... May need sum tools though, but... Lemme try it one more time!” The blood was slowly dripping out of the wound, running down on Eva’s foot, and falling onto Iris’ pale thigh, like an injured wolf’s lifeblood dripping onto fresh snow. With a long sigh, Iris returned her attention to the wound. After some time, and a couple of failed attempts, she got a grip of the end of what appeared to be a splinter of wood, instead of glass. She bit her lower lip, and pulling down carefully, got the splinter out, holding it up for Evangeline to see. 

“Now look at dat frickin’ bad boy! Dis is a damn ‘alf o’ a log right ‘ere! Damn... Dis fockin’ ‘ouse is fallin’ apart...”, she gave a quick glance towards the wound, while placing the rather sizeable splinter onto the edge of the table. The wound was not bleeding badly. The splinter had gushed out some blood on the way out, but without it, it was hardly dripping. This was good. 

“Now stay dere... I’ll see if... I can find anythin’ to tie tha wound wid.. Its not bleedin’ much animore, but ya cant walk on tha hallway carpets wid it aniway.. Blacksoul would frickin’ kill ya..”

Supporting herself with the back of her chair, Iris got up, only to almost fall face first onto the marble flooring. Her head was spinning. The room changed in front of her eyes. Hard, cold marble under her feet turned into soft, bone-white sand. The walls around vanished into thick fog, rising from the pitch-black sea. She fell onto her knees, breathing quickly... breathing in the thick air which reminded her of cold winter graves... and rot. 

“No... Nonononono!”, a wail escaped her lips, as she held her head, trying to make the vision disappear, but it was no use. Evangeline? Iris turned around quickly, but the woman had disappeared, with everything else. There was something in the mist though... Further away on the beach, near the waterline... A figure, dressed up into a grey gown, which almost made her part of the fog. What stood out though, was her face... Lips had been painted black, against almost white chin. And the eyes... The area around the eyes had been smeared with black, like soot, and from that darkness, two empty, dead eyes stared towards Iris. Dead, soulless eyes. Iris opened her mouth to scream, but no voice came out.

Suddenly the world turned again, turning her stomach upside-down, and throwing her back into the kitchen. She was sitting back on the floor, the towel had dropped, and was now laying next to her feet. Evangeline was back... and for the second time, during a single evening, Iris was happy to see that face... those eyes like purple pools. Eyes that were alive. Visibly shaking, Iris got back onto her feet, picking up the towel, and wrapping it around her form. 

“...W-When’s B-Blacksoul comin’ back, Evangelin’..?”

Iris rose from her chair, remarking that bandages would be a necessity if Eva ever wanted to leave the kitchen again. The muscular woman nodded in agreement, her crimson locks bouncing as she did. The sooner they could bandage her foot, the sooner they could fall into bed, something Eva was quickly finding that she needed desperately. Iris hadn’t been standing for more than a second before she tipped over like an expensive, fragile glass vase. She didn’t hit the floor immediately, but hung in the air for a moment, wobbling, her eyes searching the room wildly for something that wasn’t there. Before Eva could untangle herself enough to catch Iris, though, the other woman had collapsed to her knees, quietly wailing and clutching at herself. Evangeline sprung to her side, decorating the floor with another splatter of blood. Again? Crossed her mind. The mental toll this...dark sea must have taken on Iris’ mind seemed immense. She wondered if there was a trigger...something to be avoided that might help Iris stay grounded. Or maybe...something to be said?

“Iris? Iris! Listen to me, okay? You’re right here, not anywhere else. I’m right here next to you.” Evangeline knelt down next to the kneeling woman and took Iris’ chin under her hand, tilting it up so that she could look into the other woman’s eyes. 

“Look at me...focus on me. Hear my voice, and stay with me.” Iris’ eyes...they weren’t Irene’s, that much was certain. But she almost looked through Evangeline...her eyes locked to something that wasn’t there. In a moment, though, she seemed to snap back to reality, her eyes no longer drifting, focusing in on the woman who was directly in front of her.

”W-When’s B-Blacksoul comin’ back, Evangelin’..?” Varg hadn’t said specifically when he would be returning. A month, or two perhaps. He may have been vague because he himself didn’t know how much time he’d need to be away for. This wasn’t particularly good...especially given the way Iris’ condition seemed to be straining her. Hadn’t she...hadn’t she had some medication? Something she had taken days before? Evangeline remembered Varg making some sort of comment about Iris working at the hospital… 

“He said...a month. Two at most.” Concern was clear on Evangeline’s face.

“Wasn’t there some sort of medication you had? Were you supposed to take it daily? Irene never took anything, to my memory.” Eva placed her hands on the shoulders of the now shaking viera.

“You’re going to be okay. I promise.” Evangeline stood up. She’d have to get a bit creative for now...fetch some proper bandages later once things had settled down. She stepped over to the sink, leaving a still-noticeable but less severe pattern of blood along the kitchen floor. From a drawer underneath it, she pulled a dishrag, and, crouching over, wiped her foot and tied the cloth around it. Hopefully this would be enough to staunch the bleeding, at least enough for her to move around the house. She returned to Iris, coming back down to her level. She took Iris’ hand in hers, and looked into those deep purple eyes. The eyes she had loved, lost, and that had come back...not at all in the way she had expected.

“Do you think the medication will help you? If it will, I’ll come with you...and we can find it together. You’re not alone.”

Iris took hold of Evangeline’s hand, letting the woman help her back onto her feet. Her head was still spinning, and she felt like her legs would give in, but she managed to stay standing. She gave a quick glance around the kitchen. It was a mess. Bloody footprints traveled back and forth across the floor, like an echo of where Eva had been. The puddle of almost colorless puke was still resting at the foot of the table, but had stopped from spreading further. Leaning onto Eva, Iris took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of someone constantly watching her from the shadows of her heart. Two months until Blacksoul would be back? For once, Iris would have actually needed the man, and on the moment like that, he was gone. This was like a bad, universal joke…

 “Tha medicine, yeah. I... should take it daily. It should be in mi room... At tha heckin’ nightstand.. a small wooden casing. ‘Onestly though? Im frickin’ tired.. Could just head off to bed and take it den...”, while still talking, she glanced towards the pie and fresh cup of coffee, that were left on the table. 

“...Shite... I-I can make it into mi room on mi own.. Im not a fockin’ grandma to be carried around. But... could ya bring tha coffee and pie wid ya? Damn I hate to even ask, but Im afraid I might drop dem on tha way...” 

“Absolutely!” Evangeline’s lips curled up into a warm smile, as she made sure pale woman would stay standing without support. She took couple of steps to the table, and picked up the plate and cup of coffee.

She would need to clean the kitchen floor, but first she would see Iris into her room, and get her the medication. Meanwhile, Iris was waddling her way towards the door, and into the hallway. She glanced up towards the stairs, bit her lip, and started to climb. At this point she realized just how tired her whole body was. The dream... hallucination.. whatever it had been, had taken its toll onto her body, and she felt like she had not slept in days, while truly, it was almost all she had done for the past week or so. After a climb that felt like a dozen floors, Iris arrived at the second floor of the manor, where her room was. She could hear Evangeline’s steps in the stairway behind her. Every second step sounded damp, because of the rag she had wrapped onto the wound. Iris placed her bony fingers onto the handle, and opened the door, stepping into her room, which was filled with dolls of all shapes and sizes. Everything seemed to be as she had left it. She fought her way to the wide bed, and fell back onto the black, velvery sheets, partly sinking into soft cushions.

Iris’ usually confident stride had been fully replaced by a half-awake stagger. Evangeline wanted to support her...help her along...but Iris’ pride, even in this state, probably wouldn’t allow for it. She had already picked the woman up once tonight...might as well let her maintain her independence in getting to bed. Eva padded along behind her, uneven in her gait as she stepped on the rag again. Hopefully it wasn’t soaked through yet...she just needed a bit longer until she was able to slip away to the bathroom. Loathe as she was to leave Iris alone, she felt a pressing responsibility to clean up as much as she could...and she needed to bandage her foot if she wanted to get into bed. Bloody sheets were the last thing that anyone wanted to wake up to.

Iris rounded the corner into her room, which had remained mostly, if not entirely, untouched throughout the other woman’s absence. Now all that remained was injecting her medicine, a task that Eva wasn’t fully familiar with. She hoped Iris would be able to manage it. Administering medication was far from Eva’s strong suit, and though she could apply a bandage as well as the next person, she would be hard pressed to find a vein with how tired she was.

Evangeline slipped into the room just in time to see Iris throw herself onto her bed, as if she were a fox plunging into a snowbank in search of prey. The bed looked incredibly comfortable.  Iris being in it...an added bonus. Evangeline thanked all twelve gods that she wouldn’t have to sleep alone tonight. Even if it wasn’t Irene...having someone else there would be a lifesaver. She approached the bed, and set the coffee and the pie down on the nightstand next to the side Iris lay on, wreathed in dark sheets. Looking to a wooden box on the same nightstand, Evangeline picked it up and opened it, revealing a syringe and a bottle of light green liquid. It looked like what one would expect poison to look like…

“Can you inject this yourself? I’m not...not really a professional with a needle, unfortunately.” 

"Yeah, I can do dat miself... Not dat I even like anyone else doin' it. Just... fill tha syringe to one third and 'and it to mi, will ya?" Iris replied, her eyes full to the brim with exhaustion.

“Of course.” Evangeline smiled softly at the small, slight puddle of viera lying in bed in front of her. She filled the syringe, at first halfway, and then letting enough out to be right around one third full. Handing it to Iris, she asked: 

“Will you be okay if I run and get bandages? I’d like to keep your bed as clean as I can...and I feel a bit obligated to clean up as much of the floor of the kitchen as I can manage. I’ve left the pie and the coffee here on your nightstand.”

Iris nodded and gave Eva a slight wave, shaking hands trying to find a vein with the needle. Evangeline struggled mentally for a second, before uttering: 

“Can I...would you like me to...can I help at all?” Iris shook her head, still concentrating on placing the needle. Eva let out a light sight and withdrew. She wanted to help, but at this point it would be better to get everything sorted with the kitchen then to try and help Iris with something that Evangeline herself had no idea how to do. She’d most likely just make the situation worse.

Stepping away from the pale viera, Eva unevenly retreated out of the room, her every other footstep muffled by the rag that was luckily still tied around her foot properly. Over the next few minutes she first made her way to the bathroom and found a roll of blissfully white bandages, thoroughly wrapped her foot, and carefully taped it together with a few lengths of medical tape. That would hold her until morning...at least. She’d need to air it out tomorrow, and try to take a better look at it, but hopefully it would start healing on its own. Holding up the rag she had removed, she sighed disappointedly. It was fully dyed crimson at this point. Very little of the original grey of the cloth remained. She hoped Arsene hadn’t been particularly fond of this rag...it was basically useless now. Eva balled it up and stood, now properly bandaged. One task down...now on to the next one.

