So I remembered while I was thinking about these memory prompts… I had designed Elle and Eddy (mom & dad) Delvanguard. But I had forgotten to go back an do Stefan. So here’s the runaway brother Dest used to protect and watch over growing up. (No I don’t plan to level him. I just wanted to design him. He’s not even on Balmung.)
Elle sighed as she got comfortable sitting on the stump. Watching over the small group of children playing nearby. They had to be around the age of five or six. Still young and bright. Untainted by the problems of the world. Her children were among the four playing.
A young Destiney looked over to her mother and waved with a bright happy smile. Her brother looking happy for once rather then the grumpy and miserable young man he would eventually become. With the two Delvanguard children were Dekkarra and Atix.
Elle couldn’t resist smiling at the joy of the children. Watching them chase each other or a ball. The contagious laughter that kept drifting over towards her. Sometimes a squeal of delight or playful panic.
“Momma! Momma!” Destiney ran over to her mother, tears on her cheeks. Her elbow was scrapped up and bleeding from a fall. Elle smiled warmly down at her baby girl as she wiped away the tears before taking the injured elbow in her hands.
“It’s okay sweetheart. Momma will make it better.” Elle said soothingly to Destiney as she reached into her bag to find something to clean it with before healing it. She patted the girl on the head lovingly as she finished. Shooing her to go back to playing with her brother and friends.
Lance was still unused to the Western side of Coerthas. His shifts usually were always south of Dragonhead, at Skyfire Locks. Yet he had been picking up any extra duties where he could lately. Anything to avoid home as much as possible. So naturally he had somehow landed himself some work on the Western side. Including some work he had been keeping quiet. He was technically in service with Haillenarte but Durendaire controlled the areas around here. Yet since he had begun his friendship with Emon’i he had been on occasion quietly offering assistance to Durendaire when Haillenarte did not have enough work to keep him busy.
He hadn’t noticed her at first. He had been admiring the warm rays of sun that rarely graced Coerthas. Yet her raven hair stood out to him in the crisp white of fresh snow. He had called out to her as he hurried over. Meaning well when he had warned her that it was dangerous.
Interesting. She was a pretty face with intelligent eyes. Not as common of a pairing with most of the Ishgardian ladies he had ever met. He couldn’t help but smile slightly as he crossed his arms in thought. He liked the bit of spark she had. There was something in her tone and actions that told him he wasn’t the first that had ever tried to be concerned for her. Finally he uncrossed his arms, holding his hands up defensively for a moment to apologize.
“I meant no offense of course. I apologize if I have done so. Ser Lancefer Aurifore.” Lance swept into a bow as he spoke to Svan, still smiling warmly as he straightened back up. “I just know this side of Coerthas is not nearly as kind as the . Would it be okay to ask what brings you out this way?
As expected of a Temple Knight, courteous with a sense to protect. Although she couldn’t help but notice he was quite different from the ones she had seen. Then again such knights tend to be completely different when they were off-duty and deep in their cups…
But she was sure she had never seen this man before. He held himself proudly, but not in a way of arrogance. The way he would stop her was out of concern, not that she would judge him upon that, but knights of his age and appearance often stopped her for other reasons than her well-being. Reasons that signaled a large, ruffled-looking crow to scare them off. The cry of a crow would cause her eyes to shift to look upon Ink perched on the nearby rail, turning his good eye upon the knight addressing her.
She would acknowledged the moody bird, but her attention would return to the knight as he begun to question her intentions of being out here. Yet another odd thing, usually knights would demand to know what she was doing, but he was instead asking if he could get an answer instead. Curious indeed, but nevertheless Svan would simply gesture towards the leather satchel that strapped over her shoulder under the shawl that she wore.
“I see, well I tend to come out here often to gather herbs. Is that a suitable answer Ser? I would appreciate it if I could leave very soon before the next snowfall…If you doubt me at all you can ask the folk around here and they can tell you about a crazy woman named Svan venturing off into the snowy lands alone.”
