#Armiger Solutions | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-world-in-grey · 4 years

Note

More Sunshine au please? Maybe everyone's reactions when Sola first gets published? I can definitely see Ardyn being a proud, bragging Uncle about it all. But just more of that verse in general would be amazing!

Alright, now that I’m not half-dead from work (three eight hour shifts in a row guys, eight hour morning shifts), I can properly answer this!

Reactions to Alata’s first papers getting published! (Two of her papers are published at the same time. Her personal research determining that miasma is destroyed by the UV radiation in sunlight, and the research by the medical task force in creating a treatment for early Vanishing Sickness using UV radiation.)

-Adryn is absolutely proud of his Dear Niece. And yes, he does brag to everyone about it. Because for years, Ardyn has very much been an Outsider among Niflheim high society. No one knows anything about this man who suddenly showed up and got the position of High Chancellor. No known lineage, much less a respected lineage, no history, no family, nothing. The nobility respect the fact that Ardyn is clearly a dangerous man, but they have only disdain for the man himself, for the filthy commoner who somehow has so much influence with the Emperor.

-So Ardyn takes great glee in bragging about Alata’s accomplishment. Getting published in any academic journal of notable repute is no easy task, and Alata’s work is in four journals in Niflheim alone, with reputable journals from Tenebrae, Accordo, and Lucis looking to publish the article as well. He brags partly as a way to thumb his nose at the nobles - my family is better than yours - but also as a way to advertise his niece’s research. The nobles are all but starving for any information about Ardyn, and Ardyn has just presented the bait of a previously unknown relative.

-And the nobles fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. They read Alata’s research. They contact the others involved in the research, asking about Alata. And if none of the scientists and doctors mention Alata’s age, well, she’s a sweet kid, and none of them want to toss her into the shark pit that is Niflheim politics. So an image of Ardyn’s niece is painted - a brilliant and kind-hearted humanitarian, with the ambition and determination to tackle the mysteries of the Vanishing Sickness.

-A possible chink in the High Chancellor’s armor, some think. A way to gain the Chancellor’s - and therefore the Emperor’s - favor, others believe. So they clamor for Ardyn to bring his niece to court. Such a bright and talented individual deserves opportunities to forge connections.

-Ardyn waits until the nobles almost think he won’t, then introduces Alata to court. Using the celebration of Prince Icarus’ betrothal to introduce her to the biggest possible crowd all at once.

-Alata shatters the nobility’s expectations. Yes, she’s bright and kind and ambitious and determined. She’s also fiercely passionate, sharp tongued and bluntly honest, with her uncle’s political acumen but no desire to pander to the song and dance of Court and stubborn enough to plant her feet and let any opposition break against her, like a wave breaking against a mountain.

-She’s also all of twelve years old.

-Ardyn is Smug.

-Besithia is an Outrage. He’s never liked the brat Ardyn picked up in Insomnia, not since she insulted his life’s work. But now, now this child has been acknowledged twice over by some of the highest academic journals worldwide. For the same research he’d scoffed at and dismissed as the idealistic ambitions of a six-year old.

-Besithia increases his efforts in his own research. He Refuses to lose to a child who isn’t as smart as he is!

-Queen Sylva is curious about this Alata Mederi. She didn’t personally attend Prince Icarus’ betrothal celebration, so she only has what her delegation and gossip can tell her. And Alata’s research, and does that spark Sylva’s curiosity. Because the research details how the Vanishing Sickness - referred to as miasma in her research - is destroyed by the UV radiation in sunlight, leading to the later medical research project in treating early Vanishing Sickness with UV treatments.

-Sylva can see how Oracle magic - Bahamut’s Blessing of Light - is able to cure the Starscourge where medicine and Lucis Caelum magic fails. But Sylva is curious how Alata discovered the Scourge’s weakness to sunlight at all. Prior research not published?

-In Lucis, Regis is not expecting to get a call from Weskham. He’s been too busy the past few months worrying about his son - who the Astrals have declared will die to cure the Starscourge, and Regis refuses to lose another child - and researching everything he can about the Starscourge. Going as far as asking Queen Sylva for any knowledge the Oracles have.

-So when Weskham calls and tells him of the article about the Starscourge in a Niflheim academic journal, Regis and Aulea leap on the opportunity. They secure copies of Alata’s research. It’s no miracle solution, but it’s the beginning of one, and Regis almost cries when he finishes reading it because- because this is proof that something can destroy the Scourge. Something that doesn’t require magic, doesn’t require his little boy sacrificing his life.

-If Regis decides to discreetly invest in Alata Mederi’s research, even as Lucis begins planning research of their own... well, niece of the High Chancellor or not, this research could save Noctis’ life.

And some other stuff!

-When Ifrit Blesses Sola, his Blessing replaces Bahamut’s. Because a) Ifrit is that petty, and b) his Blessing is Fire and Purity. The Holy Fire heals by destroying everything and anything that does not belong.

-(‘Reborn anew from fiery death.’ Sola burns in a pyre of white fire, and steps from the ashes with sun-gold eyes and white marks spiraling up her arms like fire from where Ifrit held her hands to bestow his Blessing. And when Sola later heals Titus of the scourge? Titus and Sola disappear in a firestorm of pure white, and well, as I said earlier, it’s rather hard on the glaives’ nerves. And oh does Sola healing Titus have unintended consequences.)

-Sola loses the Lucis Caelum magic. So do Loqi and Ravus, gifted with Sola’s magic as they are. No healing, no Elemancy save the Holy Fire unless Sola finds an Elemancy node, no warping, no shields, no armiger.

-Sure, Ifrit had Sola empty her armiger before he Blessed her, but he didn’t tell her why and now she can’t carry all of her weapons.

-Sola is still miffed about that.

-Half the people who meet Sola and learn of Ifrit’s Blessing are... shocked to say the least. Because, look. Sola is not reverent in any sense. Not to Ifrit or any of the other Astrals. Half the people in earshot choke on their own spit the first time they hear Sola call Ifrit a petty jerk.

-In this AU, Sola doesn’t pick up much Galahdian culture. She unnerves more than a few Galahdians wearing white and black. Combined with her red hair - that she keeps cropped short at jaw length, Sola hates dealing with her hair - and the white almost tattoo-like marks on her arms and the veritable armory she somehow stashes on her person (because I love the trope where a character pulls out weapon after weapon and everyone else is like, where are you keeping that?) Sola makes for an ominous picture to any Galahdian.

-And then they spend about five minutes in her presence and realize that she’s a massive nerd. Whose passion is linguistics, cultural development, and the reflection of such in literature and folk tales. That Loqi and Sola continue a previous debate on the accuracy of a translated historical work as they travel to Costlemark Tower, Ravus groaning in exasperation and Selena snickering, goes a long way towards easing Tredd, Luche, and Axis’ nerves.

-Noctis and Sola regularly write each other about once or twice a month. Sola doesn’t tell Noctis where she is or about her research. Not that she doesn’t want to, but she doesn’t know if Papa or Mama also read Noctis’ letters and she doesn’t want them trying to take her away from Uncle. Now that she’s older she understands why they would, but good intentions or no, Sola won’t let them stop her from reaching her goal.

-Noctis... kind of doesn’t tell anyone that he’s regularly writing to Sola. At first because it’s a secret, and managing to keep something secret from everyone makes eight year old Noctis giddy. Then it becomes something he’s possessive about. His letters with Sola are his. No one else’s, and Noctis is possessive of his new older sister and doesn’t want to share.

-Eventually Noctis does feel guilty about keeping his letters with Sola secret, once he’s a bit older and realizes how much Regis and Aulea and Cor desperately miss Sola. But he still doesn’t tell them, because how he doesn’t even know what he’d say. Oh, he’s been writing to his missing older sister for years now and never told anyone? Noctis is only eleven, but he’s not stupid. His parents would not be happy. Worse, they’d probably be disappointed.

-Then Noctis has the idea that if he convinces Sola to come home, his parents will be too happy about that to be mad or disappointed that Noctis didn’t tell them about the letters!

