Because I could. XD I spent 4hrs Sunday and 30mins Monday trying to climb that stupid jump puzzle in Kugane to get this sight seeing log. Nix and Aeri beat me up there but I finally got up there as well. Never again!!

Oh an now that Stormblood is no longer slapping me in the face to get the MSQ done… Back to RP things. To some degree because of the login queues still. XD

Family Bonds

(Sort of a two part in one writing. Starting out with Stefan and Destiney. An then moving to Lancefer and Destiney. @ishgardiansnow An there is a purpose to this. It’s… laying the ground work for Dest moving towards becoming a RDM like her FFXI version once was. I realize there will be a lot of people going to RDM probably but Dest on FFXI was ICly a RDM and I would love to push her back towards that path again. I miss her FFXI counterpart.)

Barely a word between them over the last nine years. Entirely separate lives that barely crossed. Now they stood in the same yard. Her yard.

She had still been shocked the day she had found her brother at their childhood home. Stefan had actually returned home. Actually visited mother for a change. It was the first time she had seen her brother since running into him in Ul’dah about two years ago and telling him about their father. Nine years since he had run away from home.

Mother had sent him with her when they went to a party Soren and Lloire had been throwing. He had been reluctant and tried his best to remain out of sight while there. She had not expected him to answer her message now with his behavior then.

Yet here he stood on her lawn. Looking confident and proud as he stood with one hand on his hip. Watching her with a curious look.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do? To learn spells of this kind?” His tone was not condescending. But edged with a concerned caution. “You’ve never displayed interest in this sort of thing before.”

“I want to learn. There is…” Her voice trails off as she looks down to her hands. The talks of a war on the horizon. The possibility her work with the Immortal Flames could put her over there among it. The kidnappings. She was tired of being a victim. Tired of being vulnerable. “More reason then ever for me to learn this now. Stefan…”

A wave of a hand as he smiles ever so slightly. “So now it is my turn to be the better sibling. About time I will admit.” He motions for her to stand over towards the maple tree. “I’m sure you already know most of the basics. If Uncle didn’t teach you then… Well he was a fool if he didn’t. Shall we get to work then?”

Destiney nodded to her twin. Never had she used aether in this fashion. For healing and protection yes. Not for fighting. It was still something that would not solve her entire problem. However it was a start. Something more to defend herself with.

They worked for hours. Until Stefan made them stop as evening began to approach. Claiming they needed to eat. Destiney was almost relieved when he even offered to cook. It was a simple dish but filling. At least one of them had some decent cooking skills. Destiney needed to remember to bother J’siris for some more lessons sometime. A comfortable silence settled between them as they ate.


Stefan had left with a promise to come back again tomorrow. More practice until he felt her skills acceptable.

It wasn’t long after he left that Lance came by her house. Destiney had also contacted him. Whether it be through magic or weapons… One way or another she would stand a better chance at protecting herself and those she cared about. No more victim.

“Here. Ready to practice?” Lance asked with a warm smile as he held out an old training sword for her to take. “We’ll start with the basics and as you get comfortable I’ll teach you more. I’ve had years at this. Don’t be disappointed if this takes time.”

“Of course. I know it takes time.” Destiney said with a nod as she tested the weight of the weapon. Wielding a bow was vastly different then a sword. The weight was odd in her hand but not uncomfortable.

“Do you ever plan to explain what has given you this sudden drive to use a sword?” Lance asked as he positioned the training dummy to his satisfaction. “Or is this something you would rather keep quiet?”

“Lance… I… I can’t tell you. I wish I could but… It’s not something I should. Please respect that.” Destiney frowned as she remembered the incident with Aeri. Aeri’s words about Lance and Alex. More to the picture. If he wasn’t willing to talk about Alex then she wasn’t willing to talk about Aeri. Mostly because she was afraid of her cousin’s reaction. To the idea that Dest had been kidnapped again. Especially since it involved both Alex and Aeri.

A disgusted sigh and shake of his head. “Fine. I won’‘t push. You know I never would. If you said it’s better not discussed then fine. Let’s begin.”

The Shadowed Truth

@aeritria @sorenspath @ishgardiansnow (for mentions of Aeri, Soren, and Alexois)

Destiney sat in the chair before her desk. Had not slept yet since Soren had brought her home. Too much on her mind to sleep. Restless thoughts running through her head at an endless pace.

Her fingers lightly caressed the lime green stone with it’s carved surface. “Leon…”

Blue eyes shimmered slightly as she looked up. Expecting to see the ghost of the man she had loved at one point in time. Before illness had claimed him from her too soon. See that bright smiling face. Hear the soft thrum of the strings on his harp. Yet nothing appeared to her now… No hint of the soul trapped.