Of course he had not missed the fact that she was being just a bit wary. Not that he could blame her. He had seen both sides of the spectrum over his years serving. Not everyone trusted the knights right away. He had learned early on not to take offense to people’s reactions.
He had spared a glance in the crow’s direction for a moment. Curious. He had not recalled seeing anything here that might interest the bird. However he paid no further attention to Ink since the bird seemed to just be sitting there observing. It wasn’t something he thought much of. Animals that is. Beyond his chocobo, he had very few interactions with animals up close.
He eyed the leather satchel as she explained. A slight frown forming as she said the locals called her a crazy woman. He knew better then to judge a book by it’s cover but nothing about the woman seemed to cry ‘crazy’. Eccentric maybe. But that was even hard to go with in his opinion.
“I do not find it crazy. Then again I am pretty sure I have seen stranger things then a young woman gathering herbs in less then safe places.” He gestured for her to begin walking, not wanting to hold her up from her work but not walking away either. “I hope you don’t mind if I at least walk with you for just a bit. I can leave if you insist though. I promise to stay out of your way. Are you looking for specific herbs? Like those for healing or those for cooking?”
The Heavenly Virtue that is strongest in
you is Diligence. You are known for your work ethic and steadfastness
in the face of problems. Each day you are budgeting and planning to ward
off laziness being unproductive. In the most challenging times in your
life, you have done the right thing even when there were no witnesses to
praise you.
It had been quite some time since she had last gone out to drink. A first in a very long time with no company as well. Hell she couldn’t remember the last time she had been drinking without some sort of companion. Usually her closest friend, Chee.
This gave her pause as she stood inside of the tavern she had picked to come to. There had been no real desire to do this in so long. She had more then enough to keep her life busy. Yet at the same time maybe it was long over due. To get away from them and relax. To take a step back and just breath again. No danger. No enemies. Just a relaxing night of drinking where no one expected her to be anything. Not a scholar. Not a seer. Not a healer.
Destiney took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Relaxing as she opened her eyes once more to survey the room around her. She found and empty seat near the bar beside a rather dark looking Xaela male. Everything about him seemed dark and dangerous. Something she should have avoided. Yet no one ever said she had the best choices in who she decided to associate with outside of work.
The heels of her black boots clicked against the wooden floor as she made her way to that open seat. She gave the bartender a coy smile as she took that empty seat, motioning him over. This was the side she rarely let show. She liked a finely defined line between business and pleasure in her life. This was not work. This was all her time now. She ordered a drink for herself and told the bartender to get another for the man beside her of whatever his drink of choice was.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Glancing at him as the bartender moved to get the drinks. She thanked the bartender when he brought the drinks, paying the gil for them both. Running a finger around the edge of her glass first, thinking of something a bit more to say to the man beside her. She was so used to people watching and being quite. Usually letting others approach her first. She extended a hand to the Xaela in an attempt to be friendly, nails all painted in a shade of lavender to match her skirt and blouse. “Destiney Delvanguard. Who might you be?”
@nebula1984, to one of your precious beans Lancefer ; ; ))
Svanielle would scan the horizon as she emerged from the shelter, a fresh coat of snow blanketed the hills of the Western Highlands. After the harsh blizzard that lasted this morning the land was blessed with a rarity: sunlight. The beams shone upon the snow and glittered like crystals, a beautiful sight were it not only brief in time. It was a reminder that she make haste before the next snowfall. Western Coerthas may be desolate to some, but if one were to look closer the land was wrought with many herbs and plants. It was a gladly accepted cove of treasures that one such as herself would be unable to afford in the Crozier, as not only was it pricey but the merchants did not take kindly to haggling commoners….or commoners in general.
The local folk once thought she was daft in travel out into the lands alone, but every time she came back unscathed they stopped questioning it. Little did they know that the maiden was not without means of combat and defense and eventually her ventures out into the frozen wilderness became a normal occurrence. Although new witnesses were still a common thing.
