Tag: FFxivWrite2017

Entry #12: The World Upside Down

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

(Writing for Alex tonight for the prompt~!)

Alex could hardly believe he was back here again all these years later. Staring up at the stonework of buildings and spires. A part of him wanted no part of this. To turn and walk right back out of this city and all the memories it held for him. Almost all of those memories bad…

Looking towards the Brume as he passed on the way towards the upper parts of the city. The place section where most of those with money or power resided. Heading for House Rillek of all places. This was something he was not looking forward to one bit.

From Brume Rat, scrounging to survive. To a Ward of House Rillek… How in seven hells he managed to get himself from the lowest caste to one of this standing… He knew he didn’t deserve it. More then deserved to be dead ten times over. Yet he wasn’t ready to lay down and die. Not without a damn good reason.

He’d stolen to survive as a child. Killed to survive as an adult. Yet somehow Lord Rillek was going to pull enough strings that he wouldn’t be touchable for his past crimes in Ishgard. Of course there was a huge ‘if’ attached to it. He had to work for it. Show he wanted to change.

All of this for a woman he didn’t deserve but he claimed her anyways.

Alex sighed heavily as his steps slowed. He was in no hurry to basically become nothing more then a servant. So it was not really much of a big step up in caste. Now he just didn’t have to steal or kill to feed himself.

The problem was stomaching the idea of serving a new Lord. The last one he had been forced to deal with when he was younger… Gods knew he would never tolerate another like that one. Would not let another touch him like that. Not if that ‘Lord’ wanted to keep his hands intact.

He wasn’t sure he could do this. Fear and doubt was gnawing on his insides. He was born a Brume rat and would die a beast. That familiar darkness whispering to him on how hard this would fail and come crashing down around him. There was no forgiveness for the things he had done. He would ask for none because it would not change the past. Halone had forsaken him a long time ago.

In the end he moved forward. Towards whatever crazy fate awaited him. Hoping silently that Koh’s love was enough to give him strength to survive this. Survive without giving into the darkest parts of his tarnished soul.

Entry #11: Idle Thoughts

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

(Entry for Alexois. This from his earlier days under his mentor, Jacques. It’s short since I’m having trouble thinking for this prompt. XD It’s a good prompt but hard for me right now.)

Alex sat on the stone wall looking down into the Brume. Here he was again where he swore he’d not come back to. Somehow he always found his way back here. Time after time. Even now as he trained under his mentor.

A part of him wanted to escape the lessons his mentor kept heaping on him. He was sick of the world. Could still hear his mentor’s cold words from the day before.

“There is no justice beyond the kind you make. Mercy is for the weak. So take your justice out on those fools and ignore their pleas for mercy.”

Alex wrapped his arms around his knees in a attempt to ward off the chill. Giving the people wandering wary looks. Not really fully paying attention. Just merely using this time to escape the next lesson.

Surely if the gods existed they wouldn’t have made him suffer so much. Mercy? Justice? For him neither existed. All there was… Was vengeance.

Entry #10: Siblings

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(Another one set in the past. Pretty sure I never really wrote out what happened when Dest found Stefan the first time after everything that happened. So now I will!)

Destiney sighed softly as she wandered through the streets of Ul’dah alone. Maybe she should have allowed her husband to accompany her after all. At least his presence would have been a small comfort in this city.

Why he wanted to start over around here… She’d never know. Yet at the same time she needed the fresh start. At least here it wasn’t cold. Though she missed the woods too. Perhaps this was for the best. She needed time to recover mentally from everything. Right now the woods just reminded her of all she had lost.

Her father… Leon…

No it was best that she came here with her husband for that fresh start. Neither had died in the Shroud but it still reminded her that they were gone.

What bothered her most was she had heard rumors. Sightings of a hyuran man with slightly pointed ears. It could easily be someone else entirely. Yet part of her hoped it was her brother. Even all these years later. There was no way he knew what had befallen their father. Not since he had run away before it had happened.

Her queries lead her towards the guild at the far end of town. A guild of mages studying black magic. In a way that didn’t surprise her. Her bother had always had an obsession with the arcane. Even when they were younger. Always her opposite even though they were twins.

Walking into the guild felt awkward since she wasn’t there to join or even study. Though her steps faltered when they fell on a face she would have known anywhere. A small fuzzy ruby head perking up at her attention on it’s master. The boy… No the man. Her brother was no longer a boy. His nose buried in a book as always. The same intelligent blue eyes met hers when the carbuncle finally nudged the leg of her brother.

“Stefan…” Destiney barely breathed his name. Wondering if he’d really recognize her now. With all that she had been through. The change to her hair. The clothes that no longer fit a simple shourdling archer.

What should have been joy to see her brother alive and well shifted into anger. He had left them all. The hurt at him abandoning them. The fact he was just here as if it didn’t matter. Didn’t matter that they had lost their father.

