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riftenwriter · 3 years

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Birdcage

Pairing: Xiao x reader CW: Reader dies at the end Word count: ~2000

“Just wishing that I could be like these birds someday.” “And that is?” “Free.”

Loosely based off the legend of Oisin in tir na nog

You meet Xiao when your father brings him into your home.

You’re sitting at the dining table when your father comes into the house after having been away for two months. As you race to greet him you stop as you notice the man beside him. He isn’t anyone you had seen before, and he doesn’t look like he is from Liyue Harbor. Your father is quick to tell you how the Yaksha saved his life when he was returning from Mondstadt and Xiao had been helpless to stop your father bringing him back to your house to thank him properly and to allow you and your mother to know who helped your father return safely.

You couldn’t stop yourself staring at Xiao, you feel your cheeks start to warm when he notices your gaze causing you to look at your feet. You fall in love at first sight and can barely say your name causing your father to introduce you instead.

The adeptus is unsure what he feels when he sees you for the first time, and when he notices your gaze he can’t help but wonder if this is what falling in love means. The journey here was spent listening to your father speak about you, his only child, and yet seeing you is very different. The way the light hits you is beautiful and he cannot imagine going back to Jueyun Karst without you.

A couple days after your father’s return home, you and Xiao are sitting in your garden. You're attentively listening to his stories about his home of Jueyun Karst and the other adepti. Halfway through his current story you turn your gaze away from the Yaksha and instead turn your attention to the sky. Watching as the birds fly above you, their bodies dancing along the wind as they weave throughout the sky. Watching them hurts, unlike you they are free to go where they want whereas you had never left the town you grew up in. Not able to due to your status as the only child of your parents. Xiao notices the change in your mood and stops his story. He decides to ask what you’re thinking about instead, as he can’t bear to see you sad.

“Oh I’m just wishing that I could be like these birds someday.” you muse. Your statement confuses Xiao.

“And that is?” he asks.

“Free.” you reply, your eyes still fixed on the birds above you. The two of you sit in silence until Xiao speaks.

“Come with me.”

“What?” His words confuse you. Go with him where, didn’t he know you couldn’t leave the town of Liyue Harbor.

“Come with me,” he repeats, this time gently grabbing your face turning it so you are looking at him, “Back to Jueyun Karst.”

You immediately say yes. This is your chance to leave Liyue Harbor and the past few days with Xiao made you fall even more in love with him. However what you didn’t know is that you would be swapping one gilded birdcage for another.

----

The next day the two of you leave for Jueyun Karst on the back of a white horse that will ensure your safe passage into the realm of the Adepti.

Your parents didn’t want to see you go, their only child but they had seen how happy Xiao had made you the past few days. So they decided that they would let you go with him as your happiness was always their highest priority.

Before the two of you set off, on the back of the white horse, you reassure your parents that you would return to see them again when you are able to, but what you don’t see is the look of pain on Xiao’s face when you say this. He knows that time in Liyue and Jueyun Karst move differently but he can’t find the words to tell you.

As the horse approaches the border between the two worlds, you can’t help but worry about going to Jueyun Karst. The stories your mother would tell you as a child warning you about the realm of the adepti, echo in the back of your head. The stories about what happens to humans that go near their realm. How they are never able to return the same way, but whenever she had told you these cautionary tales she would never finish them because halfway through you would be hugging her tightly, sobbing as you told her that you would never go near Jueyun Karst.

Yet you are going to Jueyun Karst, but unlike the stories you are with someone you love with all your heart. This doesn’t completely stop you worrying as much as you are hoping.

“Xiao?” you hesitantly ask. He hums in response. “Are you sure it will be safe?”

He lightly laughs, “Of course.”

You hum, happy with his response. His words comfort you. You pull yourself closer to him and rest your head on his shoulder as the two of you cross over into the world of the Adepti.

Words can not describe the beauty you see before you. You knew of the beauty that the realm of the Adepti was said to possess but those stories pale in comparison to the real thing. The evening sun dances across the water which is reflecting the purple and oranges hues of the sky. The golden trees sway gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling as the wind sings around you. You are in awe of the nature before you. Xiao chuckled to himself at your childlike wonder as you look at the land before the two of you.

“Welcome home.” the adeptus gently says as the two of you travel further into Jueyun Karst.

