#the debris in the oceans around La noscea

[impossible-rat-babies]

what gets me sometimes w the idea of the calamity is that there are probably places in the deserts of thanalan where the fire of bahamut turned the sand to glass and it’s just. a few handfuls of sand there are layers of glass

[marjiandco]

6. Onerous

Time/Place: ARR - Getting ready to fight titan during that questline sequence

Word count: 573

Raiku crossed his legs as he fell back. A pretzel body that stretched back into a more comfortable position on the beach chair. His toes curled in the sun, the warmth of the day cooking him to the right temperature. He closed his eyes languidly, his thoughts turning to how cool the water would feel after

his sun bath.

Except a shadow stood in his way. He scrunched his face and refused to open his eyes.

“Aren’t you supposed to be out finding cheese?”

He rolled over onto his stomach, and the woman clicked her tongue. He heard a clink next to him as she put down a bottle and sat on the sand. She dug her feet into the sand and threw debris away from them.

“If you go get it we can be done with this whole thing.”

“I don’t understand why we’re doing it.” He grumbled into the crook of his arm.

Marji shrugged and scooted into what little shade she could find from Raiku’s chair. He was sure he could hear her gray skin sizzle.

“To find out about titan’s...something.”

“It’s obvious we’re just doing a grocery run for them.”

“We won’t know unless we do it.”

“I thought they’d be better than that liar in La Noscea.”

“What do you mean?”

Raiku raised onto his elbows. He was surprised to see how dirty she looked; as if she’s been traipsing through a jungle. She picked leaf litter and dirt from her black tail, and shivered as a large briar tugged on her hair. Streaks of green stained her clothes, and her face was a blotchy patch of pink burn and brown dirt.

“Do you want to get out of the sun?” he asked

She laughed “Sure. Though I think I’d rather have a bath.”

“Probably have one around here, or” he waved to the ocean.

They got up in search of Y’shtola, who’d disappeared the moment Gegeruju was called upon. On the way, Raiku thought on the best way to explain to an actual hero how his own disappointed him.

“They just, I know they broke up and aged, but I know the Company of Hero members when I see them; I have their trading cards in my old room. I didn’t think they’d be so cryptic with a primal summoning at stake. I thought you’d..er..”

“I’d what?”

“Stand up for yourself more?” He said, voice quiet at the end. “What I mean is you fought Ifrit and won, why are you doing this when you could make them tell you what they need?”

“Should I be unnecessarily cruel to get what I want?” Her words were sharp, and she stopped her grooming to stare down at him.

“That’s not what I meant. We’re scions! Part of this secret organization to take down threats to the land. Why are we doing this, working for people who don’t respect us?”

She looked away. Something rang true in his words, but she had hardened, hiding the doubt behind a dark mask.

“I’ll go get the cheese myself. You can stay here and lament your station all you’d like but keep me out of it. It’s not as if you have to face Titan anyways.”

She stalked off back towards the other side of the island, wine bottle swinging wildly in her hand. The sun’s heat couldn’t reach him now; not when he stumbled over some hidden thorn in Marji’s side. He went after her.

[second-chance-stray]

RP Log: Cravs and Lin collect seashells.

Cravendy Hound - With a rare lull between work, Cravs turns to her inherited wall of post-it notes and pulls a random one off. In cursive, bubbly handwriting embellished with little stars, she has written "collect shells!" That should be easy enough. Note crumbled in her fist, she heads over to ask (demand) Lin to accompany her to a trip to Costa Del Sol. For once, it's sunny!

Aislinn North didn't really mind the demand (ask) too much. She needed a break from her work and honestly the sound of sunnier climes and ocean tradewinds was a godsend. And now, as she strolled along the golden sand, kicking her toes into it here and there as she searched for shells, she wasn't sure why she didn't come back to La Noscea sooner. She glanced over at Cravendy, curious. This hardly seemed to be up the gruff Seawolf's alley. "Been awhile. Why'd you pick seashell collecting?" she asked.