-Unfortunately, Sola tells him that she can’t come home yet. She has a very important promise to keep. And one should always keep their promises. But Sola promises Noctis that she’ll be home for his coming-of-age. Even if she can only visit. Noctis pouts and tells her that he’s twelve. That’s forever!

36 notes · View notes

xadoheandterra · 4 years

Text

At request over on AO3 I’m sharing the notes I have on the Oaths used in The Path Untrodden. Some people where curious about Prompto’s unique Oath and where it could have come from, so below the cut if you don’t mind potential spoilers (as I don’t know when/if I’ll get a oneshot put out about it, or when/if it’ll come up again more clearly in the story itself) go ahead and give it a read!

I’ll start with the typical Oaths seen between characters to make things a bit clearer for those curious.

Oath of the Shield - Gladiolus’ Version I offer my Life into Service, Bound by Word and Bond and Crystal Light. My Soul to Sacrifice for King of Light, to Guard and Protect from all Threats, both Within and Out, until the Darkness Encroaches no Further. I offer my Life to Shield in All Ways so that this Bond may not be Severed, to Aide King of Light in Their Duties so Divinely Given. I offer my Being in its Entirety for my King of Light, Forevermore.

I chose to phrase Gladiolus’ Oath (and you will see in each of the Oaths shown after this that they are all phrased very similarly) for a specific reason. The Lucis Caelum’s are tied intricately to the Crystal reportedly since it was first ‘given’ to them from Bahamut. However their Magic is an Ancient thing that dates back to Solheim, and the Oaths similar in that respect.

To take apart the Shield Oath it’s pretty simple. Any person Bound to a Lucis Caelum (and then that shares in their magic and armiger) offer’s their life up to that Lucis Caelum. They offer their entire person to the Lucis Caelum that they have Chosen--and the Oathmaker must have Chosen that Lucis Caelum. A Lucis Caelum may have chosen a person, but to become an Oathmaker the person much choose the Lucis Caelum back.

In this respect each Oathmaker and Bonded are intricately wound through their very lives and souls. You will find that an Oathmaker or Bonded can pass before their Lucis Caelum, but no Oathmaker or Bonded will survive long after their Lucis Caelum has passed in this story. Due to the nature of the Bond they will live for as long as the Bond is in place, until its Severing. This is how GIlgamesh has survived the long years!

An Oathmaker makes their Oath always with the Sacrifice of Soul in mind. Their Souls are aimed to stabilize the Lucis Caelum’s power, and to provide a first defense against threats. This too ties back to Solheim and the Astral War actually, when the people of Solheim were being systematically wiped out by the other Astral’s due to Ifrit’s choices to support those of Solheim. This is supposedly when the Scourge arrived on Eos as well, so the Darkness that Encroaches is referenced in two ways here--the Astrals, who want all of Solheim blood to be removed, and in Gladiolus’ Oath and all Oaths to the King of Light it references the Scourge/Prophesied Darkness to befall Eos.

Gladioulus’ Oath references offering of his very life in all ways, meaning that technically of so ordered Noctis could decide Gladioulus’ relationships and things like that. It’s a more Ancient thing that they’ve chosen, but the more Ancient the wording and Bond the more support it provides to their Bonded. Noctis needs a lot of support--he’s got a lot of power packed into a tiny yet damaged body, and without the support he could burn away from the inside out due to the Cyrstal Light. This also ties back to Solheim and Solheim magics and the Lucis Caelum’s specific line within Solheim.

The ‘duties so divinely given’ is a mixed bag of things. In Solheim times it references Ifrit’s direct hand in their Duties, but they don’t necessarily use ‘Divinely Given’ in the Solheim Oath. In Solheim it’s more ‘Divinely Offered’ or ‘Eos Driven’ In Ardyn’s time it references the Duties pushed forward by the Astrals onto Ardyn (and Somnus’) shoulders. It’s the Prophecy and the promise of eradicating the Scourge.

There’s more to that that’ll come up, so I’ll leave that tidbit there.

Oath of the Shield - Gilgamesh and Etras’ Version I offer Life to Service, Bound by Word and Bond and Crystal Light. My Soul to Sacrifice for Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light, to Guard and Protect from all Threats, both Within and Out, until the Darkness be Scoured from Our Star. I offer Life to Shield All Ways so that Bond cannot be Severed, to Aide Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light in Their Duties Divinely Chosen. I offer my Being in Entirety for my Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light, Forevermore.

Etras, for those confused, is a Lady Tenebrae who is Somnus’ Bonded Shield. She shows up in a oneshot that I”m currently writing.

The biggest noted differences here is that it is not specified ‘my Life’ although it is specified ‘My Soul’ - this difference in wording is more due to the times and manner in which Etras and Gilgamesh speak, and also due to the magical natures of being a Lord/Lady Tenebrae. Another major differences is the specification of Warrior-King/Healer-King. Both were considered to be POTENTIAL Kings so their Bonded Named them King in the manner in which they acted. Ardyn as Healer, and Somnus as Warrior....

There’s some more but it’s a bit spoiler-y so I’ll leave that for now.

Next we have ‘until the Darkness be Scoured from Our Star’ - Note that this is different from ‘until the Darkness Encroaches no Further’ which is pretty significant. Ardyn and Somnus’ Bonded made Oaths to eradicate the Darkness, where Noctis and his Bonded (and thus the Bonded of his Father and his Grandfather) all make Oaths to stop the Darkness from going further. To Noctis and his Bonded the Darkness is a typical way of Life. They don’t know about it’s parasitic and viral nature, how it infects and then turns people. This information has been forgotten by the Lucian Kings over time because when they treated it as a Plague they found it spread just that bit faster--or Somnus at least realized that burning the Afflicted didn’t work, just as Ardyn’s Healing of the Afflicted didn’t work. Another solution is needed to eradicate the Scourge, but neither knows how--and so the Oaths over time changed to at least stopping the Scourge from going any further. Until such a time as they can basically neuter it from taking more lives, Gladioulus would still be required to ‘Guard and Protect’ Noctis. In that same manner until the Scourge is eradicated, so too would Gilgamesh be required to ‘Guard and Protect’ Ardyn.

The final differences is ‘Duties Divinely Chosen’ as both Somnus and Ardyn did technically choose their own Duties. They weren’t told go heal or go combat the Scourge, just that one would be Chosen as King of Light to eradicate the Scourge. So in a way both brothers Chose their own paths to defeat the Scourge itself, and the Oaths reflect that Choice.

Oath of the Hand - Ignis’ Version I offer my Life into Service, Bound by Word and Bond and Crystal Light. My Soul to Sacrifice for King of Light, as the Blade to Pierce through the Darkness, until the Darkness Encroaches no Further. I offer my Life to be the Hand in All Ways, the Sword that Defends in Aide for King of Light, to Keep these Bonds Unsevered. I offer my Being in its Entirety for my King of Light, Forevermore.

Much of Ignis’ Oath is similar to Gladioulus with several key differences at play. FIrst thing that anyone should know is the term ‘Hand’ actually came about much later in Lucian history. The original term for the ‘Hand’ before Lucian Royalty became such, and their duties began to encompass essentially being their secretary and such, is to be their Bonded’s Sword. To this end the Oath has always referenced being a Sword that Defends, or the Blade to Pierce through the Darkness.

Hands/Swords are typically assassins at the behest of their King. They put up a pretty facade, but their job is to route out threats and eliminate them. They are the proactive arm of their Chosen, while the Shield is more passive in its nature. In this way a Hand/Sword is the first Defense. They need to evaluate all potential threats, and if they do not eliminate one then the second Defense of Shield comes in to play to protect their Chosen from the threats that slip past.

The ‘Darkness’ referenced the first time is the darkness in human nature. It is the threats created from human hearts and minds to their Chosen. The ‘Darkness’ referenced the second time is the Scourge itself.