----

The first time you bring up your home of Liyue Harbor is after your sixth month of living in the land of beauty and happiness. The past six months had been filled with nothing but happiness as you got used to living with Xiao in Jueyun Karst. Until you realise you no longer remember the smell of Qingxin flowers or how your parents look. However when you bring this up to Xiao, he gently shakes his head and brings you into an embrace. You don’t ask about Liyue again until three years later.

“Xiao,” you gently whisper to the Yaksha ask across from you. “I was wondering if I could see my family back in Liyue harbour.”

“Not this again.” he sighs, his face showing how much he hates this conversation.

“It doesn’t even have to be my family, if I could just see the town.” your voice pleading with him to let you see your home.

“My answer is still no. Aren’t you happy here?”

“I.” you pause, of course you were happy here. Jueyun Karst is the place where the adepti feel no sadness and never age but you are not an adeptus. You still feel some sadness at the memory of you leaving Liyue, not having seen your family or friends in almost three years.

Xiao shakes his head, as if he knows what you are thinking. Unlike you, Xiao knows that time works differently in Jueyun Karst to Liyue and he didn’t know how to tell you that Liyue Harbour would not be the one you once knew. That your family and friends are long dead.

A couple days later Xiao comes to you with the white horse behind him. He tells you that you can go and visit Liyue if you ride the horse. You couldn’t hold back your happiness and hug Xiao in a tight embrace. You love Xiao with all of your heart but the prospect of seeing your hometown and family again is something you’ve wanted for a while.

As you go to mount the white horse, Xiao stops you and pulls you into a tight embrace. One which he has no intention of letting you leave.

“Y/N. Don’t let your feet touch Liyue. I want you to come back to me.” he whispers into your ear, his voice full of concern for your safety. After a couple minutes of being in his arms he lets you mount the horse. Before you leave you gently touch your forehead to his. Xiao watches as you ride across Jueyun Karst. He can’t help but wonder if you are going to return to him or not. Or if the three hundred years you had been away from Liyue causes you to never want to face him again. Even though he is a Yaksha and one of the Adepti he can do nothing but wait for you to return.

This isn’t the Liyue you remembered. Of course it is still Liyue but the town you grew up in was no more. Instead it is now a bustling port, having grown in size that is more fitting of a city than a town. You furrow your brow as your horse reaches the bridge, the more your confusion with the surroundings grows. The entrance to Liyue Harbor is much grander than you remember, the harbor is filled with more boats than you had ever seen.

‘How could so much change in just three years’ you think to yourself. ‘It has been three years right?’ You shake your head trying to forget these thoughts. You knew Xiao would’ve told you if it wasn’t three years.

You decide to ask one of the guards standing by the bridge where to find your family’s shop, hoping that you could find more answers there.

“I’m sorry miss but there is no business with that name here. Hasn’t been for a while.” he replied. You can’t stop yourself from visibly showing your shock at his response. Just how long had it been since you left here? You thank the guard and turn your horse to leave, resolving to return to Jueyun Karst, wishing you had never asked to see Liyue Harbor or your family. As you are leaving you catch the guard muttering to himself.

“Isn’t that the business mentioned in the story my grandmother would tell me growing up. Something about their only child leaving, three hundred years ago? I wonder.”

You cannot believe what you are hearing from the guard. Three hundred years? Had it truly been that long since you left Liyue Harbor to go to Jueyun Karst. A small part of you wants to ask the guard to tell you that story but you just want to return back to Xiao. To get away from here and back to the one you love.

But fate has another path in store for you.

While you are riding back to the realm of the adepti, you notice a single qingxin flower on a small cliff edge above you. The same flowers your family would have in your house, the same smell of the perfume your mother had worn. ‘If I can reach it, I can have a small piece of home with me when I return to Xiao.’ you resolve yourself to act before fully thinking it through.

As you reach up to pick up the flower, your balance shifts.

Your feet touch the ground before you could act to stop yourself.

You try desperately to return to the horse but it is too late. The last three hundred years catch up to you before you could even raise your hand to touch the horse. Your hand falls through the horse, no longer able to touch it as the adepti energy that once allowed you to was broken as soon as your feet touched Liyue soil.

Yet as you feel yourself fading away into dust, you look up at the sky and see the same birds you were once so jealous of. The birds weaving through the sky as they dance along the wind. These birds will be the last thing you see before dying and you think to yourself.

‘Is this the cost of freedom?’