Destiney stalked over to her brother as he closed his book. Esper tilting his head curiously at the woman. The crack of skin against skin made everyone around them pause what they were doing to look. Stefan raising a hand to his cheek as he stared wide-eyed at his sister. Angry tears gathered in her eyes as she stared at him.

“How could you!” She kept her voice down but it was still colored with the rage at his actions. “How could you leave us like that! Here you are as if nothing matters! As if father dying means nothing to you!”

“W-What?!” Stefan looked taken back by both her words and actions. Never mind the stares at their little scene.

“He’s dead!” Destiney hissed at him. “The Garleans killed him! If you had been there…” Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she tried to find what she wanted to say. But what could she really say? There was probably nothing that could have changed what had happened… Finally giving up and turning away in a hurry. Rushing out of the building. Leaving a shocked Stefan alone with a very confused Esper.

“Destiney…” A mix of emotions going over him as he kept a hand over the cheek his sister had slapped. Esper gently nudged his leg before giving him a worried stare. He knelt down to rest a hand on Esper’s head. This way his face was out of view of others. No one could see his own tears. The pain of that news… The hurt at his sister’s anger… The sister that had always protected him even when he didn’t want it. It was all his fault… He should have known his actions would eventually come back to bite him in the end. Just hadn’t thought things would turn out like this. The slap had been more then deserved.

Entry #8: Unease

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

(Writing for Lance tonight. Will blog over to his blog later. This picks up after Entry 3. This is all current for Lance. Kind of hoping writing this little stuff gives me some ideas somehow. XD)

The restless feeling hadn’t eased over the last few days. Lance picked up more work to do when he could find it. Something to keep him occupied. Less time to think of the unease that was bothering him.

Yet that didn’t quiet the whispers. Or the feeling as if he needed to jump at every shadow. Something was going on. There was just no way to put a finger on what was causing this deep unease. A strong urge to search Coerthas until he found out why. Surely whatever was causing this couldn’t be the wedding.

Definitely not. If anything he wished it was sooner rather then later. So there was no way the wedding was making him feel this way.

Something was lurking in the shadows somewhere. Just the question was where. He had nothing to go on besides a feeling that something wasn’t right. Maybe it was just the effects of that stone again. Making him paranoid. Maybe this was just all entirely in his head.

He even went as far as to patrol further then usual. Even if it wasn’t exactly Haillenarte territory for some of the places he went. It was something to keep him occupied when he wasn’t able to distract himself with Miu’s presence. Hoping to catch a sign or anything at all suggesting that something might be amiss.

Entry #7: Life is Fragile

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

Destiney looked up towards the
darkening sky, catching the first sparks of light. Thankful it would
be a clear night full of stars. Perfect for a walk in the woods.
Catching a leaf drifting down from one of the trees. Twirling it
between her fingers by the stem.

Life was as fragile as the leaf in her
hand. Often once broken it couldn’t be put back together again. Not
in the way it was before. That was something she knew all too well.
But tonight wasn’t about dwelling on the past. Nor about what parts
of life were broken.

No. Tonight was about relaxing.
Enjoying a starry sky above in the woods she had grown up in. Feeling
at home and at peace. With all the chaos in her life there were only
two guaranteed things that brought her a sense of peace. Syluss and
the Shroud.

Too soon her company would be facing
off against danger again. Right now she just wanted to enjoy a
moment’s respite before life resumed. There she would be beside those
she cared about, fighting. Protecting the life of those she fought
alongside. To not let things be broken. As long as she could help it,
she wouldn’t lose anyone else.

Destiney smiled softly as she thought of her friends. Her second family. Finally beginning to walk. Just the woods and her.

Entry #6: Who Am I?

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

Stefan sighed heavily as he put down the brush next to the various paint colors. Frustration at the picture he had been working on. It just refused to come out right. That was the problem with having a streak of perfectionism.

Esper poked his head up off the bed where he had been curled up. Ears drooping as Stefan began to pace. Pacing always meant Stefan wasn’t in a good mood. It was another bad day for his master. Watching Stefan closely as the man walked over towards a window to stare at the reflection looking back.

Stefan brushed hair back from his ears. Giving the reflection a gloomy look before stepping away. Esper carefully trotted over and rubbed against Stefan’s leg. Stefan crouched down to rub Esper’s head gently.

“Some days I wonder why…” He began speaking, knowing Esper wouldn’t understand. Yet it felt good to have someone to listen to him. Even if that someone was just a cute fuzzy carbuncle. “I can’t identify as a hyur or an elezen. I’m not entirely sure why I bother. Was it my mixed blood that people thought it was okay to hurt and use me?”

Stefan sighed again as he sat down on the floor of his apartment. Esper curling up in his lap. Fingers going back to scratching Esper in the carbuncle’s favorite spots. “I am who I am. I do not understand why so many people make such a fuss as what you identify as. What race you are… How you dress. How you look… Yet people wonder why I decide I want to be alone… Because the world can be cruel to someone like me.”

“I have my family and I have you… I don’t need anything else.” Stefan said softly as he hugged Esper close. Esper licking his cheek softly as if he could lick away the sad feels.