Being the Sword is intended to keep the Bonds together, a glue if you will to ensure that none break from their Chosen. In this way a Hand is also the peacekeeper and mediator for any issues that can arise between the Bonded. Their Goal is to keep the group running smoothly. This ties back mostly to Solheim and the Astral War when tensions were high and Bonds could be easily Severed with a misspoken word.

Oath of the Hand - Somnus/Ardyn I offer Life into Service, Bound by Word and Bond and Crystal Light. My Soul to Sacrifice for Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light, as the Blade to Pierce through the Hearts in Darkness, until the Darkness be Scoured from Our Star. I offer my Life to be the Hand in All Ways, the Sword in Defense of Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light, to Keep Our Bonds Tethered. I offer my Being in its Entirety for my Warrior-King of Light/Healer-King of Light, Forevermore.

This is not necessarily the same Oath given to Ardyn as it is given to Somnus. I have a reason for that, but I’m keeping it concealed for now as it will come up in the story at some point. Much of this Oath is the same as Ignis’ as the duties haven’t really changed between the times. They key differences (aside from denoting a Warrior-King/Healer-King instead of just King) are the fact that it references ‘Hearts in Darkness’ instead of just ‘Darkness’ - a part of this is the nature of the times, and the fact that the Oath is closer to its Solheim version which references ‘Pierce through the Hearts Threat’ instead. That version is due to Solheim and I could go into great detail about, but I won’t for brevity’s sake.

Lastly the Hand/Sword in this Oath has the goal to keep ‘our’ meaning the Bonded and their Chosen together. They want to ensure the bonds remain Tethered to their Chosen, which is a little different to ensuring they remain Unsevered. For Ignis’ Oath it means that Ignis will do his damnedest to ensure Gladioulus doesn’t get his fool self killed and sever the Bond to Noctis. For Somnus/Ardyn’s Oathmaker it means they will do their damnedest to make sure the fool Shield’s don’t fuck shit up with their Bonded, and that means ALL Bonded.

This is Important for Reasons I’m going to be quiet about.

Oath of the Brother - Prompto I offer my Life into Service, Bound by Word and Bond and Crystal Light. My Soul to Sacrifice for King of Light, to Ensure They Never be Alone, Forgotten, or Without a Companion in the Moments where Their Steps may Falter. I offer my Life to Befriend and Beholden to Their Light, to Shelter Their Bonds and Prevent Them from Being Untethered. I offer my Being in its Entirety for my King of Light, Forevermore.

Prompto’s Oath is known as the Oath of the Brother for reasons as well, that I don’t want to go too deeply into but suffice it to say the Oath of the Brother was pretty much removed from the Oaths that a Chosen could make for Reasons. It took Ignis to do some digging to even find the Oath, and then Prompto modified a few bits of it to fit the times. The Original Oath is a bit looser where Prompto went for more restricting/more of a sacrifice on his part due to his own insecurities. Prompto has essentially pushed himself into the moral center, their glue between the other Oathmaker’s and their Chosen. When Ignis as Hand cannot soothe and mediate between the Bonded, Prompto is to come in and squirrel away the Bonded to make sure the Bonds can remain in tact. He essentially is the balm to their hurts when things go awry.

With Prompto the whole system for Noctis could fall apart. Gladioulus, Noctis, and Ignis far too easily butt heads, so Prompto is there to ease the way you could say. It’s what he does best, breaking tension and buffering each person in the group.

The rest of it is pretty much the Oathmaker being there for their Chosen, the moral rock and center for their Chosen, the base that their Chosen can stand upon when times grow tough. This does harken back to Solheim and the Astral War as well, as the Brother would be the last of the Bonded to follow their Chosen in to death. They would Record Histories to be passed down, so that their Chosen would be remembered.

Most of the modifications to the Oath are about steps faltering, being a companion and friend. In the older Oath these were a bit different offerings, but I won’t go into that here again for Reasons.

Anyway, if you guys want to know more about the shit I’ve put together for this universe just...ask away!

#fanfic #final fantasy xv #ff15 #oaths and bonds #fic: the burning of solheim #fic: the path untrodden

2 notes · View notes

callidusluciscaelum · 4 years

Text

About Callidus

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Name: Callidus Lucis Caelum Title: The Clever Age: 25 Occupation: King of Lucis. Patron God: Shiva Royal Arm: Bow of the Clever

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV.

________________________________________________________________

The Clever:

“A king said to be well versed in the arts, be it the physical, the intellectual, martial, or that of skill. He is known to have wielded a crossbow. His statue and Lucii form has thin armor with several lengths of a segmented cape draped over his back, and antler-like extensions on his helmet.”

Kings of Lucis.

Biography:

Callidus Lucis Caelum ruled over Insomnia well before the 108th King- The Wise- raised the Wall. Thus he is not beholden to the monstrous amount of life force it takes to maintain Lucis’ defenses. He was raised during a time of armistice- and as a result, the Prince was able to focus on areas of study and learning that others may not. Not having to dedicate his life to the art of war, Cal found his days filled by being buried in tomes, practicing his practical skills with the arts, and refining his martial skills. Callidus had a knack for learning, and in addition to the circumstances pushing him to refine his skills, he was eventually labelled as ‘The Clever’ by both the courts and the commonfolk alike. But Cal did not earn this name by natural talent; much of the people’s perception of his capabilities were born out of necessity.

Lucis during Callidus’ time was not, by any means, a perfectly peaceful place to live. An outbreak of the Scourge began during his Father’s rule, and had spread throughout the villages of Lucis. As a result, most of the citizens live in fear of the deadly plague. The Oracle of Callidus’ time rides tirelessly, going from village to village in an effort to help the Lucians survive. However, due to the fact that the fastest means of transportation was that of Chocobo- or other beastly means- Cal was forced to search for a way to contain the spread of the plague into certain areas of Lucis, in an effort to buy enough time for the Oracle to arrive.

Thus did he work on his intellectual skills- his search for a proper strategy, a means to try and keep people alive, and method to stop the spread dove him deep into the pursuit of knowledge. His is often found studying, or carrying on various experiments in an attempt to find solutions to the problems that plague his people. The sudden outbreak of the plague, and subsequent increase in Daemons for his time left Lucians fearing to leave their villages. The amount of Daemon activity was no where near the crisis of Noctis’ time, but it was still an increase that made people afraid to wander too far away from their magical wards. That, and those villages not currently plagued by the Scourge would not let their people wander too far, nor were they friendly to visitors fleeing the Scourge in an attempt to keep the sickness from entering their homes. As such, there were far less hunters on the roads. People left only to hunt smaller, easier to catch game. Whereas the large, tumultuous and monstrous beasts were left well enough alone. This caused an explosion in their population. It was this very issue that left Lucis under Cal’s rule early. His father had been travelling out to meet with the Oracle at a decimated village that needed to be razed to the ground. The Scourge was everywhere there, not a single person was left alive and the only means for them to even attempt to control the spread of such a disastrous area was to destroy the remnants. But Cal’s father was not one to do so lightly, and wished to view the devastation with his own eyes. Upon his return from the village, he was beset upon by beasts. Cal’s father did suffer a grievous blow, but the King lived. However, due to their lack of medical expertise at the time, his father’s wounds would eventually fester. The infection would eventually claim the King, passing the Ring and Rule on to Callidus. Spurred by his Father’s death, Callidus took up the bow, and would lead regular hunting parties and excursions to eradicate the growing overpopulation crisis. This helped him hone his martial skills.

The King was not beholden to the capital. Especially seeing as he had no Wall to keep- no war to fight- and thus would divide his time. He would be found governing at the Citadel, taking long, round about hunting trips, visiting villages that need to be razed, or exploring untrodden territories in order to hunt particularly violent or powerful beasts. If he cannot be found at the Capital, he could be found wandering the nearby lands of Lucis.