To Be Continued...

[iris-ymir]

“...The walls are whispering fire and brimstone. Something will happen in this house. Something that will leave its bloody mark on these walls until the walls are no longer... A man with a grim calling will be buried in a coffin made of lies...” -Irene d’Espair

[iris-ymir]

Darkwood - The Three

[just-the-mage]

A Return From Dark Waters, Part II

Continued from Part I, found here!

(Written by myself & @iris-ymir​)

Iris listened to Evangeline’s story. On some level, she felt the woman’s pain, when the other was talking about her nightmares. Iris had her own. Always the same... being strapped onto a hospital bed, while slowly losing herself. But she was not dead after all? This simple sentence gave her hope she did not know she had. She would still have time to fix a couple of things. The greatest mistake she ever made... but one could not start with such a leap. Every journey started with a small step. And for Iris? That small step would be Evangeline. What the two had in the past was gone with the wind... but it was never meant to be, anyways. With Eva’s arms wrapped tightly around her body.. a little bit too tight, Iris wanted to back away. Yet she did not. She swallowed hard, trying to keep the urge to leap away on tight reins. Breaking the embrace now would shatter Evangeline like a crystal vase, dropped off the table and onto the hard, cold marble flooring. So Iris endured the tight embrace, even though it took all of her self control, her body tense against Eva’s form. “So... Irene, huh?” Irene... Another self? Like the shrimp? If this was not a bad enough joke on its own.. now possibly having two of these leeches in her head... but this one actually using the name of her lousy mother? That...that was a joke so bad it kind of ended up being good in a twisted sort of way. Iris broke the embrace carefully, without making any overt movements. She moved like Evangeline was a startled kitten she was trying to calm down.

The pale viera pushed the plug into the hole in the bottom of the pool, and walked up to the shower stand, turning it on. As the warm, clean water started to fill the pool slowly, Iris made her way back to the miserable kitten that was Evangeline, and took a seat next to her, leaning back against the railing with a sigh. 

“Irene was mi mom. A heckin’ terrible mother at dat...she died in Limsa Lominsa a good fifteen summers back. Found ‘er from da sea... raped and murdered.. Fockin’ unsuspectin’ fool... Burned ‘er corpse miself. Tha wind from da sea scattered 'er damn ashes by tha mornin’ light...” Without looking at Evangeline, Iris reached her arm over the railing, picking up a bath bomb, and flipping it into a slowly filling pool. The scent of hibiscus and steam soon filled the air. 

“Ya dun sound too damn okai wid ‘er bein’ gone though. I would fockin’ lie, if I said dis wont disturb tha livin’ shite outta mi... This whole frickin’ scene.“

Evangeline could tell Iris didn’t want this. That she was uncomfortable with this. And yet...she stayed. She didn’t jump away, break the embrace...she didn’t run. Eva felt the thinner woman’s muscles tense against her, entirely unable to relax. Evangeline was about to let her go when Iris slowly and carefully extricated herself from Eva’s muscular arms. She turned on the shower again, plugging the bath, and began to fill it back up with warm water.

She’s trying. She’s really trying.

Eva thought, surprise tickling at the hollow feeling in her chest. Iris...this was unlike her. The voice was the same, though. Her eyes...undoubtedly...were the same. This was Iris...or at least, the Iris that Evangeline had known. Perhaps Silke had gotten through to her after all. Eva tried to harden her heart to the fact that Silke and Iris...that the two of them would inevitably end up together. If Iris could change...be more kind...like she was doing here...Silke would be with her. Evangeline’s breaths deepened as she tried to calm herself. Feeling the warm water tickle at her toes helped. Something to focus on other than her feelings.

“I’m sorry to hear about your mother...regardless of her quality it’s not something you should’ve had to experience. The more I hear about gods-damned Limsa Lominsa the more I want to march on it with a battalion of soldiers and wipe the blasted place off the map.” She intoned, probably sounding a bit harsher than she had meant.

”Ya dun sound too damn okai wid ‘er bein’ gone though.” 

Iris was right...it wasn’t hard to read Eva given her tear-streaked face. She was trying to suppress the sobs, but couldn’t seem to find a way to. 

“Y-you’re right...it’s...it’s a-awfully disturbing...and I’m s-sorry...but I do m-miss her...I don’t k-know if she was your mo-mother...though. I….I….I know...it’s not f-fair to you...to want her b-back...but she was m-my friend…” Evangeline heard a sharp intake of breath, seemingly from far off in the distance, and realized that she had done it. Probably preparing herself to burst into tears again. Because that’s what today needed. More tears. She didn’t know why she was telling Iris all of this...might be that she had been trying to help...as much as she could. But Eva had held this all inside of her for too long to contain it anymore.

“Sh-she was my...f-friend...and I d-don’t have any other f-friends...a-and I don’t know how...b-but she took the nightmares away...I di-didn’t dream them...for three wonderful nights...and I’m scared...to sleep again...b-because I know they’ll be b-back…” She covered her face with her hands, feeling the water rise around her feet. She closed her eyes and tried to contain herself, but it was the scent of hibiscus that cut the last string on that violin. She curled into herself further, tighter, her arms wrapped around her knees, and she buried her face in her thighs. She shuddered, wracked with sobs. She figured Iris would probably leave soon. Most everyone usually did. Evangeline was too broken...too hurt. Too much of a mess. Too much of a burden. Now that Iris was back...she probably had things she wanted to do. A life she wanted to live.

And now that the deal was most definitely off...Iris had nothing left to gain from Evangeline’s presence. Eva waited for the sound of retreating footsteps. Expectantly. And as she did, she felt herself whisper something. Under her breath...more to herself than anything else. She hoped Iris would hear it. And she didn’t want Iris to hear it.

“I d-don’t...want t-to be...alone…again..”

As Evangeline broke into tears again, Iris stood up, taking an empty bucket and a luffa that were resting on the edge of the pool, and walked to the shower stand, filling the bucket up. In a way, Iris saw herself in the crying woman... She had felt the same after she got left alone in Limsa Lominsa. She despised her mother, but still, the lonely, sleepless nights on the streets had been horrifying. Iris had not cried a single tear for her mother back then, but she had cried for the feeling of loneliness. Just as Evangeline did now. And the root of the sorrow? Irene. Iris’ mother... Evangeline’s.. friend? The thought was disturbing, and Iris did not want to think about it. It couldn’t be.  Irene Ymir was long gone. This... this had to be someone wearing the mask. An echo of a person once lived. Deep down, Iris wished the name was just a coincidence. A simple name her subconscious had picked up from somewhere. Yes. That had to be the case. Irene was dead. As the pool filled up, Iris closed the shower, picked up the bucket and made her way into the spot next to Evangeline. She reached out for a beautiful, purple bottle of soap, and poured some of it into the bucket, stirring it with the luffa. “...Fockin’ ‘ell, Evangelin’...”, she sighed out the words, while dipping the luffa onto the bucket, and proceed to wash Eva’s back and shoulders, now that the woman was curled up into herself. “...Stop yer heckin’ bawling, okai? Who tha devil said yer alone? Im ‘ere... Ya like it or not. And for yer... Irene? If whut yer sayin’ is true... If she truly is like tha shrimp, she’ll heckin pop out sooner or later. But until dat ‘appens, yer stuck wid mi!”, suddenly Iris bursted into an almost inaudible giggle.

“Shiteberries, Im heckin’ back Ya’ll!! Dey could not keep mi! No... Dey could not keep Iris... Ya ‘ear ye motherfockers?! Tha cat’s on da table, and dere’s nothin’ ya can do about it!”, she looked up to the corner of a ceiling, with a wide grin on her messy, black lips. With her bad teeth, the look resembled something from a horror story. Iris returned back to her work, now scrubbing the soot off of Evangeline’s arms and chest, as much as she could with the woman still curled up like a caterpillar. 

“...Waaait, wait... Ya slept together? Dont tell mi ya focked wid this Irene... Because dat.. Dat would be waay too weird. For a sleepin’ though... I guess ya can sleep in mi room... I ‘ave quite a wide bed. Soo, as long as ye stay on yer heckin’ side... yer free to join mi. I can't take awai yer frickin’ nightmares, but guess I can be dere if ya ‘appen to wake up for dem. ‘Aight?” Not only that, but Iris felt like she also needed someone to sleep with her. During her time floating in the sea of deep emptiness, she had from time to time had visions... like fragments of dreams, breaking through the black veil... yet always the image had shattered in front of her eyes, like a twisted mirror, sending her back into the black.

This felt different. When she had embraced Eva just a moment ago, the woman had felt real.. alive. But still, somewhere deep inside, Iris was afraid of sleeping. What if this was yet another trick? What if she woke up only to find herself floating.. drowning once again? 

“...Now I need ya to... never goin’ ba-ack... lean back a bit, so I can wash tha rest of ye... Yer not gonna crawl yer fockin’ cadaver into mi bed like dat, sister... Ohh no... Not gonna ‘appen!”, pale viera dipped the luffa into the soap water again, while intently staring at her hand and fingers. She blinked couple of times... it was a peculiar, slow blink, her left eye barely closing at all, and the eyelid moving on a small delay compared to the right. “Now... Feel mi... tell mi about dis frickin’ Irene of yers... I need to be sure o’ sumthin’...”

“W-wait...you’re staying? R-really?” Evangeline lifted her head to try to look at Iris, who was now behind Eva, scrubbing at her back and shoulders. Eva couldn’t believe it. She had been sure...absolutely sure...that Iris would have flown the coop, as it were. But maybe...something really had changed in Iris. She assumed she flushed at the mention of her sleeping with Irene...but couldn’t feel it the same way she usually could.

“We...slept in the same bed. No sex...no need to worry about that particular situation. She was just...comforting. That’s all.”

I guess ya can sleep in mi room… 

Evangeline blinked, looking into Iris’ eyes. Was she...sincere? She looked it. If she was...this was the kindest thing Iris had ever even thought of doing for her. Maybe...maybe it was possible. Maybe they could be friends, after all. Maybe Iris, under all of her deception...her difficulties...was a good person. She shook her head in an attempt to free her face of the incredulous look it must be wearing.

Evangeline slowly started to unfurl herself, spreading out at first, and then collapsing back into the water with a splash as Iris moved away from Eva’s back. She lay on her back, half-floating in the still-rising water, and stared at the ceiling. She felt the tension finally start to leach out of her. The grime and dirt floated away from her, one with the ripples in the water that exuded from Eva as she moved slowly in the calm surface of the bath.

“I...would love...to sleep in your room. Th...thank you. That’s really nice of you.” Eva could feel herself calming down, her desperate fear fading for now.