Cravendy Hound: "It was the closest one to me," Cravs notes with a wide grin. And that was the truth, though perhaps some unconscious part of her had gravitated towards this particular idea. She kicks off a layer of wet sand to reveal a broken sea dollar and then smushes it back into the ground. "Ye ever done this before?"

Aislinn North watches her a moment and takes note. She doesn't care for broken dollars, apparently. "Oh, a time or two. It's always something to do while I need to think. Better than sitting still." she moves along the shore and kneels down, picking through the debris at the shoreline. She holds a small, pretty pale pink shell up to the sunlight before looking over at Cravendy with a trace of a smile. "What about you? Big shell collector? Got a collection of 'em back at the House?"

Cravendy Hound kneels down and begins to dig a hole in the sand, the tide washing her work away and filling it slowly with seawater. Little horseshoe crabs frantically burrow themselves back under as Cravs keeps this up, not finding shells but finding a simple kind of satisfaction regardless. "Eh, I 'aven't done this in a long while. But used to all the time with the old crew. When ye spend most of yer day at sea or on an island, there's only so many past times to choose from."

Cravendy Hound glances up and catches sight of the shell Lin is holding up. "That's a nice one! Punch a 'ole through it and it'd look right around yer neck."

Aislinn North Tilts her head as she considers it, picturing such a necklace. She pockets the shell. While Cravendy digs a hole, she comes over and peers into it to see if the Seawolf knew a trick she didn't. No. Just a hole full of seawater. "One of your favorite things to do with them? Or did you enjoy something else?" she pauses. "Hmm...drinking. I'm gonna go with drinking." she said with a low laugh as she sits and starts building a retaining wall around the shore edge of the hole that's been dug.

Cravendy Hound pauses from digging to snort, one eye narrowed in an almost-wink. "Hah. Ye know me too well. No better friend than the bottle." She gently palms a horseshoe crab before it's able to escape and sits down, thoroughly covered in sand. The crustacean does little loops in her hand and eventually tumbles off on its own.

Cravendy Hound: "Lots of card games, too, but don't recall winnin' much. Barnable was always an old cheat...never caught 'er, though," she continues, the tips of her boot being tickled by the wave every few seconds. "Oy, that's the name of yer chocobo ain't it? Barnabas."

Aislinn North Nods as she continues expanding her little wall. "Aye. And I'm sure he's not above cheating if need be either. Still an ornery bastard." she says it with a touch of fondness though. It's clear the bird means a great deal to her. "But if she was always cheating and you were losing, it wasn't a real level playing field if you were always playing straight with her."

Aislinn North looks over at her with a hint of dry humor in her eye "Downright noble of you."

Cravendy Hound notices Lin's sandy fortifications and tries to help, working on the opposite end of the wall. "Ye always one for rough-round-the-edges rouges like yer chocobo and I?" She sends Lin a toothy grin as she works. "Hmph, I tried, but she caught me. And then the games turns into somethin' else when that 'appens."

Cravendy Hound: "She 'ad a mean right 'ook..." Cravs trails off, feeling phantom pain in her cheek.

Aislinn North Tips her head, a small, almost shy smile her only reply to Cravs' question. But as Cravs keeps talking, Aislinn softly snorts. "What? So she could dish it out but couldn't take it?" shakes her head, incensed on Cravs' behalf. She opens her mouth to say something else but stops, deciding at the last minute it might be best not to insult a lost member of Cravs' old crew. "You and I should play cards sometime. No cheating."

Aislinn North reaches for the scuttling horseshoe crab and places it in the seawater den they had made. Now she starts decorating the wall with broken bits of sand dollars and small shells. She scours the sand around them for more.