________________________________________________________________

Personality:

Cautious, intelligent, thoughtful, introverted. Callidus does not get to talking casually very often- but if you catch him on one of his interests, you may not be able to shut him up. He believes his intellectual interests are not as interesting to other people as they are to him, so he often keeps his thoughts to himself. He is not; however, opposed to social interaction. He just tends to be on the less boisterous end of the spectrum. He would rather spend his time studying, painting, or hunting than entertaining the courts Lords and Ladies.

Weaknesses:

Over-analyzes, refuses to take action unless information is known about the situation or individual, overly cautious at times, sometimes neglects to explain the logic of his actions leading to some altercations. He tends to think less on the emotional side of things, and will sometimes fail to understand how people could pursue tasks inefficiently, despite the feelings of the individual in question. Sometimes the most efficient route is also not the most appropriate.

________________________________________________________________

Abilities:

Weapons of choice: Crossbows, bow and arrow, throwing knives, long distance weaponry.

Spells: He has an affinity with ice, casting Blizzard related spells more often than any other spell at his disposal. Seeing as he does not need to maintain the Wall, Callidus has much more vitality- his spells are highly potent, and he relies on spells cast with the help of the Ring of Lucii far more often. That said, the pain and weakness of doing so is ever present, and he counts this as a tactical or strategic disadvantage. Callidus does not cast unless it is absolutely necessary for the battle to be won.

Armiger: Cal retains less Royal Arms than the more recent Kings. As such, his Armiger is packed with primarily weapons of distance. Additionally, he is not opposed to using close combat weaponry- as was tradition for the line of Lucis to train and be proficient with all kinds of arms. Cal just prefers to end a fight before it really begins, to snipe his prey from a distance and minimize the possibility of variables or failure.

________________________________________________________________

Please see Verses for available interactions.

#about #important #save

1 note · View note

talldarkandroguesome · 5 years

Text

25th of Last Seed, Sundas

When I was returning from Heathre’s tent in the early hours, something unusual occurred. Well, perhaps not that unusual. Perhaps fortuitous is more correct.

Having spent so much time away from Tel, I had completely forgotten about their morning exercise regime.

Yet, as I was softly weaving between tents to return to mine, I saw Tel working out their muscles, a light sheen of sweet glistening upon their body. I thought to approach, but did not want to throw Tel off of their rhythm, so I took a seat upon a crate nearby and waited for them to catch sight of me naturally and bring their focus to me in time.

It was surprising how long it took for Tel to realize that anyone was even there. If I had meant them harm, Tel could have been dead countless times over without being caught awares.

Still, I will not pretend as though I minded the wait. Tel’s exercises, in only a light shirt and trousers were enough for me to see plenty of their body. Even more noticeable, the strength of their muscles as they worked each one, the raw power clear even at a casual glance.

It was not until Tel had decided to work on practice with their staff, that they had become aware of their surroundings enough to see me. We grinned at one another and they came over, inviting me to spar with them.

Unclear what sort of rules Tel followed in the sport, I inquired to the sort of sparring Tel intended. After all, it would likely be upsetting to Tel if I should practice as I was taught. There is so much sand about, it would be easy enough to throw or kick a spray into their eyes, come up behind them with a teleport strike, and have a knife or even a staff, at their throat.

Tel said they wished to spar with staves. Given the hungry look on Tel’s face, I began to unlace my trousers, ready for a battle with our respective staves. Tel laughed and threw me a wooden staff.

Not ready to let go of a jest, I asked them if the contest was where to put the staff, or how deep.

A shame Tel does not have nearly as much of a sense of humor as one might expect from and Armiger. Instead they rolled their eyes at me and, in an annoyed tone, asked if I was going to join them, or if they should just continue to train with their staff alone.

I refused to end my joke there and told Tel that it was truly their loss. And I was pleased to here Tel return with a quip that they thought I much preferred to practice with their spear. I agreed, particularly when it came to polishing said spear.

Tel was unable to carry on further with the jest, instead sighing and complaining to the Gods at large about how shameless I was. To which I reminded Tel that being shameless was one of my better traits, or at the lease, a highly paid trait.

I was ignored for my words, even though they were truth, and we began to spar.

It was difficult not to put my more instinctive reactions into play. I focused on parrying and dodging the strikes, waiting for an opening that showed a slower hand, or a weakness, or any sign of fatigue.

Of course, with my eyes trained upon Tel’s sweat-slicked body and the scent of them so close, I was quickly drawn to distraction. I managed to keep up for a while, but ultimately I was pinned beneath Tel’s smaller frame.

I thanked Tel for their show and a bit of exercise, then looked up at Tel, hoping that my expression would convey my needs.

Tel asked what I would like to do next. I glanced up at them and said I was ready to take my defeat.

I do not think Tel understood what I meant then either, for they began to list the various things we could do to fill our day with training and exercise. My body ached, just thinking of all of that without having yet slept from the night before.

I reiterated that I was ready to give tribute to the victor and that they should have their way with me as their right in defeating me.

Tel laughed and lightly said they were not yet done with all their daily exercises. I gave Tel the word to continue and I stayed laying on the ground for a while, letting Tel know which of his various exercises I was most interested in.

When Tel took a short break, he asked me my reason for being up so early, if I was trying to get ahead on some chores.

I replied that I was not up early, I was simply out late for a night of conversing and had been returning to my tent when I had seen Tel and decided to stop and watch.

Tel said nothing more for a longer pause than was usual in a conversation. So I returned their silence with my own.

Eventually Tel started to apologize for keeping me up later, not having realized I had yet to sleep. I waved off the concern.

Of course, then Tel has to go and be theirself, and starts asking me about how the meetings with the Clanmothers have been going.

I made a sour face at them and said I was in little mood to talk about it. Instead, I offered to share a morning nightcap with Tel, who decided that they were not in the mood for such a thing.

I offered to satiate any thirsts or hungers Tel might still have. They looked contemplative as they glanced down at the ground, not quite able to articulate anything to me.

I tried kneading Tel’s shoulders, down over their chest, pressing my body up to their back. I whispered in their ears that I was there to help with any tension that needed to be released.

Yet, no matter the tactics I chose, how low my hands slid, Tel just stood their looking constipated.

I gave up and started walking to Tel’s tent instead, letting Tel know that since they clearly wanted more exercises, they should finish and then come find me waiting.

Tel said they would find me if I was still up in an hour.

I stripped down and got into their bed. I let myself drift into a light sleep waking as Tel rustled the canvas on opening the door.

I greeted Tel, making sure that I was in an inviting position as they entered. Tel called me a crazy f’lah and said they did not expect me to actually wait for them.

When I told Tel that I rested my eyes while I waiting, they looked skeptically at me, so I asked if they were joining me or not. At least that got Tel to stop stalling and get out of their clothing. I came to help. A mer can only be so patient after being teased and then left to wait.

I started untying Tel’s undergarments as I offered to live up to my earlier promise of polishing their spear. But Tel shook his head and said they wished to be the one polishing after I had waited so patiently for them and they pushed me down upon the padded bedding to fellate me.

I could hardly leave Tel without a favor returned, so I pulled Tel towards me to do the same to them, making sure to pleasure both of their organs in tandem with fingers and tongue.

We spent the better part of the morning in such activities and more. It was invigorating. Having two partners so close together reminded me of the way things had been and of just how little pray I had been offering Mephala as of late. Neglecting such important duties!

I went back to find that Avon was just returning from having spent time with the children. He said he was feeling a bit restless of late and I proposed a solution.

So by the time the sun was overhead, I had found myself and three partners fully satisfied. And at last I was able to slip into a deep slumber and rest.

Avon came in just a moment ago to rouse me for dinner. I said I was not feeling hungry and even a bit in need of some rest. He turned to leave, telling me he would make some excuses on my behalf.

I asked him to simply buy me a little time. I got myself cleaned up and perfumed so I would be presentable. I hope that dinner is not weird between all the interested parties.

#ESO #TES #Dunmer #Khajiit #RP #Elder Scrolls Online #The Elder Scrolls

4 notes · View notes

jazzybot4 · 6 years

Note

“.....I think I just voided the warranty.” “You made it explode!”