“As for Irene...she was a spellcaster...made little dancing lights. Even healed the burn on your arm, from that boiling water. She said she grew up in Gridania...and didn’t seem acquainted with much in the way of etiquette. She ate with her hands, and didn’t seem to understand talking with people very well. She was sweet, though...kind and caring. She tried to make people feel better. I don’t think Lord Blacksoul particularly appreciated it...but I think he has cornered the market on being the grumpiest old man I’ve ever met. She was always talking about how this house has such dark memories...and she would talk to the paintings. Ask them questions about the house’s past. But the strangest thing about her...was her eyes. They seemed dead...soulless. Which was such a difference from how she acted. Her eyes were how I could tell it wasn’t you in there...almost immediately.” Evangeline sniffled, but she was fairly certain the tears were over for the night. She didn’t think she had any left in her. She finally relaxed fully, and let Iris wash her, enjoying the feeling quietly.

“We-I was going to grab some food from the kitchen...after the bath. Would you like to join me? I think there’s some leftover pie still...that should help with the taste in your mouth.”

“Well, where tha heck I would go? I kinda live ‘ere, ‘aight? ...Okai, cloose yer eyes... I'm gonna get dat face o’ yers... Fockin’ ‘ell, where ‘ave ya been? Did ya crawl through a frickin’ big Bertha or sumthin’..?”, Iris carefully wiped the soot off Evangeline’s face, using small, circlular motions. As she had got all the mess off, she threw the luffa back into the bucket, and sat down next to Evangeline. 

“...Ya can do tha rest by yerself, Cinnabun, yer a big gal...” She was a spellcaster? This little fact had been bugging Iris from the moment Evangeline had mentioned it. How was that even possible? Iris never had any gift for magic. She had once seen a highlander woman lighting a cigarette with a flame cast on her fingertip, and had tried to copy the trick without any success at all. Magic had always been something so far out of her reach. Almost like her whole being was rejecting it. And now Evangeline was telling her this person using her body could cast magic? That was ridiculous... It was... unfair? Am affront, even! Eva had been wrong. The woman was a warrior. Maybe it had been some lousy trick that Eva saw as magic. Yes. That had to be the case. It was not any more magic than Iris was the Archbishop.

One thing was certain, though. This Irene was not the Irene Iris had known. Nor an echo of her. So it was just a coincidence... 

“So... Blacksoul is still kickin’ and as grumpy an arse as ever...”, Iris cupped her palms, using them to drink some water, swished, and spat it back into the pool. “‘Ow ‘bout Gramps? For ‘ow long I ‘ave been gone aniway?” A lonely thought crossed her mind, cutting like a glowing hot knife. “...And... Silke? An archmage somewhere, married to sum good-for-nothin’ lad? Nice teeeny little tower and all dat shite?” Iris tried to laugh, but it got stuck somewhere on the way, breaking out as a frustrated sigh. She had no idea for how long she had been under. It had felt like a couple of summers, but it was hard to keep track of time in the pitch darkness... She thought she had also fallen asleep a couple of times, so it was impossible to tell. Evangeline looked quite the same. But being a viera, that meant nothing. “Pie though! Pie sounds frickin’ fantastic! ...And a cup o’ coffee.. and a heckin’ Coffin nail.. Dis head-ache is killin’ mi!“

Evangeline immersed her hair in the water, and rinsed her face, as well as the rest of her body. That...would probably do it. No more grime...finally. She drew her hair forth from the pool, a mass of dark red sloughing off water as it pulled away from the surface of the bath. She smiled slightly at the nickname Iris had given her so long ago. A part of her had missed it...that one, specifically. Something about it fit perfectly. Though she certainly wasn’t going to complain about the sweet nicknames Irene had been giving her. She hoped she would be able to hear those again, someday.

“I’ve been making something. I’m hoping that Lord Blacksoul will find it useful...a gate for the front walkway. It feels a bit absurd to me that there wasn’t one here before...it’s the most basic level of security. Closing the gate and locking it is the easiest way to prevent the vast majority of intruders from wandering onto the premises. It won’t stop everyone, but it’s a step in the right direction as far as basic safety is concerned.”

Eva seemed to have righted herself mood-wise. Best to distract herself in the interest of preventing any further breakdowns. Irene may be gone now...but hopefully she would return at some point. And for now...this was a new version of Iris that Eva was enjoying quite a bit. Something had certainly changed...Eva wasn’t entirely sure what had transpired while Iris was locked away in her mind, but maybe it, as well as Silke, had given Iris the push she needed.

“Arsene? He’s fine…” Evangeline trailed off as she saw Iris’ face drop, mentioning Silke. Assuming that Silke was...married off? How long did she think she’d been gone?

“Iris...you haven’t been gone nearly as long as you seem to think. It’s been about four days since you were...lost to us. A lot has transpired, sure...but it hasn’t been months. And no-one has gone and gotten married...nothing quite so ridiculous.” Evangeline grimaced slightly at the mention of Silke’s name. The woman had done no wrong, but Eva couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment bite at her. That little green jealousy monster whipped its tail at Eva’s insides...just once. Just enough for her to struggle. But she held it back and quickly corrected her expression.

“As for Silke...we will have to write her. Both she and Lord Blacksoul have departed from Ishgarde, for fairly different reasons. Silke’s studies called for her to take a semester abroad, and it seems Lord Blacksoul was wanting for some...front-line experience. I can’t understand it...but who am I to stand in the way of men and the stupid things they choose to do?” Evangeline sighed, and finished rinsing her body off. She stood up and moved to fetch herself a towel to dry herself with.

“I don’t know if you remember it, but we participated in a rather disastrous dinner party. Someone named Asagi...her daughter...and Silke were invited here. The entire night was a mess, and I’m honestly surprised neither Arsene nor Varg had a heart attack at some point during the party.” The towel she dried herself with was still a bit scandalous for her to be wrapped in, but at this point she was too tired to care. Eva wrapped another towel around her hair and ears.

“That was when I brought Irene to Silke...and Silke was able to pull you out for just a moment.” Evangeline tried desperately not to think about that night...the feelings she had struggled with...and the heartbreak she had to endure. She closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and willing her hastily reassembled heart not to shatter again in the middle of the damned bathroom. 

“She requested communication should your condition change. You can write her the letter tomorrow if you’d like...and I’ll see that it’s posted.” Evangeline offered Iris a towel.

“Let’s get that pie, shall we? And coffee…” She trailed off, wondering if she should mention the cigarettes. It would be healthier for Iris to go without them...and Eva rather disliked the smell regardless. After thinking for a second, she concluded that they weren’t nearly close enough, and handed off the towel, moving towards the door, and some food, at last.

As Eva mentioned Iris had only been away for some days, the pale viera could do nothing but stare at her companion, like one had just told her the sky is green and seas are made of rolanberry jelly. 

“...Excuse me? Fockin’... f-four days? D-Dat can't be... It can't..” she shook her head in disbelief, while getting up from the bath, and reaching for a towel. 

“...I... I was in dat frickin’ bottomless ocean for... at least..t-two summers... Dat d-doesn’t make any sense! ...Yer not fockin’ wid mi, Cinnabun, ‘aight?” Nothing made sense to Iris... This feeling was too much for her mind to process properly. How can one be gone for such a long time, while for others, it had been only days? 

‘Am I heckin’ losin’ it..?’ 

She thought to herself, while wrapping the towel lazily around her hips. ‘Madness is not a state of mind...’, a voice in Iris’ head.. a foreign voice of a woman. It echoed from the back of her mind, where a creature was sitting like a canine. A mess of red hair fell in loose curls on her pale shoulders. She had pointy ears, and eyes like those of a corpse. Blood red tearlines ran down on her cheeks, and her black lips were curled up into a wide smile. The most conspicuous feature, though, was a thick, red, fox-like tail, coiling around her legs.

“Irene...”, the word escaped from Iris’ lips, after she had been staring into distance for a while. 

‘...A mind of your mind... our fates entwined...’, answered the voice in a soft tone. Iris closed her eyes, tilting her head to side. The movement was twitching, resembling a person who’s having a dream. As she opened her eyes, they were, once again, the dead eyes of Irene. In the next blink though, she was gone, like a whisper in the wind. 

“...Uhh.. So dat really ‘appened? Tha night when Silke was ‘ere..? I thought it was a heckin’ dream.. I’ll need to write sumthin’ for ‘er... Damn... Not a state of mind... Pie though... Just a whisper away... P-Pie sounds like a frickin’ splendid idea! And coffee... Fockin’ ‘ell Evangeline... Can ya please get mi a damn cig? Mi ‘ead is killin’ mi...” Holding her head, Iris trailed past Evangeline to the door, pushing it open into the dark hallway. Somewhere in the darkness she could feel the creature... For a moment, viera thought she saw a dancing orb of flame, lingering around the windows near the door, only to soon realize, it was just the glowing hint of the street lights on the walkway. She turned to Evangeline, standing with her on the doorway. “Yer fox is still ‘ere, by tha way...” Pale viera stepped into the hallway, as her eyes had started to adjust into the darkness. Why had no one lit the lanterns anyway? The place was like a grave. 

“...Never goin’ back..”, she whispered to herself, while feeling her way with her fingertips. She could hear Evangeline’s steps right behind her.

Evangeline stopped dead in her tracks. 

“Did you say two summers in a bottomless ocean? That’s...that’s so horrible.” Things were starting to piece themselves together now. Eva had been wondering how or why Iris had changed so much in just a few days...wondering what had happened to her. Wondering why she had seemed just a bit more unhinged than usual. Even through the haze of Eva’s despair, it was a bit obvious. If she had been trapped...imprisoned in her own thoughts for two summers...Evangeline could think of few things more mentally traumatising than that. Eva’s heart plummeted when she realized how awful she had been to Iris. Iris, who had been...drowning? At the bottom of an ocean...for years. And Evangeline had been concerned with her own stupid feelings. Her stupid dreams of a stupid relationship that wasn’t ever going to happen in the first place. Poor Iris...she needed some support right now.  Evangeline hoped she could provide it. She moved closer to Iris, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, when she heard Iris speak.

Irene... Iris was looking through Evangeline, eyes vacant, directed at something that could have been behind the tall, muscular viera...or something that could be a thousand malms away. Eva was ashamed of it...but her heart leapt at the mention of Irene’s name. Eva kept her focus on Iris, though. The woman needed help from her...not another treatise on how she wanted to see Irene again. Before Eva could open her mouth to say something, Iris closed her eyes and spasmed, eliciting a jump from Eva. “Iris? Are you okay?”

She got closer to the waifish girl, eyes radiating concern as she tried to understand what was happening. Iris’ eyes snapped open, revealing Irene...just a hint of her. Irene’s eyes were truly unmistakable...although Evangeline thought she had imagined it for a moment, as the eyes flicked again. When she reopened them, they were back to Iris’ deep purple pools, filled still with life and fire that she continued to deny was present there. Evangeline shook her head, trying to clear her perspective. Taking another look over the pale woman, she nodded numbly at Iris, who had started talking about Silke again. What did this mean? Did she want Irene back so desperately that she was seeing things? Constructing that gate must have taken more out of her than she had thought...there was no way that Irene could be making herself known again. If she was even still there. Iris had hardly ever switched with the first ‘other’...what evidence did Eva have that it wouldn’t be the same with Irene? She was being too hopeful.