Cravendy Hound: "Pff, well, we 'ad no reason to start a fight with 'er when we couldn't catch 'er in the act! I mean. It's possible she /wasn't/ cheatin', but I don't want to believe that I got beat by a stiff all those times," she replies, now moving on to adding decorations to the wall. Little sticks and gross pieces of seaweed, as flags. "They're still kickin' round in the east somewhere, after bein' cured of their temperin'. Wonder 'ow they're doin'...Barnable and Perry."

Cravendy Hound nibbles guiltily on her lower lip. That she wasn't there with them was something she didn't want to think about. Her place was here with Heartwood now, but that was an excuse in a way. To avoid what was sure to be an incredibly awkward confrontation. She glances to Lin. "Aye. What games do ye know?"

Aislinn North "Triple triad." she says almost primly, pausing to glance at Cravendy to see her reaction before she breaks into a grin. "Poker, of course. 21 high. Goldfish if you really want to get crazy." she tips her head up towards the sun drenched sky. Cravendy obviously wanted to see her old mates. Lin just wasn't sure why she never did. Was it the same sort of situation like Aislinn and her cartel? She couldn't imagine it was. "Would it be so bad to go see how they are?"

Cravendy Hound mouth twists into a frown at the mention of Triple Triad. "Piss n' wind, not that bloody game...could never wrap my 'ead around it. But maybe poker sometime. I'll show ye 'ow bad I am at bluffin'." The sour expression fades from her face as it's replaced with a smile, though that falls when Lin asks her next question.

Cravendy Hound: "...they'll be fine. They've got their mess, and me, mine. Don't want to get in their way," she mutters, avoiding the question. The fact that her old crew's mess was clearly hers as well.

Aislinn North can relate. She shifts, stretching her legs out in front of her and digging her toes into the sand. "Alright, then." a beat and then she smiles as something someone once said comes bubbling up from her memory. "Ain't about to tell you how to live your life. Besides, I guess it's not like you don't have your hands full with Heartwood." Or vice versa. But why split hairs? "Whatever mess you all got into, the fallout has been nonstop lately."

(Cravendy Hound) lort speaking of fallout )) (Cravendy Hound) I am very afraid )) (Aislinn North) ((why?)) (Cravendy Hound) afraid but EXCITED )) (Cravendy Hound) Haila is full to the brim with sus energy )) (Aislinn North) ((Isn't she always? xD)) (Aislinn North) ((But I know what you mean)) (Aislinn North) ((She's being way too chill about dottering around the Company House like a grandma bun)) (Cravendy Hound) ohhhh I can feel it in my bones )) (Cravendy Hound) something bad is gonna happen )) (Aislinn North) ((KNitting sweaters. And plushies. Very sus))

Cravendy Hound releases a breath, thankful that Lin doesn't push the subject. "And I ain't gonna tell ye 'ow to live yers, unless ye go and do somethin' unacceptably dumb. Somehow, I don't think yer the type." She grins back at Lin, though the conversation they had moons ago echoes in her mind. Her aether troubles and the lack of action on Crav's part. The Seawolf sighs and looks over to the pulsing tide. In and out.

Cravendy Hound: "Aye, I wish we could stop bein' in disaster mode. But. Guess that's just 'ow Heartwood functions, eh? Out of one mess and right into another."

Aislinn North shrugs like she's come to accept that's just the way it is. "I'm not sure we'd know what to do with ourselves otherwise. We'd get bored. And then just make our own mess. At least this way, we're cleaning up -other- people's messes." she sighs. "But at least things are...calmer? For now." One Garlean and two mischievous AI aside. But surely that wasn't anything they couldn't handle, right? "Hear you've been going out and handling the business end of things here and there. "Resigning to your officer fate?" she teased lightly.

Cravendy Hound feels her mouth twitch into a smile. It had taken a while to accept, but yeah. She was finally beginning to go soft and it wasn't all that bad. "We're all a bit messed up but I wouldn't 'ave it any other way, so messmakers it is. Just....yeah. At least 'ave the courtesy of lettin' us catch our breath before tossin' us into the fire again."