“That would count yes.” Clarus sighed as he looked at the smoking remains of Regis’ phone. The Prince was still very much a skittish thing, coming out from the shell the Citadel had placed him in. The phones unexpected alarm going off had startled the Prince, and well....electricity meet battery. Thankfully he had a solution for this. “It’s a good thing I stocked up.” He said, pulling a sleek box out of the Armiger. “I hope you don’t mind if I programmed this one to back up your photos and data. We’re probably going to lose a lot more of these.” and he handed the case to Regis, who was pouting. “But. He made it explode.” Cid said, eyes wide and jaw slack. “How....” “Look. You don’t ask what happens to Cors phones.” Clarus said. “You don’t want to know. Regis? Regis is a *menace* when he’s surprised, and frankly I don’t blame him. We’ll talk about the explosions later. For now? Regis, see if your SIM card survived.”

15 notes · View notes

moonlight-at-dawn · 7 years

Text

My Strength Lies in You || Chapter 3

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Title: My Strength Lies in You Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Eventual) Pairing: Noctuna (Noctis Lucis Caelum x Lunafreya Nox Fleuret) Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum Rating: T Genre: Friendship, Romance (slow burn, maybe?) Summary: Noctis has come of age, and he embarks on a journey to see more of his country and of the world alongside his four closest friends. Wherever they go, they protect the people, fight monsters and daemons, and heal the Starscourge. AU where Noctis isn’t the Chosen King and there’s no war with the Empire. Author’s Note: >:D I had a lot of fun with this one. Spot my favorite line, lol. I get too much amusement out of my own humor sometimes oops XD

AO3 Link

Luna leaned against the concrete barrier at the edge of the parking lot, looking across the highway to a faint but familiar blue smoke in the distance. It was too far for her to test the strength of the haven, but knowing it was there made her itch to go check it out. She didn't know what kind of creatures might be out and about, though, and her weapon was in the caravan they'd rented for the night.

She heard asphalt crunching under boots, and a moment later Prompto came up beside her, leaving a bit more than just a respectful amount of distance between them. Luna turned to smile at him, having had the sense since they first met face-to-face that she was an intimidating figure to him. They hadn't yet had a chance to speak in private to clear that between them. "Good morning, Prompto. How was your rest?"

"It was good, Lady Lunafreya. How, ah, how 'bout you?"

"Mmhmm, I feel well rested this morning and ready for the day ahead. And, Prompto?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to be so formal with me. Unless there's a reason for us to look formal, you needn't worry about titles."

His shoulders relaxed and he let out a sigh of relief, nodding, "Alright. Thanks, ah, Lunafreya."

She laughed gently as he tried it out. "I never did get to thank you properly, you know. For taking care of Pryna, and for being such a good friend to Noctis."

He ducked his head shyly, scuffing his boots against the ground as he stammered, "There's nothing you've got to thank me for, really. It's you, I should be thanking. I always noticed Noctis seemed lonely and people always asked him things that made him uncomfortable. But I didn't think, it was okay for someone like me... Then you sent me that letter, and I, I worked hard, to become the kind of person who could stand beside him..."

Softening sadly at the way he talked about himself, Luna reached out and patted his arm, "I've no doubt you always were. But that you took it all so seriously... I cannot express how much I appreciate it. He's been much happier and more open since befriending you."

"Yeah? If you say it, it must be true," he gently teased with a smile, though his words were heartfelt at their core. Turning more serious, his voice dropped, "Thank you, Lunafreya."

"And thank you, Prompto," she returned just as sincere, smiling at him a moment longer before Gladio joined them.

"Ignis is getting details now, but looks like we'll be without the Regalia a few days. There's a few havens in the area and a Hunter outpost not too far. We can probably hike out there today, if His Royal Sleepyhead ever wakes up."

Laughing at the last bit, Luna straightened up and turned to him, "I'll go wake Noctis."

"Not sure even you'd get off lightly for waking him up before nine."

"Well then, I suppose we'll find out." She turned and gave Prompto another short nod then smiled at the two of them before walking to the caravan. Kneeling down beside the bunk Noctis slept in, Luna smiled at his gentle snores and peaceful expression, though they didn't make her hesitate. "Noctis," she called out in a soft voice, a little louder and sweeter the second time. Then she touched his shoulder and gave a gentle shake while leaning in closer, "Noctis...!"

"Luna...," he grumbled sleepily, pulling his covers up over his head and rolling away from her. "Few more minutes."

"Noctis, you're wasting daylight and we're on foot for a few days it sounds like. So up!"

Sighing at that, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, a yawn breaking his tired frown. "Mnf... Few days?"

"Ignis was getting the details. We wanted you to get up and moving. Still need to eat breakfast and grab our things before we can head out, you know."

"Right, right... Okay. I'm up... Gonna wash my face an' get dressed, then meet you in Takka's?"

She cheerfully agreed, adding more energy to her response just so she would see that scowl on his face that night owls always wore in the morning. They met back in the diner for breakfast, and as they ate their meals while Noct picked every diced tomato and bell pepper out of his scrambled eggs, Ignis explained what he had spoken with Cid about. As it turned out, there were plenty of upgrades available to order from the Crown City that could be installed in the Regalia, and with one of those being headlights which would keep daemons at bay, they were more than happy to wait. Noctis simply wished his father hadn't had some odd personal rule about only Cid making adjustments to the Regalia, so it would already have had all of these upgrades that were readily available in Insomnia.

But, it worked out well at least, as there was a royal tomb in an old bomb shelter just outside a small town north of the Hunter's outpost, all within hiking distance. It'd be more walking than they wanted, but Gladio had gotten leads on a few hunts that would be along the way as well as havens well off the main road that they would need to check. With all the tasks they had managed to collect in the area, they would have plenty to fill the time while waiting for the car to be ready for a long drive.

Noctis knew they couldn't have been walking as long as it felt like when he turned around, and Hammerhead in the distance was a lot larger than he'd hoped it would be, confirming his suspicions. Turning to look forward, he wiped the sweat from his brow and frowned at the dirt that stuck to his skin along with it. The wind picked everything up in that dust bowl, making him uncomfortable and already reaching for his water. Picking up his stride, he watched Luna's back as she walked steadily on, a staff strapped to her back. For as long as they'd known each other, he'd only ever seen her in dresses. Even the day before, with only a car ride to really look forward to, she had worn a dress as usual.

But now that they were on foot, she wore heavy capris much like his but in the white of Tenebrae along with a white tank top embroidered with the faint silver outline of stars, which was covered by a crop jacket, a pair of boots, and a pouch strapped to her thigh, all still in white save for the decorative metal insignia of Tenebrae over her left breast. Her hair was up in a simple ponytail without any of its braids, making it hang lower than he had grown used to seeing the past week.

"Oi, Luna. Want me to Store that staff for you?"

"Thank you, Noctis, but I'm used to it."

"Mm, alright. Let me know if you change your mind. Used to it or not, no need to use up strength you could save for something else. Take advantage of me while you got me." Prompto whistled at his wording and Noct reached to shove him, only for him to laugh and slip away. "You know what I meant! My magic, use my magic!"

Luna laughed as Noctis grumbled under his breath about his friend making inappropriate jokes. "I did know what you meant, Noctis... And I'll keep that in mind, but I honestly think I'd feel lost without its weight on my back."

"Fair enough, just wanted to throw it out there." He took another small sip of his water, slipping the bottle into his pocket as he turned to Ignis, "So, tell me more about this tomb. You didn't sound thrilled about this place."

Ignis paused a moment and adjusted his glasses before he answered, "There's two tombs. One will be simple enough. The other is at the bottom of a shelter built in case of war when tensions were high a over a hundred years ago. It hasn't been maintained, and there are frequent daemon sightings just outside of it. The Hunters keep them from spreading out and from time to time will clear out parts of the tunnels. But mostly it's wild in there, so it may be too dangerous."