Entry 5: Not all in Good Fun

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

(This is set in Stefan and Dest’s past but mainly focuses on Stefan. The two are roughly 13 so this is set before Stefan runs away.)

Stefan put his small hands over his head as the two elezen boys harassed him. Calling him names and poking fun at his ears. Laughing at the fact that he was different. Not able to blend so easily like his twin sister. Why was it had to be different? No one teased his sister and they were twins. It just wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t he be the one that looked normal. No the slight point to his ears gave him away. Made him stand out from the others.

“Freak. Not an elezen and not a hyur. You’re not anything. Spending all day hiding.” the taller of the two boys said with a sneer.

“Having your sister always protect you. What a whimp.” the other boy teased.

“Stop! Leave me alone!” Stefan whimpered softly. He wasn’t physically tough. Nothing like his sister. Didn’t like hunting or playing with a bow. He just wanted to be left alone with his books.

“Aw are you going to cry now? Big baby.”

“Leave my brother alone!” Destiney shouted as she stormed up towards the two boys.

“Hmph. We weren’t doing nothing. Can’t help if he doesn’t understand a prank.” the taller one said as he held up his hands, though the expression on his face said he was lying.

Destiney stalked up to the taller boy and looked up at him with a glare. He stared at her a long moment before rolling his eyes and motion for his friend to follow. Once they were out of sight Destiney went over to offer a hand out to her brother.

The hand was promptly slapped away as Stefan stood up. Tears shown in his eyes as he refused to look directly at her. “I didn’t need your help. You just make it worse! Leave me alone!”

Stefan turned and ran off in the direction of home. Leaving Destiney with a hurt look on her face.

Entry #4: Editing the Self is Hard

On By destiney1984Leave a comment

(Alexois is usually found over at @ishgardiansnow and I will blog this over there after. Posting it here for the sake of ease with the writing thing. Easier to keep track this way. This one is going under a read more just because it’s Alex.)

Alex paused by the mirror in the room he was given at Rillek Manor. So much had been happening. So fast. It was a ride going too fast that he was half tempted to abandon. Yet he couldn’t. There was no way he could leave Kohina. Not now.

Hand reaching up to touch the face in the mirror. Fingers pausing on the scar over the eye. Slowly moving to rest on the tattoo his mentor had placed upon his face. Crimson eyes drifting to the hair he had allowed to grow longer. He still remembered cutting his hair short when he went into hiding after trying to kill his mentor the first time. But hair wasn’t something he was changing now.

No this change needed to be deeper then the physical. Though the question he kept asking himself… Was he strong enough to change himself? To edit the man he had become to survive. He spent so many years of his life letting others shape him into the beast he felt he had become. Now he had to change again. At least if he didn’t want to hurt Koh.

She said she would leave if she had to. Yet a part of him didn’t want to force that onto her. Not without trying.

Aeri had tried to set him on a better path. One that might not lead to him dying. Then Koh came along and guided him out of the darkness. Yet he wasn’t sure he could change himself enough to be worthy of what her family wanted.

Could he really be something other then a monster?

Ulfarr’s words had stung the day they went out on his first chore. He wasn’t using his past as an excuse. That past had made him who he was now. He didn’t know how to be anything else.

Yet he knew he needed to try. Even face the nightmares he dealt with when he ended up sleeping alone. Small changes would even be a good start, If he could manage even that much. Editing the self was a hard thing when you spent most of your life using anger and pain as a weapon or shield.

Entry #3: Prayer

On By destiney1984Leave a comment
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(Normally Lance is found over at my side blog with Alex @ishgardiansnow but doing this here to keep things simple for the writing thing. I’ll just reblog it over.)

It was late and heading into night as he had gotten off duty. Sky blue eyes looking up at the snow falling gently down around him. He felt restless. Deciding to take a walk north. As he had done many times before when this feeling came over him. A feeling that had been happening more often as of late. Ever since the events with his family.

Possibly more now that he was engaged. There was now so much more at stake. Everything was so much more complicated. Yet he wouldn’t trade what he had with Miu for anything. Miu meant the world to him. His summer sun.

Once more in the ruins of the Steel Vigil. Always where his feet led him when he was restless. A reminder of everything that was sacrificed that day. The he was still alive because good men had given their lives for others to survive. Kneeling down on the frozen stone ground and bowing his head in prayer.

“Halone… Please. Guide me. Let me do this right. For Miu’s sake. Don’t let me fail him. Of all the Twelve above… It is to you, we of Ishgard, look to. It is to you, I plead. Give me the strength to protect him even if it I have to give up everything for him. I won’t watch anyone else die that I care about.”

Lance raised his head as he looked once more skyward. Closing his eyes and remembering the day of the attack on the Vigil. Remembering the trial for his father. Nearly losing his cousin. Almost losing Miu in the Sea of Clouds… Each time feeling helpless to stop events that were happening. All he could do now was hope Halone heard his pleas and was merciful.