Cravendy Hound: "Mhnn..." Cravs finds it difficult to admit to what Lin is saying, a mental block preventing her from speaking more. Words broken, she opts to nod instead. "I get these real bad allergy attacks lately, so been keepin' indoors. Then I found out paperwork ain't....so bad. Ye better not go 'round gloatin' 'bout this to anyone though!"

Aislinn North eyes widen in a feigned 'I would never!' look. "Your secret's safe with me." she promises. "Also, not sure anyone would believe me, anyroads." Seeing the crab struggling, she leans forward and helps it out of the sandy hole. It begins to scuttle on its way. "We didn't get much shell collecting done." she noted. "Do you think she'd mind?"

Cravendy Hound laughs at that. "Thanks for steppin' round my pride. It feels nowadays I keep gettin' walked on, like that drinkin' incident..." She shakes her head, not bothered by it, and lets the ocean speak for an extended period of time. The gentle breeze warm against her skin, salt-soaked and soft, wrapping herself around them like a blanket.

Cravendy Hound: "I don't think she'd mind."

Aislinn North lets her gaze drift out across the lazy waves. As the breeze gently sweeps in, a soft smile comes over her, at perfect ease. She leans back towards the sky. "You're probably right."

[claihn]

A Siren’s Secret [Pt. 2]

The click of her booted heels against the wooden floor echoed across the empty basement. All of the plants that had once dominated the entire room like a miniature world away were now gone. She’d sold them or given them away and now the room had little else to give it character save for a bedroll, a minuscule dresser, a few boxes and some dents in the walls.

Her apothecary had been returned to Vincint or rather, the building and land that she had borrowed in his name were now his again. His shocked expression hadn’t surprised her, but the undercurrent of anger was palpable. He knew Ket’s name now and attributed a lot of the changes towards him or the incident. Incidents? It blurred together sometimes. She knew he was mistaken and even more so, it simply didn’t matter at all. None of it truly did. She’d trapped herself in a cage and then slipped through only to create a new one in the Beds. The old greenery still had the front floor masquerading as some sort of florist’s haven, but the basement she planned to make into a home.

It wouldn’t be grand by any nature given the age of the building and how small or downgraded it would be compared to the shop in Shirogane. She couldn’t stand to look at the apothecary now though or the ocean that she both loved and hated through its windows. It had always mocked her with the sweet song of the waves that she dearly enjoyed and some part of her ached to dance along the beach in the early or late hours when there weren’t eyes about. Maybe she wouldn't be able to stay away for long. That's how such dangers and past habits were for her. For now though, she had to abandon it.

In truth, the peace of the Lavender Beds was a surprise. She had expected to be found even in her new little hideaway. A demanding pounding on the door or the cocky, smug voice of the cat she hated just as much as the ocean. The memory of him blathering out her personal secrets in front of the other woman still made her teeth clench and her blood go hot. He had been different and while she was loathe to speak about anything intimate in front of a stranger, she had picked up on it in silence. It was more than just the hair- he was swaying like the tides themselves again. Otherwise he would have known that such a demand would never work on her. It was enough to almost make Mana laugh. As weak and pathetic as she was, somehow the Raen still clung to a semblance of strength in her own stubbornness. He was far from an idiot too- something had been off. Just like after their return from Ishgard or maybe it was just another broken fragment. Did he even remember Tsuki's room? Mana still remembered her words and-

“Not that it matters now.”

Mana commented out loud as she marched across the floor. The footsteps echoed louder than she would have liked because they punctuated the isolation. She reached the faded ivory dresser- the first piece of furniture for her basement. Opening the drawer there were two envelopes sealed with blue wax sitting atop of the organized mess of vials, jars, trinkets and stones. Two envelopes meant for the same man, but containing two different messages entirely. One with a bullet and one with a piece of broken wood. Mana’s watery hues stared at them dispassionately before she cracked and dipped her head down to laugh underneath her breath. I want to see you break. You’re interesting.