"Uhm, someone want to tell me why we're grave robbing, anyways?" Prompto asked a bit nervously, though he was more confused.

"The Kings of Lucis leave behind their glaive for the following kings to use," Luna spoke up, knowing more about the magic of Lucis than even Noctis in some ways. "It's done by a merging of souls, and so Noctis must meet them in their tombs to gain their power to add to his Armiger Arsenal."

"I'll, uh, I'll pretend that makes sense."

"It's the spirit weapons of the kings before me. When I die, my Engine Blade will be left behind for the kings and queens to follow."

"Dude... I don't know if that's cool or just dark."

Noctis shrugged, "I'll tell you after I know what it feels like."

"Ah, but, what if the King's already got these ones? I mean, he probably does, huh? Since they're so close..."

"Doesn't matter, I can still get it as well, since it isn't the physical weapon I'm taking."

"But the physical weapon still needs to exist in order to gather it," Luna added.

"Yeah? Then..., why don't you guys just put them all in one place?" Prompto asked, knowing full well he must be missing the point, but it did still seem like a simple and obvious solution.

The others all laughed quietly and it was Gladio who answered this time, "Where's the challenge in that? He needs to earn his power or he'll never respect it."

"And that's that," Noct added with an air of finality. "About going after that second tomb. Luna, you in?"

"It depends on how needed I am in the town. If there's much healing to be done, I'd want to see to that first and foremost."

Unsurprised by her answer, Noctis nodded and turned to Prompto. "If she does stay in town, will you stay with her?"

"Eh? Uh, y-yeah, sure..."

Seeing that he was a bit confused and disappointed, Noct smirked over at him, "I'd rather no one go completely solo if it can be helped. But if you're really dying to join me in the tomb, maybe Ignis would be willing to switch."

"Dying to join you in the tombs, good one, Noct! I'd rather not do any dying, thanks! I'll stay in town with Lunafreya."

"If I stay in town," Luna added with a grin, reminding Prompto that he still may end up in that daemon infested shelter after all.

"Right, right, if you stay in town. Either way, I'll be where the healer is," he cheerfully answered, drawing another round of laughter.

They checked in on a couple of havens nearby Hammerhead, both getting Luna's approval that things were as they should be. Setting out towards the outpost, they kept an eye out for any signs of the creatures that were causing havoc in the area and making trouble for the people that lived out in those rougher parts. When Prompto asked about it, Gladio explained that the creatures had been actively hunting and attacking people and raiding storehouses. Some were possibly going hungry, but prey levels in the area weren't noted as being low, and so the aggression was unexplained and entirely intolerable. They didn't seem weakened by hunger either, if anything they were stronger.

"The Starscourge sometimes infects animals as well," Luna chimed in as they seemed thoughtful. "It's possible that's the cause of their aggression."

"Eh? That mean we can't eat them?"

Laughing at Prompto's question, Luna shook her head with a smile, "No, we've found the infection disappears after death, so it's safe. However, if something does linger, I can purify it. It's best not to let anything go to waste."

Prompto opened his mouth to reply, just to have Gladio stick his hand in his face and hiss, "Sh! Hear that?"

The group got quiet and they heard the scuffling and soft yips of nearby animals. Turning around, Noctis opened his eyes wide and dodged aside, a blue shadow of himself in place of where he had been standing a moment earlier, and a confused animal standing inside that image. "Well, guess we found them," he stated as a sword flashed into his hands.

"More like they found us," Ignis added as a pair of daggers appeared in his grip.

It was a pack of Sabertusks, and Noctis counted eight of the vicious mutt-like creatures of the Leide deserts. Smirking with the rush of adrenaline, Noctis warp-stepped at an angle as he was lunged at once more, and he stabbed his sword through the side of the creature that had tried to kill him. Around him the others were fighting as well, and he turned to see how everyone fared.

Prompto had managed to fall back outside the circle of beasts to fire at the ones at the edge and Gladio wasn't too far from Noct, watching his back and fighting hard. Ignis and Luna were surrounded though, back to back and fending off the enemies though it hardly looked comfortable there. Noct sent his sword away and called forth a pair of daggers, immediately sending them just above a Sabertusk about to lunge towards Ignis while the man was distracted with another. Crashing down on its back as he warped to the blades, Noctis swiftly ended that creature's life as well and joined Luna to finish off the ones she had weakened with her staff.

Looking for his next target, Noct noticed all were down save for one, which fell just as he thought it as Prompto picked it off. Straightening up, Noct wiped his brow with his arm and grinned, "Whew. That was a fun little workout."

"How's your first taste of real combat, Noct?" Gladio asked, clapping him on the shoulder as he joined him at his side.

"No big deal," he replied cockily, grinning. "Everyone's alright?"

They all called out that they were fine, and Noct nodded. He looked around a moment to get his bearings, then took a step in the direction they had been heading before the ambush, "Well, that's done, let's get going."

"Hold on," Ignis called out, picking something up off the ground and looking it over before stuffing it in his pocket.

"Hm? What's that?"

"I believe they're dog tags, to identify a fallen hunter. I'm sure someone will want to know of them."

Nodding solemnly, Noctis turned again, and as they set off, Ignis and Gladio walked ahead to keep a closer eye so they wouldn't likely be ambushed again. They found another target on their way to the outpost, a much swifter fight as they had surprise on their side that time. It was getting late in the afternoon when they came across the outpost, and they were all glad for it after so much walking on the uneven and hard cracked dirt.

"Just a caravan again?" Noct complained as they stood on a haven overlooking the outpost. He wasn't surprised considering what he'd heard of the place, but he had hoped that perhaps there would be a small hotel for the hunters passing through.

Gladio stepped up beside him with a smirk, "Sorry, Highness. No luxury hotels in this neighborhood."

Huffing slightly, Noct lifted his chin proudly, "It's not the comfort, it's the space. That thing was crowded last night."

Ignis chuckled at how the prince got defensive at the idea that he was too sheltered. "It certainly was. We could continue on to Keycatrich if you would truly prefer a bed, but there's no guarantee we'll make it before the daemons come out."

Noctis shook his head and turned to head down the side of the hill that sloped down towards the road. Waving his hand at the firepit in the center of the haven as he passed, he called out over his shoulder, "Why don't we camp here tonight instead. Should be able to stretch out more in the tents."

"Works for me," Gladio smirked, following him down the hill.

Noctis would have preferred to leave dealing with people and gathering info to Gladio and Ignis, but he knew full well that wouldn't fly. The only reason he had gotten away with it the night before was because everyone was restless and hungry after the long drive from the city. Now though, especially as they went to deal directly with the Hunters themselves, he had to play his part, a role he still wasn't fully comfortable in, in spite of having been born to it.

At the very least, he had been instructed in such things enough that he was able to read the layout of the outpost and determine where to direct the group without needing to turn to his friends for guidance. Stepping into the open building lined with machines, Noctis approached a table in the center with a few men leaning over it and discussing maps and papers laid out. Waiting patiently just too close than was usually considered polite, it was a subtle way of imposing his royal self and demanding attention without interrupting their conversation. Numbers were being tossed around and he figured their work important, thus he had positioned himself so that he could not be ignored, and Luna stood directly at his side, letting him know he had done well.

When they made their final marks, they looked up and gave him a half-friendly smile, looking at the group with clear confusion and a hint of contempt. Noctis didn't blame the man, he knew how they appeared and he knew people didn't like it when authority was pushed upon them like this. "Can we help you lot with somethin'? Lost?"

"Not lost, we're here to check in and get information."

"You don't look like Hunters. You look like city folk. 'Specially you guys, with the black, makes you look like them Crownsguard types."

Noctis smirked and nodded, "You're mostly right. These three men are Crownsguard," he motioned to his friends hovering just behind him, a silent show of his authority over them but that they were there to look out for him. Pausing just a moment to let understanding begin to sink in, Noct then brought his hand over his chest to introduce himself, hating how pompous he felt whenever he gave his full name and title, "Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. I've begun my search for the royal arms and to see the land as the people do. And this," he motioned to Luna, who brightened her smile and nodded her head to the men at the table, "is Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae and heir apparant to the role of Oracle. She is here to see to any sickness or injuries, purify Starscourge, and strengthen protections, if you know of any havens which wane."