Iris wandered past Eva, who let her hand fall away without any resistance. The spindly figure was holding her head...best to get her something to eat. Some actual water too, maybe. Perhaps she was dehydrated. She followed after, trying not to intrude too far into Iris’ space. She wasn’t sure if her presence was helping, or hurting. Best to be careful for now...she didn’t want to upset Iris if she could avoid it. Iris turned to her, throwing a few words over her shoulder as if they were the peel to a banana.

Yer fox is still ‘ere, by tha way… 

Eva’s heart, which had just started to settle down, felt as if it were about to try and climb out of her chest and up her throat. This was confirmation. It was real. Irene was still there...and Eva had probably seen her eyes for just a moment too. A valve opened in her body somewhere and relief flooded throughout every inch of her. She could feel her body relaxing...as long as Irene would come back...for sure...Eva could wait. She would absolutely wait...and she would do her best for Iris, too. She hurried after the retreating figure, following her into the kitchen, and busied herself with starting the coffee brewing. Sweeping around the kitchen like a seasoned housewife, she fetched a plate, and smoothly slid a slice of pie onto it, filled a glass with water, and presented both to Iris, who Eva quickly noticed had taken a seat at the table, still rubbing her forehead.

“There...maybe this will help a bit. Oh!” Eva spun on her heel, almost floating to the silverware drawer, and wrapping her fingers around a clean fork, which she placed delicately next to the pie.

“The coffee should be ready soon...and…” Evangeline grimaced. She didn’t feel comfortable enabling it...but she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary friction with Iris. 

“Where do you keep your cigarettes? I can fetch one for you…”

To be continued..

[iris-ymir]

Random Fact - Iris, Lareine, Irene & Asagi

Got tagged by @zuriel-aluette @yokasaris @thefreelanceangel and @unatobajhiri !! Damn, thats lot of tags, thank you so much! *curtseys* 🖤 With 4 tags, I guess I’ll throw in 4 random facts... So here, have the three personalities of Iris, and the bartender Asagi Homura, from my alt blog (Because I ran out of Iris)!

Iris Ymir Even though Iris is very poor at writing, her skills in drawing are outstanding. During her years in Limsa Lominsa, she used to make some money by working as a freelancer tattoo artist. She has tattooed four Iris flowers onto her thigh, representing people, who were in one way or another, important in her life. The flowers are made for her mother Irene, who was raped and murdered only a year after they arrived to Limsa Lominsa, for a feral miqo’te girl Aetora, she met on a short trip aboard a slave ship, for her first girlfriend, Rozelin, who later sold her out, and for Silke, the true love of her life. Lareine Kira Lareine is a teenager personality, stuck to be 15 years old forever. Out of the three, Lareine’s mind is most warped, and she has basically no connection to the real world. Even when in control, she will see the reality as a wonderland, from the tales Iris’ mother used to tell her as a child. The people she meets, she will see as a fairytale characters, ranging from White knight and Red queen, to Cheshire cat and Fairy godmother. Irene d’Espair Even though Irene shares the name with Iris’ mother, her personality and the magic she uses, are loosely based on the momeries of Iris’ grandmother, Irina. Irina was a witch and a dreameater, specialized in illusion magic, resembling that of foxes in eastern mythology. The gift for said magic skipped over Iris’ mother, and was inherited by Iris. The events, following the insident in Limsa Lominsa, rendered Iris unable to channel aether, or cast magic. For yet unknown reason though, Irene is able to channel Irina’s magic, and appears to also be a dreameater, much like the old witch. Asagi Homura ( @the-second-circle-ffxiv ) Asagi used to be a monster hunter, until she made a fatal error, by underestimating her opponent. She ended up being possessed by the voidsent, which was later driven out of her body by a ritual of exorcism. Even though, Asagi made it through the ritual with her life, she ended up losing both of her arms and ability to bear children. The lost arms got replaced by magitek prosthesis, but the memory of her mistake never stopped haunting Asagi. She ended up leaving the hunting business, after adopting the two of her three daughters, Ainu and N’bella.

Tagging: @umbralich @hangedemperor @evangeline-cross @kyrie-silverwings @lavender-hemlock @illia-ast @sdavi-kitanni @tsukikotanshi @under-the-blood-moonlight @dragonwitch-ffxiv @alun-ura @isuke-ejinn @ishgard @mai-takeda @vylette-elakha @victoria-laurent @vysaldhe @ink-dreams-ffxiv @kugane-bois & @benes-diction​ ! 🖤

[iris-ymir]

Alter Files!

Short introduction to Iris’ two alters, Irene and Lareine! 🖤

Irene

NAME: Irene d’Espair ALIAS/NICKNAME: Wench, Vixen (Varg), Fox bitch, Yellow Eyes (Iris) AGE: 168 RACE: Daughter of an Old One GENDER: Female SEXUALITY: Demisexual, polyamorous MARITAL STATUS: Obscure ALTER TYPE: Demonic alter Physical Appearance ––– – HAIR: Long, bright red hair, usually tied up onto twintails. EYES: White, dead eyes, lacking all emotion (Sometimes appears yellow in Iris’ hallucinations). HEIGHT: 5′7′’ BUILD: Hourglass shape. DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Pointy ears, long fingers with claw-like nails, and sharp teeth. May sometimes have small horns on top of her head, or spawn several additional eyes. During hallucinations, the appearance varies a lot. Personal ––– – PROFESSION: Dream eater, deadspeaker, soothsayer & witch. HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Illusions, art, poetry & occultism. FAVOURITE FOOD: Sweet mead, spicy steak & roasted vegetables. LANGUAGES: Common & hingan RESIDENCE: Nightmare world BIRTHPLACE: Black Sea FEARS: Losing herself.

Lareine

NAME: Lareine Kira ALIAS/NICKNAME: Shrimp (Iris), Girl (Varg), Young miss (Arsene), The other (Evangeline) AGE: 16 RACE: Hyur midlander GENDER: Female SEXUALITY: N/A MARITAL STATUS: Dating? ALTER TYPE: Teenage alter Physical Appearance ––– – HAIR: Shoulder lenght, platinum blonde hair. EYES: Poison green HEIGHT: 5′0′’ BUILD: Petite and doll-like DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Small beauty mark under the left eye. White rose, painted red, with two cards (Queen of hearts & Ace of Spades) tattooed on her right shoulder. Tends to carry around a white rabbit plushie and an old, broken pocket watch. Personal ––– – PROFESSION: N/A HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Reading, baking, painting & adventuring. LANGUAGES: Common & ishgardian FAVOURITE FOOD: Cupcakes and tea. RESIDENCE: Wonderland BIRTHPLACE: Blacksoul Manor, Ishgard FEARS: Iris, losing her knight, the Wonderland falling into ruin & loneliness.

(Dollmaker I used for silhouettes HERE!)

[just-the-mage]

A Return From Dark Waters, Part 1

To preface this piece: it takes place after the end of the Dinner.  Evangeline has been adjusting to Irene, a new personality who has become the foremost personality in the body of Iris.  This won’t be the last one! Several more to come until this section is complete! 

Written by @iris-ymir​ & myself!  

The sound of the hammer rang out through the forge as Evangeline struck at the spikes of the wrought iron gate for one last time. She dropped the hammer onto the table with a resounding thud, and took a look at her craftsmanship. This project had been at least twice the undertaking she had expected it to be. Not only had she needed to acquire the materials, forge the gate itself, and assemble the blasted thing, but she could see now that trying to carry it out to set it into the wall would be a project in its own right. That, though, she would have to handle tomorrow. She was drenched in sweat, smelled to high heavens, and was probably covered in soot, if the appearance of her hands and arms were any indication of the overall state of her body. She pulled a rag from her tool belt, and wiped the sweat from her forehead once again. A glance at the now black cloth was indication enough that there may now be one clean spot on her face, but the rest of it was probably a mess. She removed her heavy blacksmith’s apron, hanging it on one of the wall hooks across from the doorway to the small, comfortable forge. Repeating the process with her tools and her toolbelt, she doused the fire and walked outside, closing the door behind her with a push of her heel and locking it. Sighing with relief, she felt the cool air roll over her, almost immediately eliciting a shiver as the sweat coating her body turned cold. Now was definitely time for a bath.

Evangeline quietly entered Blacksoul Manor through the back way, pushing the door slowly so that it didn’t creak. She reminded herself for the umpteenth time to oil the hinges, or the manor’s residents would wake the whole of Ishgard without realizing it. It was a bit later than she had wanted to finish working...but she at least had finished working. Letting the door fall shut behind her, she looked around for a lantern, a torch...something to help her navigate the now darkened hallways of the manse without disturbing Irene or Arsene. It could very well be that they were in bed at this hour, and waking someone was the last thing she wanted to do tonight. She gave up the search, unable to locate a source of light in the gloom of the mansion’s threshold. Best to proceed carefully, then. She started down the hallway towards the bathroom, eager to rid herself of the grime of a hard day of work, but still trying to stay careful. It wasn’t long, though, before she bumped into something. A slight, waifish figure, a body belonging to a woman she knew all too well at this point. Eva’s arm reached out instinctively, catching the small woman before she had a chance to stumble backwards.

“I’m sorry!” she intoned, trying to look Irene in the eyes as her vision adjusted to the darkness.

“I can hardly see in here...and there wasn’t a lantern by the back door. I was just going for a bath...would you like to join me? I’ve probably gotten some soot on you at this point…” Evangeline scratched the back of her head nervously.

Irene ran her fingertips on the old, well-worn wallpaper. Years ago, it had been bright red, with a well detailed blue pattern running on it. But now? After the years, the bright red had faded like memories, now appearing as dark crimson, like last drops of lifeblood, escaping from the wounds of the dying. The blue details had faded almost completely, and it was impossible to tell how it had once appeared. These walls had seen so much tragedy. Irene could almost hear them crying in the darkness. The tears of those this house had claimed during the years. Countless lives... And more to come. She heard the door opening and closing, and not long after, something bumped onto her in the dark. She felt Evangeline’s touch, as the woman grabbed her by the arm. Her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, and she could make out the silhouette of a viera, standing in front of her. 

“Who goes there, wearing the cloak of the night? A burglar? Or maybe a cheating husband be thee might?”, Irene snapped her fingers, and a small foxfire appeared over her shoulder, like a small lantern carried by invisible pixies. The faint light was way too small, too weak to illuminate the hallway, but it was enough to cast a small circle around the women. The light danced on Irene’s features. The sickly face of Iris, and black lips, curled up into a playful smile, revealing a line of yellow teeth. In a way, the sight was eerie. 