#genshin impact x reader #genshin impact oneshot #xiao x reader #xiao genshin impact #xiao angst #xiao oneshot #genshin impact imagine #xiao imagine

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lillotte17 · 2 years

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14, 21, 22, 30, 33, 37, 71, 81 for the triplets! Gimme that good lore drop <3

WHOO SO MANY! :O

14. What is their favorite food? How often do they get to eat it?

Einin: Her favorite is seafood! She particularly likes shrimp and crab. The place they live in Mana’Din’s territory isn’t close to the sea, so she doesn’t get to eat it often when she’s at home, but when she moves to Arlathan she can pretty much have it whenever she likes!

Ardal: A simple man of simple tastes. He loves soups and stews, which are not only found pretty much anywhere, but they are also something his Mamae happens to be pretty good at cooking. So, he can have his favorites always! He also has a weakness for sweets and especially chocolate.

Oisin: They aren’t especially picky about food, but they love crepes. Crepes all day every day. Sweet or savory or however they come, they are light and buttery and delicious and Oisin will eat them all. (Un)fortunately, they don’t usually serve them that often in the dinning halls, so if he really wants them he has to make a day trip to Daran and find an actual bakery that sells them.

21. What is their favorite thing about their personality?

Einin: Perceptive

Ardal: Loyal!

Oisin: Compassionate

22. What is their least favorite thing about their personality?

Einin: Self-regulation to the point where it comes across as coldness

Ardal: Gullibility

Oisin: The habit of ‘cry first, ask questions later’

30. When frightened, will they resort to “fight” or “flight”?

Einin: flight, but she would prefer the phrase ‘tactical withdrawal’ ^_^;

Ardal: FIGHT!!!!!1

Oisin: Freeze

33. What is their biggest fear? How would they react to having to face it?

Einin: Probably having some of her political machinations cause trouble for her family, to the point where one of them is injured or killed. Her initial reaction would be a meltdown, but then it would be time for Utterly Ruthless Revenge.

Ardal: He’s a guard, so he’d be scared of failing in his duty to protect something. Especially if that something was a person. His reaction would probably be like his mamae, in that he’d likely blame the whole thing on himself and then dig his heels in and try to find some way to fix it/atone for his mistake.

Oisin: Utter abandonment from the people they love. They..would not handle it well at all. Breakdown City. ☹

37. How easy is it for them to say “I love you”? Do they say it without meaning it?

Einin: It is like pulling teeth. It will take her five hundred years to admit she MIGHT have a crush on you. If you want to wait for ‘love’, we’re going to be here a while. But if she does, she means it with absolutely every inch, every breath, every molecule of her being.

Ardal: Says is casually to family and people he likes. Always means it, but rarely means it.

Oisin: They love very easily and they say it very easily and they always always always mean it.

71. How are they with children? Do they have any? Do they want any?

Einin: Cautious, but not unkind. Talks to them like they are adults. Not against the idea of children, but not in any particular rush to have them.

Ardal: He’s great with kids! He’s always ready to run around being silly with them and playing whatever games they’ve made up. He’s more interested in being the Fun Uncle than having kids of his own, but he’d be down for it if it was something his partner wanted.

Oisin: They’re good with kids, but prone to overindulging them. Definitely the parent who panics the first time their child cries at what seems to be nothing. They absolutely want kids at some point.

81. Are they bothered by the sight of blood?

Einin: Not especially.

Ardal: Only if there is a lot of it, and it belongs to someone he knows.

Oisin: A little cut or something is fine, but anything more than that is going to get them squeamish and upset.

#replies #clusterfuck triplets #Einin #Ardal #Oisin #thanks for asking!

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demigirlaroundtheworld · 3 years

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I know there is fanfiction that plays after crisis, but I have yet to find one where earth prime is a better world. Like.. the superfriends of course remember everything from before. Kara, Alex, Nia, Brainy, Kelly, Johnn.. But like.. there is no constant big bad evil to fight, no imminent apocalypse, just the occasional mugger or a rouge alien to catch.

Lex is boss of the DEO, but is actually, genuinely good. No hidden agenda. He is still best friends with Kal, because Lois made them talk it out in the beginning, so he never went mad. They work together to make the world a better place, Lex even helped to put Lillian behind bars and took Cadmus down before it could anything drastic. The DEO is now a place that not only investigates in crimes with aliens, but also to find lost aliens and help them either to integrate in earth society or get back to their home planet.

With no Cadmus Jeremiah never went missing and the Danvers never lost him, he lives happily with Eliza and cannot wait to be a granddad, because Alex and Kelly are in the middle of the adoption process for a cute, little alien baby that lost their parents during the war in their old home.

