Another lovely piece from @emiarden Thank you for bringing my pink punch girl to life. 😀 Pinky (Keaira) in all her pink glory when she’s not at the Gin Mill punching people. XD
Alex looked towards the bottle on the table. He could remember when the table was cluttered with bottles. Most of them half or completely empty. Now there was only one. His consumption had decreased over the months since Sana had moved in.
He headed towards the bed after ditching his clothes in a pile on the floor. Some things didn’t change to easily. Clothes could be dealt with in the morning. For now he was tired after his latest job. He slid into bed beside Sana and pulled her close. Wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.
The alcohol had once been to help him deal with the nightmares. The memories of the things he had survived growing up. Reasons why he slept with a blade carefully tucked within reach.
Now? Now he had Sanagi. There was something comforting having her close. Something about the way she made him feel did more for him then the booze ever had. It wasn’t a perfect fix but it helped a lot. Some day he’d have to deal with those nightmares. For now he’d take having Sana right there in his arms.
Valen paused outside of the small house he had considered home for much of his life. It felt so tiny now that he was grown. Yet it was still filled with many fond memories even around all his training and practice.
After all she lived here. His mother. The woman who always doted upon him growing up. Always made sure he was loved and safe. Even if she considered him to be his father’s legacy. The woman who protected him even when something silly had scared him as a small child.
Valen walked inside the house to find his mother at the sink washing the dishes. “Always so busy even still.” Valen laughed softly as he walked over to kiss his mother on the cheek. She turned to give him a warm smile before embracing him in a hug.
“Let me look at you.” Leandra spoke as she began looking Valen over for any lasting injuries from his journeys. Satisfied he was well she led him towards the dinning table and urged him to sit. “Come now. I’m sure you have not had a decent meal in days if you are anything like your father was.”
Lance had decided to take an off-duty patrol through the Brume today. No armor. No sign of anything that he was a knight. Not today. Some of the residents would recognize him without those symbols anyways.
This wasn’t something new for him. It was something he had taken upon himself though. Something he decided my help even a little just to make things safer. He no longer had the easy funds from his family to donate now that he was disowned for his choices. A little here or there, whatever he could manage after his own needs were met.
His feet paused as he heard shouting. Looking towards his left to find some knight shouting at a woman. The first thing Lance looked for were either Temple Knight or House colors. Dzemael. Of course. Likely down here to stir trouble with someone. They rarely seemed to pass through here.
The one day he had decided to leave his sword at home of course. He quickly looked around for something he could use. Nothing that could be used as a solid weapon though. Though there was one thing he could try as he eyed the pile of snow. It wasn’t a weapon but it could be a very good distraction. Scooping up a handful of snow as he quickly packed it into a ball.
“Hey! Leave her be!” Lance called out to draw the man’s attention before pelting the man right in the face with a snowball. It got the man’s attention alright. The Dzemael knight stomped over towards him. Lance did his best to not smile though he wanted to. Anger often lead to mistakes. Like the ones he wanted this knight to make.
And mistakes the knight did make. The man had drawn his sword and tried to attack Lance for snowball ‘assault’. Only for Lance to easily use his own training to disarm the man. The knight down on one knee with his own sword tip at his throat.
“Ser, I suggest when you stand up, you walk away. Leave this woman alone. Dzemael does not care about the Brume. If you are here to cause problems, I will make sure I make your life a living hell. As a knight myself, I will promise I can do such a thing. I have enough pull for it.” Lance gave the man a smile that was equal parts smug as it was sharp. “I’ll send your sword back later. You do not deserve to hold a blade if you are disarmed so easily.”
Lance withdrew the sword from the man’s throat to allow him to get up and stalk off. Checking on the woman before he continued on his way. Especially after he got the reasons from her that the man was bothering her. It figured he wasn’t one of the decent type of fellows. A man looking for trouble that happened to pick the wrong time. Lance sent a silent pray of thanks to Halone for making sure he was in the right place today.
Syluss Koellian smirks and chuckles a bit shaking head. “I’m not a fan of long distance sea travel unless you’re there, so no worries about that.” He opens the picnic box and inside was, surprise, various forms of jerky, but also some cheese and fruits. Lots of snackable things. And plus the sangria was some regular wine too. “Eao is on this fine wine trip and she said this goes good with cheese so I am taking her word for it.”
Destiney Delvanguard giggles softly. “Your sister is always on some kind of alcohol trip. Unless it’s your sangria, I usually do a nice Gridanian white wine. So I will have to take her word for it. I’ve not had too many different types.” Reaching over to snag a bite of cheese.“Someone in my company said something funny at the party a few days ago. She thinks Aimee and Oni will beat us to getting married. This Starlight makes two years since they got engaged.”
Syluss Koellian chuckles. “I heard she got on someone about cheap wine. I can see it, but she does know good tastes in wine, so I’ll give her that. I like red wine, no specific kind really.” Taking a few crackers and placing a bit of cheese and some meat between them he makes a mini sandwich. “Is that so? Well, we have a location, I can almost guarantee the lot of your company and Eao’s will attend so we have guests. Just need a date and something else… can’t put my finger on it.” He ‘hmms’ softly and plays coy a bit.
Destiney Delvanguard holds up her hand and playfully wiggles her fingers. “You didn’t put a ring on it.” Laughing before nabbing the little snack sized sandwich from him. “I teased Yuti right back since she brought a rather nice miqo’te man with her that she’s apparently living with now. Aimee and Oni don’t even have a location or anything. I’m not worried about it at all. I already got the best prize anyways. You.”