"I do not receive prayers nor do I have the kind of back-up and strength that my mother has as full Oracle. But the rest I can do, as long as I know where I am needed."

The men's expressions changed at last, and Noctis was unsurprised that it was Luna's title and words that did it and not his own. His father was a fair and kind king who made sure his people were well supplied and protected, as much as could be in this unsafe world of theirs. But it was not as if these people likely had ever met the king, and as far as they were concerned, Noctis was just a spoiled prince who had been hidden safely behind city walls and lights his whole life. They weren't completely wrong on that, either, and Noctis didn't mind having to earn their respect. He much preferred it to the groveling attention his status otherwise usually brought him.

"I think we got some numbers here. Anyone in the area with the Scourge should be found in Keycatrich. It's a proper town with handful of clinics. We escort supplies there from the Crown City with potions and stuff the king sends out. Helps keep it from spreading at least and helps people live longer, but..."

"It's a difficult life. I know. Are any of your Hunters wounded? I could tend to them before we settle in to camp."

"There might be a couple of minor injuries, but nothing right now big enough to need treating."

Satisfied with that bit, Noctis took control of the conversation once more and gestured back to Gladio and Ignis, "My men will collect any map information we can get from you and share with you what we found. Ignis, why don't you show them what we picked up after that hunt, too?"

Ignis nodded and handed over the dog tag, earning their group a bit more respect. Trusting Gladio to handle the rest of it now that they were at this point of things, he clapped the larger man on the shoulder and led the rest of them back out. The outpost was small, enough so that if you couldn't see the whole of it from where you stood, taking a few steps in almost any direction would help you get a view. Ignis expressed interest in checking what items the shops had while Prompto wanted to climb the hills and take a few photos while there was still daylight. Noct nodded and set them free to roam, deciding for himself that he would return to the campsite and take care of a few things.

Luna walked around the small outpost and checked in with each person that they were in no need of healing. With no work to be done, she was finished quickly, and she decided to see what Noctis was up to, as she had her suspicions that it wasn't getting the camp set up for them. Climbing up to the flat surface, she saw that at least all of the supplies had been taken out, but that was all that Noct had done, leaving camp for Gladio to set. Instead, he was sitting cross legged with a bunch of drinks they had bought from the store, and she raised a brow as she came over to join him, "Please tell me you don't intend to drink all those energy drinks right now..."

Opening his eyes, he grinned at her and shook his head. "I'm surprised you don't know what I'm doing."

"I'm sorry, should I?"

Chuckling at the mock offense in her tone, he held his hands palms up for her to see, and she spotted the blue glow surrounding them, difficult to see in the sunlight. Picking up a can, he focused a moment until it took on the blue glow, and then it disappeared from his hand. "This is how I make potions. Different drinks take on different properties, sometimes I don't know what I'll get... From a name like 'Monster Energy Drink' I thought I'd make a boost or maybe even Elixer of some kind, but no," he sighed dramatically, "It was an Ether."

She laughed suddenly and loudly at how put out he seemed by the result, and he smirked at her as she covered her face shyly. "But why energy drinks?"

"Dunno. There's been different things we could imbue, through the years, but it's never been something simple like water. I've been told if I brew rosehip tea a certain way, I can create a Remedy from it, but I can get that from a soda I can easily grab at the store now instead."

"This side of your magics has never really been in the books much, I'm afraid, so I've never known much about it."

He nodded, and when he finished with making the potions and sending them away, he shook his hands out and smiled to her. "Well, it doesn't make much sense to me either, so I'll just work with it. Hey, Luna, I thought of something when I started working on these... I've never given you access to my Storage, have I?"

"No, I don't believe you have."

"Right... I wasn't able to give other people access until after I was 18... I wanted to give it to you right away, but this is the first time we've seen each other since then, and I guess I completely forgot the chance had never come."

She smiled at the way he said that, the way he said it like she was such a prominent fixture in his life, he could almost forget how far apart they were. It was a feeling she understood well, and she wondered just how it was for him. She always felt the pain of their distance, but having constant communication with him through their notebook and occasional phone calls, she always felt his support.

"Give me your hands," he spoke up, and she realized he was holding his out to her. Apologizing softly, her hands slipped in his and were enveloped in a gentle blue glow that felt cool on her skin but sent a warmth throughout her body. It almost felt as though a door opened somewhere in the distance of her mind, and then his touch was gone and he was rubbing his hands on his legs. "There you are. It's, kinda like taking things on and off a shelf. Here." Calling a potion into his hand, he held it to her with a grin, "Take it from me, then put it on the shelf."

"The shelf."

"...The invisible shelf."

"The Astral shelf," he countered with a grin, and she had to laugh at how silly the short dialogue had been.

Shrugging, she held out the potion for a moment, reaching like she was going to stock a pantry, and she hesitated then laughed at herself. "Right. Putting it, uh, on the shelf..."

"Why are you acting like that? It's not wrong!" he pouted playfully as he stood up for his analogy.

"I'm sorry, Noctis, it just feels strange. Like I'm just going to drop it instead."

"Well, don't."

"Thanks for the helpful advice." The pair laughed about it, and feeling silly for all the dramatic tension put into things, Luna took in a deep breath and raised her arm once more. Holding out the potion, she tried to envision reaching to that door she had felt in her mind, and setting the potion on a shelf beyond the threshold.

The sound of something shattering made her yelp and fall back on her hands. A blue mist clouded the air, and Noct was hunched over laughing, gripping his stomach as he did. Realizing things had gone wrong and that she had broken the potion, Luna leaned forward, "Noctis! Did you make me do that on purpose?"

"N-No! No," he laughed, waving a hand as he still clutched his stomach with the other, "No. It was just, you were so surprised when it broke! I watched it fall, and you just, seemed so sure...!"

"Noctis! It's because you're a bad teacher!" she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, her cheeks puffed out cutely and to make it clear her irritation was for show.

Still chuckling and catching he breath, Noct shook his head and raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm a bad teacher. I just thought, since you've got magic and all already, you'd get it. I'll have Ignis show you, though. He was the one who taught Prompto, in the end."

Settling down and smiling, Luna nodded at that, "Mm, that sounds good."

"Ah, you want me to key a lance and maybe some daggers to you?"

"Noctis, I have my staff."

"And if you lose the staff you can't just call it right back. Luna, I know I've been overprotective about some things with you, but you have with me, too, you know. I'm working on it, and this... I thought about it since our first fight out there, and I think it's something you should let me do."

Sitting patiently and listening to him, she realized she had been acting defensively any time he suggested something to make things easier for her. She supposed she felt in a way that she had to prove herself to them, although she wasn't quite sure why. Relaxing her shoulders, she smiled apologetically and nodded, "You're right, Noctis. I'm sorry."

Glad that she was on board, he returned the nod, "Thanks. It was just, I noticed you had no trouble fighting them off, but you couldn't finish the job."

"I don't ever see to the infected beasts... I can imbue my staff with my magic, and it can cut demons that way. But, this was my first time fighting beasts, I admit..."

"Alright. We can go through the weapons I've got, and figure out what to give you," he said, and he held out his hand to begin summoning weapons for her review.

#ffxv #ffxv fanfiction #lunoct #noctuna #chocobros #msliy ffxv

18 notes · View notes

tacxlife · 6 years

Photo

Armiger Solutions is long gone but not forgotten.

#Kydex #glock #g19 #tacxlife #supdef #superior defense

77 notes · View notes

debtmanagementsolutions · 7 years

Text

How to Get Out of Debt in Armigers #Get #Out #of #Debt #Armigers...