“...A bath does sound good though, Evangeline. I was just on my way to the kitchen for a midnight snack, but can very well accompany you, maybe wash your back. You... look like a coal miner. Ohh, if you could just see yourself now! Come on now, lets get that grime off your features, before the creatures of the night claim you as their own...” Irene turned around, and floated towards the bathroom door, opened it, and slipped in. Not long after, Eva could hear the sound of running water filling the tub.

Evangeline giggled at Irene’s joke, eyes searching the barely illuminated face of the woman she once loved. The faint glow of the foxfire cast deep shadows on the viera’s gaunt face, revealing her high cheekbones, her sunken eyes...Irene didn’t look healthy. She needed more food...less alcohol, and less cigarettes. In that moment, Evangeline resolved to try and make sure the woman ate properly. Three meals a day if she could manage it. She wasn’t sure how she could deal with the cigarettes...or, in fact, the pills. The night the two of them had gone to the club...Iris had slipped her something. It had made her feel amazing...and she had done a few things she wasn’t particularly proud of. She felt a blush creep to her cheeks at the thought of it, and she tried desperately to wave the thoughts away before they overtook her.

She had to focus...because the morning after she had felt like death. A headache that had lasted all day. Exhaustion. She had barely been able to move her body until past noon. If this was something that Iris did regularly...that was another in a string of unhealthy things the woman was doing to her body. Eva would try to help...for Irene’s sake, if nothing else. With the fox-like woman in charge of the body, it would be easier to take things in a more positive direction...hopefully.

She watched the slight, almost ghostly form of Irene float away from her and slip into the bathroom. Eva shook her head. Still, sometimes...she wondered how in Eorzea she had gotten herself into this mess. At least she had made friends with Irene through all of it. That, at least, was a blessing...in the face of all of the curses she seemed to have placed upon herself the past few months. Hearing the sound of water, she trotted after Irene, opening the door to see the other woman disrobing. Literally, as it happened.

She dropped the robe she had been wearing to the floor, revealing pale skin covering the slender frame of Irene. Evangeline watched the robe fall into a pile, a snake made of fabric, coiling onto the floor. The light caught her shoulder blades, of all things, as she turned to step into the bathtub. The woman was barely visible...but in the now flickering light of the foxfire, she seemed almost transparent. A spectre. Beautiful, and terrible, one who would come to you in the night to drain you of your soul in exchange for a few moments of divine pleasure. Eva smirked at the thought, and removed her clothes, marveling at how dirty she was. The water in the tub would be black by the time she was done...she could see the divide, the place where her shirt sleeves had covered her forearms, the neckline of her shirt...even in low light, she could tell the difference.

“Perhaps we could grab that snack after we’re done in the bath? There isn’t anything wrong with a little extra food to help us drift off to sleep, in my mind.” Eva smiled softly at Irene. She honestly didn’t know how she could go back to sleeping alone, after spending her nights with the woman. She had never felt so comfortable or so safe next to anyone...and after four nights without nightmares, she was hooked. Evangeline didn’t know how things would work out after Silke got back...or after Iris got back. If Iris came back. But she didn’t think anything made her happier than feeling sleep take her while she was wrapped in Irene’s embrace.

Eva lowered herself into the bathtub, feeling the water envelop her aching muscles. It was indescribable how good it felt...the water was steaming hot, and she could feel it pulling the grime off of her already. The scent of hibiscus lingered in the air...Irene must have dropped a bath bomb in right after she had started the water running. Evangeline gazed across the tub at the spectre floating passively in the water, watching the reflection of the foxfire dance in Irene’s violet eyes.

“I’m sorry today has been a bit busy for me...how have you been?”

“No need to feel sorry, Angel. You are taking the correct step. Stepping away from the future painted with blood. A step into the blessed moonlight. And with the father of murder away on his ride... it's a perfect time to prove your worth to him. Am I not right, Angel?” Irene stood up in the pool, water running down her lithe form, as the faint glow of foxfire danced on her pale white skin. Her deep black hair ran down on her shoulders and chest, like a thick spider’s web, now that Evangeline had brushed it clear of all the tangles it had before. With a smile lingering on her lips, Irene made her way to the lantern, hanging on the wall above the tub. She opened the lid, and lit the heart with the foxfire, before snapping her fingers, making the dancing flame disappear. She leaned back onto the wall, next to the lantern, fixing her dead eyes on the dark-skinned viera, sitting on the opposite end of the pool. Evangeline’s body had something very poetic to it. The beautifully dark skin, together with well built warrior’s physique and hair, made of a wildfire, made the woman look like a goddess of war. “I... have been...”, Irene took a deep breath, her eyes wandering from Evangeline to the water around the woman. Black water. Deep black, slowly spreading into the tub. The soot. “...Just... w-wandering around the m-manor... Helping... the ferryman...”, pale viera shook her head, her dead eyes turning in sockets, and without warning, she fell forward, face first into the pool. Iris opened her eyes, beneath the waves of the black sea. The shock made her gasp, breathing in water. She felt she was drowning again. Losing herself. She had died once, twice... and now she was back again. It was like some twisted game for a sadistic god.

While feeling the dread washing over her, Iris kicked the water hard, as a last attempt to get to the surface. The final plea of a forsaken woman. But to her own surprise, she broke the surface almost right after. Her legs still touched the bottom, and water only reached up to her hips. The pale viera stooped down, coughing hard, trying to get the water out. The first thing that came out was just some saliva, then a blurt of dark water... she felt her stomach turning upside down, and unable to keep it in, she threw up. A mess of dark and bloody red, splashing into the bathwater. After everything had come out, holding her chest spasmodically, Iris blinked, looking around. “Whe.. Where..?”, she coughed hard, and her eyes catched the form of Evangeline, now standing up in the pool, in front of her. “...F-Fockin’ ‘ell... Evangelin’! Wh...”, another burst of heavy coughing broke out, forcing Iris to curl up, the black locks of hair, running down on her face like seaweed.

“IRENE!” Evangeline screamed, watching in horror as her friend fell face-first into the bathtub, seemingly catatonic. Eva threw herself forward, too late to catch the falling woman, desperately trying to get a grip on Irene to turn her over and let her breathe. Dark waters splashed around her, flying from the bathtub, the serene picture of a calming evening soak shattered into a million tiny water droplets. Just as Eva had managed to start to pull Irene up, the pale viera surged upwards, coughing and sputtering, as if she were being pulled forth from primordial ooze, tendrils of black hair whipping the air as she gasped for breath. Irene vomited, more black bile, blood...the dark bathwater was tinted further, this time with a swirl of crimson. Evangeline moved to comfort Irene, to ask her what had happened, take the thin frame of her friend in her arms, when she heard it.

“...F-Fockin’ ‘ell...Evangelin’! Wh…” Eva would have known that voice anywhere. She should have realized...realized that her joy would come to an end. Sooner or later, this was going to happen. Iris wasn’t gone...she never had been. Just buried. Lurking. Waiting for the time she would come back and tear Evangeline’s...friend? More-than-friend? Straight from her arms. A chill set throughout Eva’s body, as one thought became clear and present in her mind. Sharp like a knife, it cut through to her core, slicing her bones apart.

What if this was the last time she saw Irene?

What if...what if this woman she had grown to know...to cherish...was a one-time deal? What if Iris resurfacing fully would expel Irene from the body...for good? She felt cold. Alone. Again. And Iris being back made it worse...so much worse. The woman who had broken her heart, torn her to shreds, played with her like it was a game...here she was. In the flesh, so to speak. Evangeline had thought for days about what she might say...what she might do when Iris came back. It had changed every day. Sometimes she was angry...sometimes resentful...sometimes she could feel herself wrapping back around Iris’ finger like ivy, reaching fruitlessly for something that could never be hers. All of her thought, though...all of her preparation went directly out of the window when she saw Iris in front of her. She was so utterly different from Irene that it was palpable. The way she stood, her eyes, her face...everything was completely changed. It was still...surprising.

“How could you.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. And Evangeline felt it leave her mouth unbidden.

“How could you do this to...to…” Eva wanted to say ‘me.’ She wanted more than anything to say ‘me.’ She wanted to be selfish, hateful, and angry, to yell and scream...and so she did.

“Me. How could you do this to me. I did everything you asked. I tried to be what you wanted. I tried to tiptoe around your boundaries and I made sure all of the eggshells were intact after I walked over them near you. All the while you were in love. And instead of having the common decency to tell me how desperately you wanted this woman you tried to USE ME to get back at her? To what, make her mad? Jealous? How fucking dare you.” She sneered, her arms crossed. She shook for a moment, almost imperceptibly, gritting her teeth, her eyes locked on Iris. She shook her head to try to calm herself.

“I am hardly blameless in this scenario.” She continued quietly. “I threw myself at you like an idiot. I pushed when I shouldn’t have. But seven HELLS. I can’t even begin...to think...of how upset I am. I’m going to...to…” Evangeline trailed off as she turned to step from the bathtub, finally realizing that she would probably need another bath to get this bathwater off of her. She trailed off, in fact, because she looked at the bathwater. Really, truly looked at it. Swirling in those dark waters were images she had thought were contained to her mind...images that, blessedly, she had been free of for the past few days. It made it all the more brutal for her to see them again now. She felt her throat close up as she locked her eyes on the water, the hellish divination pool she was unable to look away from.

The rippling images depicted everything she wanted to forget. Bloody battlefields...heads on spikes...shattered bodies of her comrades. But what was truly unavoidable was the one moment she had hoped to forget most...and it played again in front of her.

“Get her armor off. I don’t want to bruise my fists.” A broad shouldered Garlean man gazed down at her, grinning maliciously. She couldn’t move. Her muscles tensed up, tightening as they always did, freezing her in place as she felt herself be dragged up from the ground, the men surrounding her unstrapping her armor so that she could be beaten more efficiently. Two of them held her, an arm for each of them, as the broad man approached her, and immediately sunk his fist into her cheek, almost breaking her cheekbone on the spot.

“This bitch killed three of my men. Teach...her...a lesson.”

Another kicked her, jamming their foot into her side near her kidneys. Punch, kick, punch, kick. The blows came steadily, never wavering in their strength. All the while she could feel the two that held her arms start to pull at them, wrenching and twisting, as if they were trying to pull her in two. The beating continued, even as her left shoulder let off a loud ‘pop’ and dislocated, causing her to scream in agony. No sound came out, though. She was frozen. Unmoving. Just like every morning. She took in a sharp breath as her body realized she needed air, and she immediately started to hyperventilate, breathing faster and faster, unable to control herself. She waited...waited for help. Like every morning. No help came, though. No guardian angel...no squad of friendly troops. Just more pain. The men had started to change...grow more hideous. They resembled beasts now. Eyes aglow with fury, sharp claws and horrible faces. They screamed with rage...delight...and hunger. And she stood there, stock still, as they tore her apart. Rending her flesh, eviscerating her, and last...but not least...pulling her limbs from her body.

