"Certain... sacrifices had to be made." - Yugiri Mistwalker, ARR Patch 2.1
Anzu had never intended to arrive in Limsa Lominsa.
It was a combination of tragedy and serendipity that dropped her on these distant shores. The tragedy of the failed rebellion. The orders from Lord Hien to escape. Lady Yugiri's leadership was brittle, though, and their escape was too hasty. They had not enough supplies. But still, they struck out for the shores of Eorzea, willing to risk the perilous journey across malms of ocean for a chance to survive.
It'd started out well enough. They rationed carefully. They had each other.
And then, Anzu had gotten sick.
She supposed it made a sort of twisted logical sense to focus on keeping the healthiest among them in that state. On the cramped boat, with limited supplies to begin with and no physician, Anzu had been the least likely to survive a grueling two month voytage. Even the elders were in better shape. Her skill set was the divination school of geomancy, not healing, and thus Yugiri and everyone else on the ship had been at a loss at what to do when she started coughing up blood.
What if it was contagious? What if it was incurable? Why waste such limited supplies on a nearly dead woman who didn't even have the strength to sit up any more?
When the fever hadn't broken by the third day, and Anzu's illness had worsened to the point of delirium from systemic infection, Yugiri and the other Domans had come to a decision.
They threw Anzu overboard.
Anzu was certain Yugiri regretted the decision shortly after it was made. After all, she had still been alive, even if she was all but unconscious.
Only a geomancer charm against drowning kept Anzu alive as she floated there, probably for a few days, until a certain Lominsan pirate ship picked her up - the Kraken's Arms. Like as not they'd intended to loot her corpse, only to discover her still barely alive.
So instead they'd nursed her back to health, listened to her tale of woe, and brought her to the pier at Limsa Lominsa in a clean robe. Turns out her ailment was most likely caused by an ocean bacterial pneumonia, and would probably not have infected the others in the boat as long as she had worn a mask.
She'd paid them every gil she had for their rescue. She owed Carvallain de Gorgagne a debt she intended to repay one day, although he'd brushed it off and simply asked her to keep her mouth shut around any Yellowjackets that asked how she'd arrived in the city.
So that was how Anzu Waterkeeper, geomancer of Doma, found herself in Limsa Lominsa, half a world away from home, and fully alone.
As much as she owed a debt of life to the pirate Carvallain for his mercy, she owed a debt of revenge to Lady Yugiri Mistwalker of Doma.
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It's Okay to cry, Yugiri!!
YuHien microfic taking place 2 years after the major events of Endwalker 6.0
Hurt/Comfort, Confession, G Rating
It is a mild summer night, and Lord Hien Rijin sits upon a hill in Yanxia, Yugiri besides. They had a good meal, and they were to head back to the Enclave shortly-- it was getting rather late. But Hien was enraptured by the starry sky, and distracted by the thoughts of his future, and all of the pointless, frivolous joys he wanted to experience that he never thought possible until so recently.
His mind flashes to her. Ah. He was so grateful to her for protecting his people. Protecting him. Maybe even…loving him. For some reason, instead of the usual fear and disgust he experiences when he considers it, he feels pride, confidence. He beams as he watches a shooting star fly overhead, and he opens his mouth suddenly to speak.
"Ah…I think I love you, Yugiri."
Yugiri, who is sitting beside him is mortified as she jerks her head to look upon him with confusion. He is staring into the sky with a soft smile, ruminating on the affections he wished to share. It…was it happening? After all this time?
"Wh-- …I-- …m…me too…" she finally musters the courage to concede to her stubborn refusal to allow herself feelings. If Hien were growing into a man who could be honest…then she should follow suit. It was only right.
Hien gasps, as if he is shocked, he even received a response. His head whips to look at her, jaw hanging open.
"REALLY? THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK!? THIS ENTIRE TIME!?!?" he speaks as if he feels stupid for just not having said so sooner! He was so paralyzed by the thought of disturbing her or worse, being rejected by her, that he hadn't even considered that she would actually acknowledge his feelings!
Yugiri now looks panicked, as if she's responded incorrectly.
"W-what do you mean!? I thought we were just-- you want me to be a better friend instead of merely a servant, don't you?!" Yugiri after all this time, STILL can't stop herself from feigning her emotions. She is so firmly in denial that Hien would be forever beyond her reach that she can't even try to face the reality that he has just proclaimed his love, lest she start crying uncontrollably! Wouldn't it be easier on them both to lie and remain at a distance!?
Hien can't believe what he is hearing. This whole time, he had merely misread her feelings. It was…embarrassing. No, far worse! He feels his self-loathing bubble up like a well flooded, vines and blooms threatening to snake up his neck to suffocate him completely. The kami must have abandoned him at this point. Of course. Wordlessly, Hien stands up and dusts off his robes. His entire demeanor seems to have shifted, as if he has begun to backslide. He looks at her with a weary smile, and Yugiri's chest tightens when she sees that his eyes suddenly feel…empty.
"I-I'm sorry. It appears I misunderstood. I think…I may need to take a walk." He can't think of any other excuse to get away unattended. He doesn't care. He just needed to leave. Leave before he says or does or feels something that he had no right to be feeling in front of her. He can't even make it two steps before Yugiri is leaping up and clinging to his back, and he feels his eyes sting immediately upon contact.
"I-I'm sorry!" she sobs, the guilt wracking her body. "I-…I really do adore you, Lord Hien! I want to protect you! I just didn't want to cry before you!!" her tears are soaking through the fur on his garb, and he stops moving. For a moment, he stands there. He listens to her cry. He feels guilty. And after a moment, Hien's voice is heard. And it trembles, a shaky laugh falling from his mouth as he turns around, already having been in tears.
"I've gone first. Is it alright now?"
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