As a gloved hand landed on her shoulder, she would sigh and turn to meet a tanned face framed with indigo hair. The concern was clear in his azure eyes as his complexion creased into a slight frown. The armor he wore was an indication that he must be a knight stationed at Falcon’s Nest, and considering that he stopped her, a new one. A soft smile graced her features as she gently took his hand and removed it from her shoulder.
“You need not worry Ser knight. This isn’t the first time I have journeyed out here.”
Lance was still unused to the Western side of Coerthas. His shifts usually were always south of Dragonhead, at Skyfire Locks. Yet he had been picking up any extra duties where he could lately. Anything to avoid home as much as possible. So naturally he had somehow landed himself some work on the Western side. Including some work he had been keeping quiet. He was technically in service with Haillenarte but Durendaire controlled the areas around here. Yet since he had begun his friendship with Emon’i he had been on occasion quietly offering assistance to Durendaire when Haillenarte did not have enough work to keep him busy.
He hadn’t noticed her at first. He had been admiring the warm rays of sun that rarely graced Coerthas. Yet her raven hair stood out to him in the crisp white of fresh snow. He had called out to her as he hurried over. Meaning well when he had warned her that it was dangerous.
Interesting. She was a pretty face with intelligent eyes. Not as common of a pairing with most of the Ishgardian ladies he had ever met. He couldn’t help but smile slightly as he crossed his arms in thought. He liked the bit of spark she had. There was something in her tone and actions that told him he wasn’t the first that had ever tried to be concerned for her. Finally he uncrossed his arms, holding his hands up defensively for a moment to apologize.
“I meant no offense of course. I apologize if I have done so. Ser Lancefer Aurifore.” Lance swept into a bow as he spoke to Svan, still smiling warmly as he straightened back up. “I just know this side of Coerthas is not nearly as kind as the . Would it be okay to ask what brings you out this way?”
Lance blinked at Em’s honesty. Her anger for his sake was in it’s own way endearing. He tried his best though to hide the urge to smile at her little tirade over his father’s recent attitude.
Over the years he had learned to let the things his father said to him or about him slide off him like water over stone. The rift between them was not worth the constant pain to attempt to mend it or even find a common ground. The day he made his choice all those years ago and set the two of them apart had begun all of this. If he had allowed everything his father said get to him since that day… He probably would have caved years ago. The words still stung sometimes but they were just that… Words. Yet even water would wear away at the stone with time. Just like words from his father sometimes wore on his heart. Yet he always tried to carefully mask those feelings.
His father had thought it was all some mummer’s farce when he found out Lance was supposed to be getting honors from ‘some daughter’ of the Durendaire line. Didn’t believe Lance deserved any such honor. Typical of his father of course. Couldn’t believe Lance had been able to protect the Viscountess. Lance was used to what his father couldn’t believe or did not want to believe to be true.
Em’s anger for him… He put a hand gently on her arm. “Emon’i. It’s fine. Honestly. I’m not asking you to apologize. I appreciate how strongly you feel. It will not change the man my father is though. There is no reason for you to upset yourself so on my behalf. Thank you though for the concern.”
Destiney felt like she had been running about to an from all day. Truth was she had been. There had been a influx of work from the Flames for her that day. Thankfully nothing to serious but the sheer amount of running around for them was wearing on her.
She had finally paused to take a break. The work had finally dwindled down to things that had no urgent need of being taken care of that moment. She wiped her lower arm across her forehead as she looked up at the sky above near High Bridge. The sky was already heading towards evening. Teleporting would have been easiest. Yet a part of her wanted to walk. Even if walking through South Shroud too late in the evening would prove dangerous, more so because of bandits then anything else.
She had just been about to begin walking when she heard the footsteps approaching first. A smile formed on her lips then as she heard that familiar voice call out to her. Blue eyes shined with a cheerful light as she turned to find Riski there. Sunshiney smile included.
“Riski! It’s so good to see you again.” Destiney pulled him into a warm hug, glad to see her friend. “Of course you may walk me home. I was going to go to Gridania though. Are you sure you still want to walk that far with me?”
Spirit of the Warlock 