She could move again. But just barely. This had been worse...it had felt more real than the dreams usually did. Evangeline felt the tears pour down her face, but was unable to even wipe them away. All she could do is curl up in a ball, sitting down in the black bathwater, and shake uncontrollably, clutching at herself as she watched her horrible, gruesome death play out again...and again...and again.

Iris spat into the water, trying to get the horrendous taste out of her mouth, but it was no use. The metallic, bitter... rotten aftertaste lingered on her tongue, sticking to it. She took a step to the shower stand at the corner of the pool, and turned it on, letting the clean, warm water wash her face, while taking a drink. She could not get rid of the taste completely, but it faded away some, making it somewhat bearable, if nothing else. While listening to Evangeline, going on and on about how Iris, once again, was a horrible person, pale viera turned off the shower, and dipped her arm into the weird dark mess, that was the bathwater, pulling the plug on the bottom, so the grime would drain away. She needed a bath so badly, but listening to a silly girl going on and on with her monologue, the grime filling the pool right now could not drain fast enough. What the hell was Evangeline on about anyway? Iris had just... literally returned from the death! The situation reminded her of the first time she had arrived at Blacksoul Manor. She had made a miraculous recovery. She had already paid for the ferryman, yet she tore herself free, diving into the river of the Underworld, and fought herself back to the realm of the living. And what was waiting for her? No smiles, happy tears, or blankets wrapped onto her shoulders... No beautiful dance-girls curling up onto her sides. No. Just cold hands of Varg Blacksoul, long nights strapped onto bed, and a nightsoil pot to shite into. And now this? This was like a fucking homage to the last round. But instead of Varg, now she had Evangeline. 

“How c-could y-y-ya do d-dis to mi...”, Iris imitated the woman’s words while walking onto her side, about to get out of the bath. She needed a cigarette, and she needed it badly. Her head was pounding, loud enough to make her ears ring.

“Yer right, buttpluck... Ya threw yerself at mi... Like a fockin’ puppy, humpin’ mi leg! Did we not ‘ave a deal? ‘Ow is it mi fault, if ya fail to understand dat in tha little ‘ead of yers? Whut the ‘ell did ya expect? For us to frickin’ live ‘appily ever after? Gimme a break... Now wash yer heckin’ cadaver, and leave mi to get rid of dis fockin’ smell of an open grave...” What Iris was about to say got drained down with the black water, as Evangeline suddenly collapsed into the pool. A drained out sigh escaped through Iris’ yellow teeth, as she eyed the sight in front of her. Of course Evangeline was crying. It was all the woman could do. Pale viera was about to step out of the pool, leaving the woman alone with her misery, as she noticed Eva shaking like a dead leaf in the winter storm, right before it gets torn off of the branch. A panic attack? A sick scene? Either way, this was not normal. 

Something has to change... 

Silke’s words from somewhere behind a veil echoed in Iris’ mind. Had it even really happened? It felt like a fever dream. But the dream-Silke had been right. Something had to change. Or she would lose her star in the night sky forever. And that? That would be worse than death. Pale viera sat down next to the woman, wrapping an arm softly onto Eva’s well-toned shoulders. She could feel the woman’s whole form, shaking against her side.

“Evangelin’... Cinnabun, whut’s wrong? Eva? Heckin’ breath wid mi gal, okai?” Iris took a deep breath, holding it for a second, and exhaled slowly. She repeated the process couple of times, while holding the woman gently, making sure to not make her feel trapped. “...Just... focus on frickin’ breathin’, ‘aight? Yer doin’ good.. Keep goin’...” She kept breathing with Evangeline, while the black water was slowly drained out of the pool below.

As she was torn apart for the fifth time, Evangeline heard something. It was faint...but it was different. She felt something...something that wasn’t, for the first time in what had felt like years, claws rending her flesh.

-ocus...breathin’...doin’ good… 

Something lay gently on her shoulder...and something else wrapped around her chest. She looked at it...to find...something familiar. A ghostly...pale...arm. Thin almost to the point of being bony. She recognized this arm...recognized it well enough to be able to follow it. The arm didn’t dissipate into nothing when it stopped touching her body. It...belonged to someone. Someone who was sitting right next to her...breathing with her. She felt her breath slow...and calm...as the arms around her anchored her back to reality. The image in the pool...the image in her mind started to fade. She could barely feel the monsters gut her this time. She looked up...and two violet eyes pierced the illusion, shattering it into nothing. She sat...now covered in filth again...looking into the face of a viera woman she recognized. Gaunt, and almost hauntingly beautiful. She tried to grasp the name...and caught one from thin air. 

“Ir...ir...Iris…? A-are you...you….Iris? I-Irene?” Evangeline’s breaths came ragged to her as she stared at the face. The world slowly came into focus again around her, and she realized she was in a bathtub. Realized she was still shaking uncontrollably.

“Wh...where...where am I….?” she said, her voice trembling like a leaf in a thunderstorm. “W-will the...the men be back…? I...w-was in the d-desert...a...a...arree….are th-they going to k-kill me..again…?”

The name ‘Irene’ made Iris’ breath get stuck into her throat for a moment. Where did Evangeline hear that name? Iris’ had never talked about her mother.. with anyone. Especially not Eva, who she had basically just met. Irene had been a lousy mother... not worth being remembered. She was just about to ask about the name when Evangeline asked if the men would kill her again. Again? A cold shiver ran up on viera’s spine. She had been so sure. So sure she had come back from the death, but this? Had Evangeline died too? Iris had no idea how long she had been floating in the bottomless, hollow sea, but it felt like a couple of summers easily. Maybe more... Then again, if she was dead, what was the headache? The only thing that had ached during the unknown amount of time floating in nothingness was her heart. Now her heart felt rather fine, but the headache was killing her. This was curious. But whatever this was, some part of her was boiling over with joy just seeing the face of Evangeline. For so long, she had been in the deep dark... Not seeing anything, let alone a face of someone she knew. She did something she had never done before... She wrapped both of her arms around a now seemingly calmer Evangeline, and pulled the woman into a tight hug. For some time, she just sat there... enjoying the warmth of the other’s body... And giving the woman as much comfort as she could in a situation like this. “Ya... seem to be in da bathroom o’ manor, Evangelin’... And I dunno about whut men yer babblin’ about, but dere is no-one ‘ere. Just mi.

...If ya died though.. Welcome to da fockin’ afterlife, huneydoll! ‘Onestly though... The thin’s priest keep flappin’ deir lips about... Seem to be rather exaggerated, if ya ask mi... ‘Ave not seen a great ‘alls, nor bright lights. Just a frickin’ head-ache, and mi mouth tastes like sumeone ate cat’s shite wid it...” Iris placed her thumb onto Eva’s cheek, wiping away a flow of tears, and leaving her fingertip black with soot. “...And its Iris! Whut’s dis damn nonsense about Irene though? ...Fockin’ ‘ell... Who ever is in charge o’ dis whole damn afterlife business has frickin’ poor sense of humor.. If I ‘ad to pick a place to spend a damn eternity in.. Dis heckin’ bathroom would not make it to da top o’ da list...”

Evangeline felt cold, thin arms wrap around her, and listened as Iris talked.

“The..t-the...manor? That explains...the lack of sand…” Everything came flooding back at once. The gate she had made, the bath, Irene...oh Irene. Gone. A whisper of a person, who may never be heard again. She watched stoically as the last of the dark water drained from the tub, taking with it her horror, her nightmares...for now. It was late. And she knew soon...sleep would take her, and she would be back in the desert. Full of fear. Reliving the moment that had broken her again. No Irene to lie by her side. Just cold...and alone...in a dark room. What snapped her from her reverie, in fact, was Iris. The sudden realization that Iris’ arms were wrapped around her. Iris held her in a tight hug. The slender frame of the woman she had once loved was pressed flush against her skin, warm to the touch. She slowly, carefully folded her arms around the other woman, returning the hug in kind. She didn’t know what Iris had been through...but it was probably more than enough punishment than she could hope for in this situation.

“I’m sorry...Iris.” She said, her sense of self slowly seeping back into her.

“I’m not dead...and neither are you. I don’t know why I saw...and felt...what I did there. I have nightmares every night. Every night I see the same thing: the group of Garleans who nearly dismembered me in Ul’dah. At the time, I was saved by someone...someone who was special to me.  In the dreams, I live through it again...but with no-one to help me. They tear me to pieces, over and over again, until I wake. I had gotten used to it...but this time it felt a thousand times more real than before.” Eva rocked back and forth slightly, trying not to go back to that place again. Trying not to feel it again.

“What happened between us...is in the past. I can hardly be upset with you...we did have a deal. I shouldn’t have expected what I did.” She looked to the floor of the now-empty bathtub, staring into space.

“Irene i-is..w-was...the n-name of one of your other...selves.” Evangeline’s voice began to tremble again, and the tears that had almost stopped stung at her eyes again.

“S-she was very...k-kind to me...v-very sweet...helped me calm d-down after you disappeared...and even t-tried to help me bring you back…”

Irene was gone. The finality of it hit her...with Iris back, Irene most likely wouldn’t be making any more appearances...if she was even there anymore. Maybe she had been ejected like a wayward spirit...moved on to the afterlife. Or maybe she was buried deep in Iris’ consciousness, never to be seen again. Iris was a dominant person...and if she wanted to be in charge, she probably would be.

“B-but she’s gone now...and I-I’m okay with that...it’s your body. Welcome back.” Eva sobbed. She most definitely wasn’t okay with it. But how could she tell Iris that? How cruel would it be to tell someone who had fought her way back to consciousness that she wasn’t Eva’s first choice? In some ways it was nice to see her...she had missed Iris in an odd sort of way. But she missed Irene already...the constant presence that had comforted her, made her feel like the world wasn’t so cripplingly awful to inhabit...was gone. And she was alone. Again. Evangeline felt as if someone had scooped out her insides with a spoon. And so she sat there, a hollow husk, trying not to squeeze Iris too tight, although she desperately wanted to.

[iris-ymir]

💀  Iris, Irene & Lareine  🍭

Some more dollmakers! Yes, I love them... This was just absolutely adorable!! *Cries rainbows* 🖤

Tagging: @umbralich (Silke), @evangeline-cross @lavender-hemlock @vylette-elakha @mai-takeda @kyrie-silverwings @thefreelanceangel @zuriel-aluette @illia-ast @tsukikotanshi & anyone who wishes to do it, consider yourself tagged!!!

Dollmaker HERE!

[iris-ymir]

Iris, Irene & Lareine

Tagged by @lavender-hemlock! 🖤 

Leaving this as an open tag for anyone who wish to try it out! Consider yourself tagged! 🌹 

Dollmaker HERE!