Had he finally moved on at some point and she hadn’t noticed? Somehow she doubted it. Though she wasn’t sure what had changed either. Was it because of this name that he didn’t appear?

A heavy sigh as she sat back and looked up towards the ceiling.

Kidnapped again… Frankly she was tired of being a victim. Especially tired of being bait to get to Soren. However it hadn’t be Alexois to take her this time. No this time it had been Aeri. The woman had been gentle and promised not to hurt her. She just wanted a name Soren was holding from Alexois.

Alexois… Somehow he just kept popping back up into her life. She thought it was over and done with when her family drama was done. Apparently not. Now there was the dilemma of this name.

Yet she had agreed to help get the name from Soren. Aeri had insisted Alexois was trying to be better. If she had turned down Aeri’s words without even listening… Hypocrite. That’s what she would have been. She tried hard to prove that Leera wasn’t a monster. So if she insisted now that Alexois was nothing more then a monster just because of his actions taken for this name… Unacceptable. It was a hard truth to bear though. To think that someone like Alexois…

She still remembered that leer on his face when he had Lance at sword point in Coerthas. Aeri insisted here was much more to the story then Destiney knew. Truths hidden in shadows.

Her blue eyes drifted to the name she had written down. The one she had argued with Soren to get. Then to the stone her fingers lightly danced over.

Raitmeaux Chassebel… Chassebel… Leonceault Chassebel. Alexois and Leon had been half brothers according to Soren. Raitmeaux had fathered them both to different mothers.

Soren had thought he was protecting her by keeping this name from Alexois. Because this name was a connection to Leon.. He hadn’t thought it mattered so he hadn’t told her. Kept the truth from her. Hadn’t thought it would affect her. Honestly it shouldn’t have. Yet it did. Because of Leon…

So many things Soren kept from her. As if she needed to be protected from the dark truths. Hadn’t told her of his bargain with Alexois for this name. Didn’t tell her how he had tried to kill Alexois over this name. Aeri had told her. Told her the way Soren was killing Alexois slowly and painfully. Soren had assumed what was best for her instead of being honest. At least until last night when she confronted him and used guilt like a weapon. Just as Aeri had told her to.

Her hands rubbed over her face with a disgruntled sigh.

Her words had been heated and honest. But they were words that Soren needed to hear. She was tired of being protected from the truth just because it would be a hard truth. Because he wasn’t honorable. At the same time he also still seemed to refuse to hear her.

“For once it’s not about you. It’s not that I believe you can’t handle it or that you are fragile or pure. It’s not that I think you need to be sheltered damn it. It’s how I see myself through your eyes… And what I see… I don’t like it, but I can’t change it.”

Soren… She knew her last words after that had been harsh. Almost cruel. But they were honestly how she felt. Raw and honest.

“How I see you? You couldn’t care how I see you when you chose her over me! I never asked you to hide who you are. It shouldn’t matter. Not that my opinion seems to matter much though.”

She rubbed at her wet cheeks. Somewhere along the line she had begun to silently cry again. All she wanted now was her life back to the way things used to be.

Yet now she had the weight of that name. The decision was hers. Aeri had promised. Had kept to her promise though she had been there to get that name for Alexois. Now it was Destiney’s choice. To possibly condemn this man to an ill fate depending on what Alexois wanted his father’s name. Why he went to the lengths he did to get it. Working for the Aurifore just for the sake of this name. Could she do that to Leon’s father though he had never talked about the man before?

“Twelve forgive me…”

Aeri’s words about Alexois having never been given a chance before. Never having the chance to be anything but a monster. Being used and discarded like a mongrel. How was it fair if she didn’t give him a chance… Maybe he just wanted family. All she could do was pray that she wasn’t sentencing the man to death. Leon’s own father. Hands reaching for pen and paper. Writing to Aeri with her answer.

Aeri,

Soren gave me the name. It has been… A hard choice on whether or not to give this name to Alexois. Twelve forgive me if I am making the wrong choice and condemning a man to death. You walked away when you seen what the name Leon meant to me. There is a story behind that name though I’m not sure it matters to anyone but myself. His name was Leonceault Chassebel. Apparently he was Alexois’ half brother. The name Alexois wants… Is Raitmeaux Chassebel… Leon’s father. As well as Alexois’ father. I only hope and pray that I am making the right choice in handing over this information. In giving Alexois a chance to prove he is more then the monster I seen.

-Destiney

Took Dest to the ball to try an see if I couldn’t get her back some since I wasn’t really feeling Lance when I tried. She’s been far too quiet on me. (Both of the kids have really.) She got a chance to catch up with her soul sister, Chee. An danced with a very nice lady she got paired with in the dance roulette. As well as I seen a few more familiar faces. ❤

@cheetah-smith-ffxiv @cyrillien @lavendernest @liodesmond @wowiedima