Kara still works at CatCo as a reporter and only occasionally helps at the Deo as Supergirl. Kal did not just left her with the Danvers. He came by often, helped her with her powers and is more like a brother to her than anything else. Because Lex is good there was no reason to keep her that hidden, and he even helped Jeremiah build glasses and earbuds and whatnot to dampen her powers a little and make life easier for her.

There is no open xenophobia, aliens and humans just coexist and get along and help each other. Earth prime is just all around a beautiful place, except...

There is no Lena Luthor.

When she asked him about her Lex just said "What Lena? I do not have a sister Kara, you know that."

The superfriends start looking for her, but Lena Luthor does not exist in National City. She does not exist at all.

It takes them a while, but soon they find her.. Or, a version of her.

Lena Kieran lives near Dublin, Ireland. Her mother never died. It was not easy with such an intelligent child, but she made it work. Roisin Kieran is a proud Mom and does whatever is necessary to give her daughter a good life. With (not surprisingly) little work she gets Lena a fully paid scholarship in a school for especially gifted children and Lena loves it. She has her degrees for physics and bioengineering at age 20 and given the opportunity, she starts teaching at the school that gave her so much. Inventing things and wanting to change the world is great, really, and she does that in her free time, but teaching little kids who are so eager to learn, being a role model for the next generation of Nobel prize winners? That is more than she has ever dreamed of.

I would not say that Kara is stalking her per se, she is merely... observing. Yes, a longtime-around-the-clock-observation. Not creepy at all. And Lena is happy. The sheer happiness in her eyes when her students are all "ahh" and "ohh" and “How did you do that, Miss Kieran?" after Lena does experiments with them. She is happy drinking tea with her Mom, happy taking a long walk with her dog (obviously Oisin, she takes him to work and he is the official school mascot, everyone loves him. He even has a customized lab coat), happy to tinker away in the school labs after work or on weekends.

One day Kara decides she wants to talk to Lena, just talk to the woman who means so much to her still, even if she is not the Lena she knew. When she approaches Lena after school on her way home, she is confused to see Lena ducking into an alleyway, out of sight from the public. Maybe it’s a short cut, maybe Lena thinks she a mugger... What Kara did not expect when she follows Lena is to have her already crying and practically begging.

"Please do not take me away, Kara. I know I don’t deserve it, but please don’t take this from me."

#supergirl #lena luthor #crisis on infinite earths #earth prime #kara danvers

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feynites · 6 years

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*flings some more Tonlen x Oisin snuggles at @scurvgirl and @lillotte17 because I WANTED MORE THAT WAS TOO CUTE*

Also this is more NSFW-y.

Tonlen’s skin is tattooed in flowers.

He shivers when Oisin tastes them with their tongue. Although the texture of the skin doesn’t feel any different from anywhere else. They still indulge in the impulse, peppering ‘tastes’ with kisses, and letting their hands wander.

The two of them do not always have sex when they are intimate. They go at their own pace, and Oisin has discovered that this sometimes means indulging in a wide range of activities that are not intercourse. Or that straddle a sort of borderline with it. Today, a shared rest day, they have spent the better part of the morning just… admiring one another. Trading touches and kisses, but also conversation, and grooming. Bathing. Primping. Oisin’s nails are freshly painted, toes and fingers alike. Tonlen’s skin has been treated with a new lotion he has been meaning to try; exfoliated and then lavished. It has left him feeling very soft, now that it has all set in. But he says he still does not think he likes it as much as his usual kind.

They took a break around lunch, to eat and sort of dress, and work on a few projects. Tonlen had receipts to file and Oisin brought a book to read. The sun had been hidden by clouds for the morning, and by then, the sky broke into a gentle rain. It felt as though the air let out a breath of relief over it. The sound of droplets hitting the ceiling had provided a sweet ambiance, that eventually drew the two of them back into bed together.

Tonlen recited poetry.

Oisin hadn’t thought to bring any, but they can imagine a few other ways to express their appreciation.

Just because they do not always have sex does not mean they do not frequently have sex.

Their tongue finds a nipple, which draws a pleasant sound. And then they pepper kisses down Tonlen’s ribs, before stopping midway on their journey to lavish attention on his navel. The skin around it is even softer than the rest. They like the way that Tonlen’s hips twist when they press their tongue into it. But they know how to get an even better reaction, and as the desire thickens in the air between them, they find themselves impatient for it.