[iris-ymir]

Language Promt - Iris, Lareine & Irene

Iris

𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒: 1  /  2  /  3 +(Common, hingan & ishgardian)

𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄:  high  /  average  /  deep

𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓:  yes  /  no.

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑:  confident  /  shy  /  approachable  /  hostile  / other (flirty).

𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄:  slumped  /  straight  /  stiff  /  relaxed.

𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒:  head tilting  /  swaying  /  fidgeting  /  stuttering  /  gesturing  /  arm crossing  /  strokes chin  /  er, um, or other interjections  /  plays with hair or clothing  /  hands at hips  /  inconsistent eye contact  /  maintains eye contact  /  frequent pausing  /  stands close  /  stands at distance.

𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙓𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◻

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄: ◼ ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼

𝘽𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙇𝙔

arse. ass. asshole. bastard. bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck. horseshit. motherfucker. piss. prick. screw. shit. shite. shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy.

𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙉 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙓𝙏    

christ on a bike. christ on a cracker. damn. goddamn. godsdamn . hell. holy shit. jesus. jesus christ. jesus h christ. jesus h. roosevelt christ. lord have mercy. jesus, mary and joseph. sweet jesus.

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙊𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏

contractions or enunciation?   straightforward or cryptic?   jargon or toned?   complexity or simplicity?   finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind?   masculinity, neutrality, or femininity?   formalities or abrasiveness?   praise or equivocation?   frankness or lies?   excessive or minimal hand gestures?   name-calling or magnanimity?  friendly or blunt nicknames?

𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙏 𝙌𝙐𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR MUSE?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes (Very strong accent)  /  rarely  /  never.

DOES YOUR MUSE’S POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.  

WOULD YOUR MUSE INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes /  rarely /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE USE “WHOM” IN A SENTENCE? yes  /  no  /  only ironically.

YOUR MUSE WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE?   but  /  though  /  although  /  however  /  perhaps  /  mayhaps.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE END CONVERSATIONS?   walk away  /  ask if that’s everything /  say that that’s everything  /  give a proper goodbye  /  tell their company they’re done here  /  remain quiet  /  they don’t.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE ADDRESS OTHERS?   titles /  first names  / surnames  /  full names  /  nicknames /  dependent

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR MUSE BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK?   upper  /  middle  /  lower.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR MUSE SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS? accent /  vocabulary  /  tone  /  level  /  politeness  /  brusqueness  /  it doesn’t.

Lareine

𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒: 1  /  2  (Common & ishgardian) /  3 +

𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄:  high  /  average  /  deep

𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓:  yes  /  no.

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑:  confident  /  shy  /  approachable  /  hostile  / other.

𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄:  slumped  /  straight  /  stiff  /  relaxed.

𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒:  head tilting  /  swaying  /  fidgeting  /  stuttering  /  gesturing  /  arm crossing  /  strokes chin  /  er, um, or other interjections  /  plays with hair or clothing  /  hands at hips  /  inconsistent eye contact  /  maintains eye contact  /  frequent pausing  /  stands close  /  stands at distance.

𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙓𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼  

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◻ ◻

𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝘽𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙇𝙔

arse. ass. asshole. bastard. bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck. horseshit. motherfucker. piss. prick. screw. shit. shite. shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy.

𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙉 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙓𝙏    

christ on a bike. christ on a cracker. damn. goddamn. godsdamn . hell. holy shit. jesus. jesus christ. jesus h christ. jesus h. roosevelt christ. lord have mercy. jesus, mary and joseph. sweet jesus.

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙊𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏

contractions or enunciation?   straightforward or cryptic?   jargon or toned?   complexity or simplicity?   finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind?   masculinity, neutrality, or femininity?   formalities or abrasiveness?   praise or equivocation?   frankness or lies?   excessive or minimal hand gestures?   name-calling or magnanimity?  friendly or blunt nicknames?

𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙏 𝙌𝙐𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR MUSE?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.

DOES YOUR MUSE’S POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.  

WOULD YOUR MUSE INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes /  rarely /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE USE “WHOM” IN A SENTENCE? yes  /  no  /  only ironically.

YOUR MUSE WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE?   but  /  though  /  although  /  however  /  perhaps  /  mayhaps.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE END CONVERSATIONS?   walk away  /  ask if that’s everything /  say that that’s everything  /  give a proper goodbye  /  tell their company they’re done here  /  remain quiet  /  they don’t.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE ADDRESS OTHERS?   titles /  first names  / surnames  /  full names  /  nicknames /  dependent

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR MUSE BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK?   upper  /  middle  /  lower.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR MUSE SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS? accent /  vocabulary  /  tone  /  level  /  politeness  /  brusqueness  /  it doesn’t.

Irene

𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒: 1  /  2 (Common & hingan) /  3 +

𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄:  high  /  average  /  deep

𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓:  yes  /  no.

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑:  confident  /  shy  /  approachable  /  hostile  / other.

𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄:  slumped  /  straight  /  stiff  /  relaxed.

𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒:  head tilting  /  swaying  /  fidgeting  /  stuttering  /  gesturing  /  arm crossing  /  strokes chin  /  er, um, or other interjections  /  plays with hair or clothing  /  hands at hips  /  inconsistent eye contact  /  maintains eye contact  /  frequent pausing  /  stands close  /  stands at distance.

𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙓𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◻

𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◻

𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙁𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙏𝙔

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◻ ◻ ◻

𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐘: ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◻

𝘽𝙊𝙇𝘿 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙇𝙔

arse. ass. asshole. bastard. bitch. bloody. bugger. bollocks. chicken shit. crap. cunt. dick. frick. fuck. horseshit. motherfucker. piss. prick. screw. shit. shite. shitass. son of a bitch. twat. wanker. pussy.

𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙉 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙋𝙀𝙍 𝙍𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙓𝙏    

christ on a bike. christ on a cracker. damn. goddamn. godsdamn . hell. holy shit. jesus. jesus christ. jesus h christ. jesus h. roosevelt christ. lord have mercy. jesus, mary and joseph. sweet jesus.

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙊𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏

contractions or enunciation?   straightforward or cryptic?   jargon or toned?   complexity or simplicity?   finding the right word or using the first word that comes to mind?   masculinity, neutrality, or femininity?   formalities or abrasiveness?   praise or equivocation?   frankness or lies?   excessive or minimal hand gestures?   name-calling or magnanimity?  friendly or blunt nicknames?

𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙍𝙏𝘼𝙉𝙏 𝙌𝙐𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎

DO PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING OR UNDERSTANDING YOUR MUSE?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.

DOES YOUR MUSE’S POINT COME ACROSS EASILY WHEN THEY SPEAK?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.  

WOULD YOUR MUSE INITIATE CONVERSATIONS? almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes /  rarely /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE BE THE ONE TO END CONVERSATIONS?   almost always  /  frequently  /  sometimes  /  rarely  /  never.

WOULD YOUR MUSE USE “WHOM” IN A SENTENCE? yes  /  no  /  only ironically.

YOUR MUSE WANTS TO MAKE A COUNTERPOINT. WHAT WORD DO THEY USE?   but  /  though  /  although  /  however  /  perhaps  /  mayhaps.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE END CONVERSATIONS?   walk away  /  ask if that’s everything /  say that that’s everything  /  give a proper goodbye  /  tell their company they’re done here  /  remain quiet  /  they don’t.

HOW DOES YOUR MUSE ADDRESS OTHERS?   titles /  first names  / surnames  /  full names  /  nicknames /  dependent

WHAT SOCIAL CLASS WOULD OTHERS ASSUME YOUR MUSE BELONGS TO, HEARING THEM SPEAK?   upper  /  middle  /  lower.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE WAY YOUR MUSE SPEAK STAND OUT TO OTHERS? accent /  vocabulary  /  tone  /  level  /  politeness  /  brusqueness  /  it doesn’t.

Tagged by @violet-mogoi​, thanks dear! 🖤 

Tagging: @umbralich​ @hangedemperor​ @evangeline-cross​ @lavender-hemlock​ @ink-dreams-ffxiv​ @illia-ast​ @sdavi-kitanni​ @quills-and-curiosities​ @unatobajhiri​ @kazexvoss​ @thefreelanceangel​ @violet-warder​ @finishing-touch​ @zuriel-aluette​ @alun-ura​ & YOU!

[iris-ymir]

Light Sources - Irene d’Espair

Sun rays

effervescent smiles, dandelion puffs, bare feet, beach waves, flowers pressed into books, champagne glasses, rose-gold eye shadow, boho skirts, wire-rimmed glasses, hair in loose waves, kaleidoscope eyes, sunshine in your hair, fire in your soul.

Incandescent bulbs

crop tops, floral print, dancing in the rain, quiet defiance, hand-knit beanies, rosé, painted bookmarks, marble floors, cirrus clouds against a blue sky, polaroid pictures, hands held, fingers intertwined, flower crowns, baby bluebirds.

Stardust

lace bralettes, brisk breezes, jasmine-scented perfume, books with yellowed pages, tracking constellations, sterling silver, violin music, chess games, iced coffee, glittery dresses, high heels, secret grins, midnight meetings, wishing upon a star.

Candle flames

denim jackets, gladiator sandals, braided hair, messenger bags, movies at the cinema, stolen kisses, wax-sealed envelopes, haiku poetry, cherry wood, succulents, fountain pens, jigsaw puzzles, soft tired eyes, hidden smiles, cuddling with someone you trust.

Moonbeams

newspapers, over-sized sweaters, dancing shadows, fleece throws, cutoff shorts, piano chords, red wine, messy buns, embossed journals, a hint of blush dusted across your cheeks, freshly fallen snow, tranquil solitude, burning incense, light hair and dark skin.

Auroras

combat boots, burgundy lips, infectious laughter, spiral-bound notebooks, pencils used down to the stub, ripped jeans, painted nails, cloud-watching, summer thunderstorms, hiking trails, vinyl records, film cameras, skating on a frozen lake, hot chocolate by the fire.

Fireworks

dancing until the break of dawn, Heelys, being wheeled around in a shopping cart by your best friend, the euphoria of soaring through the air, being excited for what the future holds, group hugs, colorful tattoos, bronzer-highlighted cheeks, hugging a stuffed animal, lifting a child onto your shoulders, space buns, bright streaks in your hair.

Tagged by: @illia-ast @mai-takeda @violet-warder @vylette-elakha @evangeline-cross @under-the-blood-moonlight & @kyrie-silverwings​! Sweet damn, that was lot of tags! Thank You muchly!! 🖤

Tagging: @hangedemperor​ @umbralich​ @dragonwitch-ffxiv​ @torr-sceadu​ @lavender-hemlock​ @kich-rp​ @rifted-vitale​ @thefreelanceangel​ @sdavi-kitanni​ & YOU!

[iris-ymir]

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget?