“Idiot.” Mana's melodic laughter ended with a quick suck of breath as she took the envelopes and then ripped them both in half. What good did words ever do? She tucked them into the back pocket of the worn leather pants and instead plucked up one of her snowy white sea-worn rocks. Her eyes scrutinized over it and then she nodded, clutching it between her fingers. Mana couldn't help but let out a defeated sigh while she walked towards the stairs with a natural sway of her hips.

“I don’t hate you.” The whispered words fumbled past her lips before she realized what exactly she'd been thinking, which only made the Raen shake her head at herself. I would have helped. She sighed, but there was a weight upon her shoulders that dug claws into the knots that had built up inside. She had been leery about her trip because of it, but when the only obstacles were her hired hands and looters? An epiphany had struck her. One that she knew should have made her happy, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile. The weight doubled until she forced herself to lump all the experiences and memories in with the rest.

The Siren. Ultimately that was a fate she would never escape. Those along her path had been ruined if they hadn’t fled, and they had been good people and far better than herself. Maybe that’s why she had consorted to dancing with devils and demons? Monsters and wolves? Mana reached the outside door and found her nails digging into the handle for a moment as she clenched her teeth.

Even the monsters leave you. Just like everything else.

“I’m far too busy for stupid thoughts!” Mana lied to herself, speaking aloud to the air when she stepped through the doorway of her home and all but slammed it behind her.

The night air of the Lavender Beds greeted her with the fresh scent of a past rain and a chorus of bugs chirping their pleasantries. Naturally she stood up straighter and walked with forced purpose, ducking under the archway and across the path towards a large river. It wasn’t until she reached the edge where the boat had dropped her off that she stopped just before stepping into the waters themselves. A dark, almost black wooden box was waiting for her where she had set it down beneath the shadow of a tree teetering upon the edge of the shoreline.

What was inside of the box had been found by accident. Mana had heard rumors of a shipwreck among one of the uninhabited islands in the tropical waters of La Noscea. The wreck itself had been described in such a way that it bore into her mind as incredibly similar to the old ship that belonged to her father. The very ship that had been stolen from her in the wake of the storm. It had driven her into urgency and turbulence.

She had gone out of her way, shrouded in a cloak, to hire Landrenel Triluveux. His rumored reputation she had overheard in Ishgard, ironically enough, and while she hardly trusted mercenaries, let alone those in the Mist, she knew she had to push herself out of her comforts. He was a fighter- a survivor- that she had no true connections or sympathies towards. A perfect individual to take with as insurance in case a vengeful party came to make true on their threats and perhaps, deep down, she was hoping for future business.

Mana had also ventured to hire Noah Kelten, the very man who entangled her into a deeper mess of misunderstandings and problems. At least she had the satisfaction of being let into his home while he was away and drinking his tea. Yet there was no denying his expertise with investigations and who better to bring along that someone you can trust to be completely blunt without care for your feelings? Then of course there had been Yuti Kyis for her healing expertise, because Mana wanted to be prepared for the worst and Vincint Venator because he’d already promised to shoot anyone who’d come around for trouble. Although they had been reluctantly brought with, but in her haste she couldn't afford to find more distant connections.

She had tried to keep the entire venture rather business-like and without any feelings, which was easier to do when they discovered the ship wasn’t her father’s at all. That had been an utter disappointment and on top of it, they’d merely been attacked by a few looters. The thought made Mana laugh- she’d been disappointed it was only them that awaited her party. Although, an ill-timed explosion had Vincint shooting it off near Noah, who in turn seemed to retaliate with a fire spell that was close enough to burn the gunner. As if the irritable pair needed another reason to dislike each other. Thankfully Yuti’s healing and Landrenel's cool head kept things from spiraling into an actual brawl, although Mana tried to keep things diplomatic by tending to Noah while Miss Kyis treated Vincint’s wounds. That only pissed off Mister Venator and she never heard the end of that along with many choking-filled comments on the return trip.