Syluss Koellian watches his sandwich get yoinked from him and he gives her a poke in the side, making himself another one. "That’s right. You don’t have a ring yet. I actually looked for rings and couldn’t find anything that really grabbed me to make me think of you. It never really crossed my mind to have someone make one cause then it wasn’t something as special. To me anyway.” He noms his sandwich down and takes her hand and slides on a purple dragonscale ring, nearly perfect fit for her ring finger. “So I made you one myself. Because you’re worth more than some store bought ring. Made from the heart, for the woman who has mine.”
Destiney Delvanguard was definitely a total sap for such a touching thing. She wasn’t going to cry. Okay maybe a little. Staring down at the hand crafted ring on her finger for a long moment. Turning to rest her hand on his cheek and kiss him. Buy herself a moment to respond. Cause emotions. “I love it. It’s entirely perfect and entirely you. You couldn’t have done a better job then this because it’s perfect.” Wiping at her eyes. “I love you, Syl.”
Syluss Koellian was usually gruff and blunt and not exactly soft with his words or expressions to many, but the few he actually let see the softer and sappy side of him, got it in full. Watching her eyes shimmer with tears he grinned and returned the kiss taking her hand and looking at the ring around her finger. “I love you too Destiney. A dragon scale ring for the wolf’s lady.”
Destiney Delvanguard stared at their hands together with a happy sappy expression on her face. “Now all we’ll have to do is a pick a date. Though perhaps we should wait till after Starlight. I’m sure lots of people will be busy with the holiday. I want to make sure people have the chance to attend and not miss it because of family time.”
The rain outside did little to damper her spirits today. After all there were still good ways to enjoy a rainy day. Like snuggling up to the man you love and reading a good book.
Sana had gotten her the next few books in a good series she had fallen in love with. That was totally how she planned to spend a rainy day. Getting hot chocolate for two and her book. Fluffing the pillows and grabbing the large blanket.
She looked like a kid in a candy store over this new book. She was almost sure Syl was likely inwardly chuckling over her behavior. All this for a book. Well and snuggling. Can’t forget the snuggling. Dragging him into bed for the evening so she could have his touch and warmth against her as well.
The book was filled with adventure and some nice dark undertones in all the right places. Even a few steamy moments.
Valen hated this outfit as he looked over his reflection. It was so drab. So… Dirty looking. Yet that was the point. He worked to smudge some dirt over his face to add to the look. A particular dark smudge right over the heart tattoo on his cheek. There just right.
Slipping from his room at the Forgotten Knight, Valen made his way down into the Brume. This was where rumors last made mention of the man he was hunting today. While he preferred targets that were monsters not men, today he made the hard choice. He needed the extra gil for Starlight.
He picked a spot not far from another beggar looking for alms. Hoping to spy the man he looked for while pretending to be one of the local poor. Gods it sucked playing this role. Even more so because of the bitter cold of Ishgard. At least the cold made it a little easier to look pathetic as he shivered. He’d take the Shroud over this place any day.
Begging passerbys as he waited. At once point actually managing to get a slightly less ripe apple even as he pretended. Well at least he was doing a good job faking it apparently.
There! He carefully masked his behavior as he munched on the apple. Or at least made it look like he was munching on the apple and watching warily for someone that might try to steal it. His eyes however were on his hunt mark. Waiting till the man was heading towards the deeper part of the Brume before he got up to follow. Picking up his longbow from where he had stashed it earlier.
Marielle closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. The weather of Dravania was perfect today. Fluffy white clouds and weather warm enough for a nap. She extended her arms as she tipped her head back. Enjoying the feel of the open air all around her as she stood at the edge of the plateau.
Sky, her chocobo, stood nearby. It wasn’t the same as having wings of your own. Yet her feathered friend worked pretty well for moments like this. Flying her up here to a nice open space. A space perfect for a nap. Just like when she was a child.
Marielle laid down and stared up at the sky above. Just watching the clouds float by in their lazy slow motion. Sky taking a hint to curl up and nap. Blue squawked at the two of them before giving up. The baby raptor hopped up onto Sky to curl up as well.
Oh how Marielle missed soaring the skies. Laying on the plateau with the breeze flowing by just wasn’t the same. Yet it still helped to ease the ache of the thing she missed the most.
Adelena pulled hard on the sail rope. Orders were being shouted about as Sirens scrambled across the deck. There was a tension to the crew. An urgency to get the boat hidden behind the crag and quickly. If they wasted any time then this advantage would be lost to them.
Closer the Garlean vessel sailed. The orders were no longer shouted. A silence had fallen over the crew now that the ship was concealed behind a rocky crag. Adelena and several others stood at the ready to pull or release ropes the moment the signal was given. Ready for what they knew came next.
They would do what Sirens did best. Be pirates. No matter the leash the Admiral had on pirates now. The Lady Infernal was still one of the better ships out there.
Adelena let go of some of the rope on cue. Holding just tight enough not to let it fly completely loose. It wouldn’t do to damage the ship in the breezy weather.
Closer they sped towards that Garlean boat. Axes were drawn as the Sirens prepared to board the enemy. Today they would celebrate when they returned to the Missing Member. First they just had to sink these Garlean scum.
Spirit of the Warlock 