Irene

“To forgive or forget? Neither is easy, I bet. Yet my answer to your question, my wondrous dreamer, would be the former.“, Irene studied her guest for a while. Something in this man piqued her interest, yet she could not quite catch what it was. It was like looking at an old man, wearing the skin of a youngster. Such an intriguing individual. Behind the purple eyes of the body she inhabited, Irene’s own yellow irises, like the eyes of a corpse, were locked onto miqo’te. Her black lips curled up into a smile, which never reached the dead stare of her eyes, revealing a line of horrid, yellow teeth. “...Our mind may be able to forget in time. Yet it wont wash away our deeds nor crimes. You may wash off the blood on your hands, but forever you shall remain a branded man. The walls whisper so sweetly...Can you hear it, dreamer?”

Lareine

“Ohh, I... I tend to forget things... L-Like every now and then. Yessss... Granpa once said my head is like... Uhhh.. what was it... Like...”, Lareine closed her eyes tightly, while rocking back and forth on her heels. Some things were just so hard to remember. It was like they got lost in a way through the labyrinth of roses. Maybe it was the Red Queen who was meddling with her thoughts... Maybe... Maybe the Queen was jealous of Sir Knight! The thought shot through viera’s head, like a lightning setting an old tree on fire during thunderstorm. “...O-Oh, wow... thats just unfair, isn’t it? W-Wait... A-Are you the cheshire cat? Uhhh... Im sorry to disturb you, mr. Cat, but... but I think my knight might be in much trouble... C-Can you... Can you show me the way through the Labyrinth, mr. Cat? W-We have no time to waste, nono! In hurry we are!” With that said, viera grabbed a stuffed bunny, which was laying on her bed, and rushed out of the room and down the hallway. Rae-Hann’s question still remained unanswered, and it seemed like the viera had forgot it was ever asked of her. Iris Iris rose her gaze from the glass of whisky, studying the weird miqo’te sitting on the opposite side of a small bar table. Viera picked up the glass with the same hand she was holding her cigarette, using the three free fingers, and downing it on one go. “Forgive... but never friggin’ forget, I tell ya. If sumeone focked ya over once, mabbe yer able to forgive dat, but do keep in mind ‘e’s a focker. Ya gotta make sure ‘e knows whut’s gonna ‘appen if ‘e’s to fock ya again. Yer gonna rip off dat dirty meatstick, and feed it to ‘im. Savvy?“, pale viera hung the empty glass between her fingertips while talking. Her gaze was fixated onto something behind Rae-Hann’s shoulder, seemingly avoiding man’s eyes. “...Ya told mi dis a moment ago yerself... We’re all friggin’ sinners ‘ere... We dun deserve third chances... Fockin’ lost causes...” Pale viera drew her cigarette, blowing a nice, round smoke circle over miqo’te’s head, before reaching onto her pack of coffin nails, and offering it towards the man.

[iris-ymir]

Iris, Lareine & Irene 🖤

Tagged by wonderful @thefreelanceangel​! Thank you, dear... This was one of the best dollmakers I have ever seen... T^T

Tagging @vylette-elakha​ @mai-takeda​ @evangeline-cross​ @umbralich​ @unatobajhiri​ @fae-fire​ @rifted-vitale​ @lavender-hemlock​ @under-the-blood-moonlight​ @kyrie-silverwings​ and anyone who enjoys dollmakers as much as I do! Please tag me, so I can see yours!

Dollmaker HERE!

[just-the-mage]

Peach - Are you generally a more gentle and soft spoken person or a louder and rougher person?

“It depends on the situation, honestly.  My preference, and how I act in private is much more soft-spoken, I suppose.  I like a more quiet conversation...not so much a loud, rambunctious gathering.  But I was a part of the military, the Immortal Flames, as it happens.  Being in a place like that...you have to learn how to flip a switch sometimes.  It drains me like no tomorrow, and I can’t keep it up for long, but I can be as boisterous and loud as any bar fly.  I don’t do it anymore, to be honest, if I can avoid it.  Living where I live now, I have a fair amount more leeway to remain in an elegant, quiet environment.  Relax somewhat.”  

A pale viera walks briskly past Evangeline as she finishes her statement, holding a ball of what looks like...socks, causing Eva’s head to snap towards her retreating form.  

“Irene?  Are those my socks? Again??” At the sound of Evangeline’s voice, the viera takes off running, giggling joyfully, and Eva sprints after her, a curtain of red hair billowing out behind her, twisting in the wind.  

[iris-ymir]

Where They Stand - Iris, Lareine & Irene

Iris

PLACE IN SOCIETY ✖ FINANCIAL – wealthy  / moderate / poor / in poverty ✖ MEDICAL – fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / deceased ✖ CLASS OR CASTE – upper / lower / middle / working / unsure ✖ EDUCATION – qualified / unqualified / studying FAMILY ✖ MARITAL STATUS – married, happily / married, unhappily / engaged  / partnered / divorced / widow or widower / separated / single / it’s complicated ✖ CHILDREN – has children / no children / wants children / adopted children ✖ FAMILY – close with sibling / not close with siblings / has no siblings / siblings are deceased / it’s complicated ✖ AFFILIATION – orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by both parents / other TRAITS & TENDENCIES ✖ disorganized / organised / in between ✖ close-minded / open-minded / in between ✖ cautious / reckless / in between ✖ patient / impatient / in between ✖ outspoken / reserved / in between ✖ leader / follower / in between ✖ sympathetic / unsympathetic / in between ✖ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ✖ hardworking / lazy / in between ✖ cultured / uncultured / in between ✖ loyal / disloyal / in between ✖ faithful / unfaithful / in between SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ✖ SEXUALITY – heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / omnisexual / demisexual ✖ SEX – sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable ✖ ROMANCE – romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable ✖ SEXUALLY – sexually adventurous / sex experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / uninterested ABILITIES ✖ COMBAT SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ LITERACY SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ ARTISTIC SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ TECHNICAL SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Lareine

PLACE IN SOCIETY ✖ FINANCIAL – wealthy  / moderate / poor / in poverty ✖ MEDICAL – fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / deceased ✖ CLASS OR CASTE – upper / lower / middle / working / unsure ✖ EDUCATION – qualified / unqualified / studying FAMILY ✖ MARITAL STATUS – married, happily / married, unhappily / engaged?  / partnered / divorced / widow or widower / separated / single / it’s complicated ✖ CHILDREN – has children / no children / wants children / adopted children ✖ FAMILY – close with sibling / not close with siblings / has no siblings / siblings are deceased / it’s complicated ✖ AFFILIATION – orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by both parents / other TRAITS & TENDENCIES ✖ disorganized / organised / in between ✖ close-minded / open-minded / in between ✖ cautious / reckless / in between ✖ patient / impatient / in between ✖ outspoken / reserved / in between ✖ leader / follower / in between ✖ sympathetic / unsympathetic / in between ✖ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ✖ hardworking / lazy / in between ✖ cultured / uncultured / in between ✖ loyal / disloyal / in between ✖ faithful / unfaithful / in between SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ✖ SEXUALITY – heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / omnisexual / demisexual ✖ SEX – sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable ✖ ROMANCE – romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable ✖ SEXUALLY – sexually adventurous / sex experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / uninterested ABILITIES ✖ COMBAT SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ LITERACY SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ ARTISTIC SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ TECHNICAL SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none 

Irene

PLACE IN SOCIETY ✖ FINANCIAL – wealthy  / moderate / poor / in poverty ✖ MEDICAL – fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / deceased ✖ CLASS OR CASTE – upper / lower / middle / working / unsure ✖ EDUCATION – qualified / unqualified / studying FAMILY ✖ MARITAL STATUS – married, happily / married, unhappily / engaged  / partnered / divorced / widow or widower / separated / single / it’s complicated ✖ CHILDREN – has children / no children / wants children / adopted children ✖ FAMILY – close with sibling / not close with siblings / has no siblings / siblings are deceased / it’s complicated ✖ AFFILIATION – orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by both parents / other TRAITS & TENDENCIES ✖ disorganized / organised / in between ✖ close-minded / open-minded / in between ✖ cautious / reckless / in between ✖ patient / impatient / in between ✖ outspoken / reserved / in between ✖ leader / follower / in between ✖ sympathetic / unsympathetic / in between ✖ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ✖ hardworking / lazy / in between ✖ cultured / uncultured / in between ✖ loyal / disloyal / in between ✖ faithful / unfaithful / in between SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ✖ SEXUALITY – heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / omnisexual / demisexual ✖ SEX – sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable ✖ ROMANCE – romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable ✖ SEXUALLY – sexually adventurous / sex experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / uninterested ABILITIES ✖ COMBAT SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ LITERACY SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ ARTISTIC SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none ✖ TECHNICAL SKILLS – excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

Tagged by @thefreelanceangel  🖤 Tagging: @umbralich​ @hangedemperor​ @unatobajhiri​ @uuliinoted​ @evangeline-cross​ @sharkycatsifoh​ @under-the-blood-moonlight​ @kyrie-silverwings​ @torr-sceadu​ @illia-ast​ @lavender-hemlock​ @ember-arrow​ @finishing-touch​ & YOU!

[iris-ymir]

#70 for Irene ^^

( 70: Is there anyone you would die for?)

Irene sat on the edge of the dinner table, her legs crossed, nibbling onto a pasty Arsene had baked the day before. Even though it had gone cold by now, it was still delicious.. Filled with minced meat, onions, rice and thick sauce, made out of red wine. If Irene had to pick one single food to eat for the rest of her life, this pasty would be a decent combatant. Pale viera finished her meal, licking her fingers and nails for what was left of the sauce, before turning the gaze of her dead eyes towards Evangeline, who sat on the chair next to her, with a cup of tea, and her own, half eaten pasty. “...No, Evangeline.”, Irene blurted merrily, while digging a piece of pastry out of her teeth with a tip of her nail. “...There is not.” Hopping down from the table lightly, like a fae creature, Irene walked around her partner’s chair, stopping behind it, and placing her hands on Eva’s shoulders. She leaned forward, until her lips were almost touching woman’s ear. “You see, my dearest Evangeline. Everyone dies.. Some sooner.. some later.. but in the end, you’ll join into the choir of whispers... The ferryman will be expecting you. But only you, as its your time to step aboard. You know what happens, if you die for someone else, my sweetest Evangeline?”, her voice dropped into a mere whisper, as her lips curled into a smile. The light of an old chandelier flickered, like a breath of a wind had found its way into the kitchen. Irene’s hands were cold. “The good ferryman wont take you... He’ll leave the bone white shores, steering his boat into the mists... And you? You’ll drown beneath the pitch black waves, sweetest Evangeline...” Letting go of Evangeline’s shoulders, Irene straightened her back, walking around the chair, and hopping back onto the table. She reached out towards Eva’s plate, picking up a piece that was left of her pasty. “...You eat this, dear?”