Despite it all though, a surprise came from Yuti's discovery that led them to the pair of old chakrams.  They had been stowed away deep enough within the ship that the weapons washed ashore with the debris. They'd nearly given Noah a shock when he had tried to handle them and even Vincint felt an eerie sensation that was enough to give them a respectable berth.

Still at the edge of the water, Mana drew in a slow breath as she crouched down and picked up the smooth wooden box. It stored the pair of weapons currently. The inside had a crystal interior that she had used before to handle volatile goods that were sensitive to aetherical surroundings. It perhaps did nothing, but it didn't hurt to try to be a bit safer.

Regardless, this was her new purpose now. The lie wanted her to say it was because they were a mystery and if she unraveled it, then perhaps she could use it to pay off her debts. The truth though was much simpler and selfish. The pair of chakrams, old and tormented by time and sea, could not be touched by anyone that she had found yet. Except for her. The reason was almost laughable too. It was because of her weakness. The accident long ago that led her to give up her magic, her health and many dreams, now was the single reason that she could touch these weapons. Mister Kelten thought it was perhaps by design, but Mana was skeptical. Her gut told her, deep down, that they were like her.

Cursed.

“I'm so tired.”  Mana whispered the words to the night air as she hugged the box to her chest. It was rather large and unwieldy in her arms, but even through the wood some part of her felt as if she could feel that familiar sensation that they gave her whenever she took them in hand. Understanding. An inkling of some missing piece being filled. Even the subtlest touch of pleasure and pride. She'd always outwardly portrayed herself a confident creature, but the weapons affirmed the possibility of it being a true reality.

“I'm done trying to hope that these broken pieces will mend and I'm not going to believe that anyone will ever be different. Least of all myself.”  She looked up through the canopy and saw the glittering stars attempting to peak through the clouds that had long since cast their rain. Of course it was all still buried inside of her- the loneliness, the sting of disappointments, betrayals, echoes of aches and pains and by the Twelve, the memories too. Her scarred feet itched at the mere thought of it all, but she was done trying to cover it up. She was done pretending that she could overcome it if she simply worked hard and played nice and survived.

They called her the Siren and she had always hated it, denied it and swore at it. They said she was a harbinger of bad luck and she'd cried, refused and kept trying to defy it. They said she was the reason for the storm and the thief and she couldn't clean the bloodstains from her hands. She'd worked so hard to go against all those words and in the end she had... what?

Nothing.

Everything she desperately attempted to grasp fell through her fingers like the very ocean itself. A part of her wondered if this was some sort of breaking point, but that was laughable. One couldn't break something that had never been fixed. No. It was finding something else that was cursed and being told what it was supposed to be that made the picture clearer. It was the empty basement and the audible click of her heels. It was the scars that left traces or the way her throat hurt when she swallowed once and awhile.

She wasn't going to escape these pains. No one is going to help save you. It was time to stop hoping, stop running and accept it. Accept what you are. If they believed she was some unlucky Siren bringing forth a storm? Cursed. Then she'd gladly ruin them all.

“What are you doing?”  A familiar voice rang out behind Mana as she blinked and snapped her gaze away from the sky. She whirled around and nearly fell into the water, catching herself by trained grace alone. Her grip on the box tightened a little, knuckles turning white before she drew in a breath and offered them a gentle smile. “Just saying goodbye.” “Oh? Goodbye to who?” Mana paused and turned to look over her shoulder at the water that started to gleam with the growing blanket of stars. Her tail twitched briefly in the air and she caught herself biting her lip, which only brought the gentle curve of a smile with a thought of how she was often scolded for it. “Just another mask.” And another me.

[[ Not a huge fan of my writing here, but I had to drabble it out before shifting gears!  Mentions to @ketsuchikotetsu , @crystal-high-jinks , @forthepursuitofknowledge , @yutikyis & Vin (no tumblr). You all rock! ]]