How to Get Out of Debt in Armigers #Get #Out #of #Debt #Armigers https://t.co/Vko8IEVwUO

— Debt Solutions (@ukdebtsolution) September 18, 2017

from Debt Solutions http://ukdebtsolution.tumblr.com/post/165486690451 via IFTTT

#debt managers #financial support services #debt experts #financial debt help

0 notes

babbleuk · 6 years

Text

Can Computers Be Implanted in Human Brains?

The following is an excerpt from GigaOm publisher Byron Reese’s new book, The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity. You can purchase the book here.

The Fourth Age explores the implications of automation and AI on humanity, and has been described by Ethernet inventor and 3Com founder Bob Metcalfe as framing “the deepest questions of our time in clear language that invites the reader to make their own choices. Using 100,000 years of human history as his guide, he explores the issues around artificial general intelligence, robots, consciousness, automation, the end of work, abundance, and immortality.”

One of those deep questions of our time:

Instead of building a external general intelligence unit, would we instead augment our own brains with computing power? In this excerpt from The Fourth Age, Byron Reese considers the implications of direct interaction between computers and our brains.

Instead of building conscious computers, can we perhaps augment our brains with implanted computers? This doesn’t require us ever to crack the code of consciousness. We just take our consciousness as a given and try to add appendages to our existing intellect. This feels substantially less alien than uploading ourselves to the machine. You can imagine a prosthetic arm, for instance, that you control with your mind. In fact, you don’t really have imagine it, it already exists. Building more and more things that interact directly with the brain—say, an artificial eye—seems plausible. Eventually, could entire computers be fitted into the brain?

Elon Musk advocates a solution like this. He wants to create a neural lace for our brains, a way to directly sync our brains to the digital world. He explains:

The solution that seems the best one is to have an AI layer [added to your brain] that can work well and symbiotically with you. . . . Just as your cortex works symbiotically with your limbic system, your third digital layer could work symbiotically with you.

What Musk proposes is way beyond the brain-controlled prosthetic described at the start of this chapter. He is talking about your thoughts and memories comingling with digital ones. This would be where you think a thought like, “How long is the Nile River?” and that query is fed into Google Neuro (wirelessly, of course), and a quarter of a second later, you know the answer. If this ever happens, expect the ratings of Jeopardy! to fall off a cliff. In addition, the historian Yuval Noah Harari speculates on what else to expect:

When brains and computers can interact directly, that’s it, that’s the end of history, that’s the end of biology as we know it. Nobody has a clue what will happen once you solve this. . . . We have no way of even starting to imagine what’s happening beyond that.

There are many who say this can’t be done. Steven Pinker sums up some of the difficulties:

Brains are oatmeal-soft, oat around in skulls, react poorly to being invaded, and suffer from inflammation around foreign objects. Neurobiologists haven’t the slightest idea how to decode the billions of synapses that underlie a coherent thought, to say nothing of manipulating them.

Three breakthroughs would be needed to accomplish a meaningful merger of people and machines, and they may not be possible. First, a computer must be able to read a human thought. Second, a computer must be able to write a thought back to the brain. And third, a computer must do both of those things at speeds substantially faster than what we are presently accustomed to. If we get all three of these, then we can join with computers in a cosmically significant way.

The first one, a machine reading a human thought, is the only one we can even do a little. There are several companies working on devices, often prosthetics, that can be controlled with the mind. For instance, Johns Hopkins recently had a success creating a prosthetic hand whose individual fingers could be moved with thought. A male subject, who had his hands, was set to undergo a brain-mapping procedure for his epilepsy. The researchers built a glove with electronics in it that could buzz each finger. Then they placed a sensor over the part of the subject’s brain that controls finger movement. By buzzing each finger, they could specifically measure the exact part of the subject’s brain that corresponded to each finger. It worked! He could later move the fingers of the prosthetic with his mind. However, this would work only for his brain. For you or I to accomplish the same feat would require a similar procedure.

Another Johns Hopkins project involves making an entire artificial arm that can be controlled by the brain. Already, about a dozen of them are in active use, but again, they involve surgeries, and the limbs currently cost half a million dollars each. However, Robert Armiger, the project manager for amputee research at Johns Hopkins, said, “The long-term goal for all of this work is to have noninvasive—no extra surgeries, no extra implants—ways to control a dexterous robotic device.”

These technologies are amazing and obviously life-changing for those who need them. But even if all the bugs were worked out and the fidelity was amped way up, as a consumer product used to interface with the real world, they are of limited value compared with, say, a voice interface. It’s cool, to be sure, to be able to think “Lights on” and have them come on, but practically speaking it is only a bit better than speaking “Lights on.” And of course, we are not anywhere near being able to read a simple thought like that. Moving a finger is a distinct action from a distinct part of the brain. Thinking “Lights on” is completely different. We don’t even know how “Lights on” is coded into the brain.

But say we got all the bugs worked out, and, in addition, we learned how to write thoughts to the brain. Again, this is out in science fiction land. No one knows how a thought like, “Man, these new shoes are awesome” is encoded to the brain. Think about that. There isn’t a “these shoes are [blank]” section of the brain where you store your thoughts on each pair of shoes you own. But let’s say for a moment that we figure this out and understand it so well that we can write thoughts to the brain at the same speed and accuracy as reading something. This too is nice, but little better than what we have now. I can Google “chicken and dumpling recipe” and then read the recipe right now. There is already a mechanism for data from the eyes to be written to the brain. We mastered that eons ago. Even if the entire Internet could be accessed by my brain, that’s little better than the smartphone I already own.

However, let’s consider the third proposition, of speed. If all this could be done at fast speeds, that is something different. If I could think, “How do you speak French?” and suddenly all that data is imprinted on my mind, or is accessible by my brain at great speed, then that is something really big.

Ray Kurzweil thinks something like this will happen, that our thinking will become a hybrid of biological and nonbiological processes, and he even puts a date on it:

In the 2030s we’re going to connect directly from the neocortex to the cloud. When I need a few thousand computers, I can access that wirelessly.

It goes without saying that we don’t know if this is possible. Clearly your brain can hold the information required for proficiency in French, but can it handle it being burned in seconds or even minutes? There are some biological limits that even technology cannot expand. No matter how advanced we get, an unaided human body cannot be made that can lift a freight train. Perhaps it won’t have to be written to our brain, but our brain can access a larger, outer brain. But even then, there is a fundamental mismatch between the speed and manner in which computers and brains operate.

There is also a fourth thing, which, if possible, is beyond a “big deal.” If we were able to achieve all three of the things just discussed and in addition were able to implant a conscious computer or an AGI in our brains, or otherwise connect to such a machine, and then utilize it to augment our cognitive abilities, then, well, the question of where the human ends and the machine begins won’t really matter all that much. If we can, in fact, upgrade our reasoning ability, the very attribute that many believe makes us human, and improve it by orders of magnitude, then we would truly be superhuman. Or maybe it is better to say that something will be superhuman and that thing will own and control your body. There may no longer be a “you” in any meaningful sense.

It is hard to contemplate any of this given where we are now. The brain is a wonderful thing, but it is neither hard drive nor CPU. It is organic and analog. Turning the lights on with your brain is not just a simpler thing than learning French in three minutes, it is a completely different thing. Those who believe you will be able to learn French that way do so not because they have special knowledge about the brain that the rest of us don’t have. They believe it because they believe that minds are purely mechanistic and that technology knows no upper limits at all. If both of these propositions are true, then, well, even the sky is no longer the limit.

Despite the evident difficulty in merging computers and people, there are numerous projects under way to try to do some of the things we have just covered. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on a project whose program manager describes as attempting to “open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics” by implanting a device in the human brain that can convert brain activity into meaningful electronic signals. The agency is dedicating $62 million to the effort as part of its Neural Engineering System Design program. And it is in no way the only one working on such a project. Several other groups, both public and private, are probing the limits of what is possible.

To read more of GigaOm publisher Byron Reese’s new book, The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity, you can purchase it here.

from Gigaom https://gigaom.com/2018/05/15/can-computers-be-implanted-in-human-brains/

#Gigaom

0 notes