“Come back up here,” Tonlen requests. Brushing fingers through their hair, and then pressing behind their ears in a manner meant to coax them upwards. Probably to steal another kiss.

Tempting.

But so is the blushing cock waiting below.

“In a bit,” they say, and make their way south instead. Tonlen’s breath catches a little when they do not even bother to use their hands. Instead they nuzzle at his thigh for a moment, and breathe in the scent of his new lotion - they think they might prefer the regular one too, actually, it smells more Tonlen-y - before applying their tongue to his flushed skin.

The hitch of his breath and the way his fingers curl in their hair is intoxicating.

Oisin likes all parts of being loved and loving, they think. They like it when Tonlen pleases them; and they like it just as much when they please Tonlen. They like how pliant he becomes when they hold his hips down. They like the feel of his nails scraping against their scalp. They like the way his breaths speed up, and the air flutters with arousal, as he stares down at them there. Between his legs.

They lick at him, drawing their tongue up and down his length, until they have coaxed into standing at full attention. Tonlen’s hair is a dark fan against the pillows, and his pulse seems like it is thundering beneath his skin, as they finally start to take him into their mouth. Licking and teasing, taking their time to fit him between their lips. He gets almost flustered when they do this, somehow.

Oisin likes it. It makes them feel powerful. Makes them feel gentle, too.

When they finally fit Tonlen’s cock into their mouth, successfully fending off their gag reflex for only the third time, their lover’s hips strain in their grasp and his the arousal in the air briefly becomes more intense than any other feeling. It drowns out the heat of his cock in Oisin’s mouth, and the feel of his skin against his palms, and the scent of him. The taste of him, and even the sight of him. Just for a few seconds, that leave both of them tingling with the rust.

OIsin rather thinks a spirit was just born.

They slide Tonlen’s cock from their mouth, and offer him a rare, cocky grin, before taking him down again. Letting their focus turn back to the task at hand; though looking away from that full-body blush is a challenge, too.

It is well worth it, though, to hear him pant and feel him strain. To draw as much pleasure from him as they can, intent and just shy of possessive.

Well.

Maybe not actually shy of it, they concede, as they tighten their grip a little and let some of their greed for him bleed into the atmosphere between them, too. They whirl their tongue over the head of his cock, and swallow him down one last time; letting go of one hip to stroke at the base of his shaft, until he comes with a choked sound and a twist to his hips. His cock pressing against their cheek, his seed spilling into their mouth.

For all that they love making love, Oisin has found that they are not overfond of the taste of that. They spit it discreetly into a basin beside the bed - something their lover began making handy after their first few times together - before climbing up to claim that kiss of theirs.

Tonlen pants just a little, his pleasure tingling in the air, buzzing in their fingers when they get their arms around him. It tickles their mouth as they kiss him.

“You are so wonderful,” they murmur. “Blooming with desire at a touch. My sweet flower.”

They rather like the way he squirms at the compliment. And then snorts a laugh at them, before brushing their cheek.

“That is a new one,” he notes.

Oisin grins.

They like finding new endearments for him. The more tender and romantic the better, they think, as they rest their throat and nuzzle his cheek for a moment instead. But they only ever bring them out when it is just the two of them.

It is another kind of intimacy, really.

Maybe even one of their favourites.

#long post #clusterfuck triplets #tonlen x oisin #oisin x tonlen #citrus

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kieranoruadhain · 6 years

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Intermission

(I wrote this drabble in response to a prompt and thought it’d be fun to come up with how Khyran met Toviel, plus it helps to dip my head back into XIV-Khy’s mindspace so this was fun to write! its also a little self-indulgent i’m sorry

It’s super long. I dont expect anyone to actually read this but if you do i love you) Starvation was such a familiar feeling, Khyran Oisin rarely considered it a burden. No matter where he went, no matter what he was doing, willpower was all he needed to be useful and he had that in abundance. Shouldering his travel bag and adjusting its weight, he continued on down the cobblestone road and through a haze of rain, limping on his bad leg. He would’ve taken the Aetherstream if he could. His soul, however, hadn’t attuned to the aetheryte on the mountain past the Gridanian border. He didn’t want to leave his client waiting, so he opted to travel alone without waiting for help from any of his friends or hiring an escort. (He was sure Defiant would come along if he asked, but the last thing he wanted to do was inconvenience her, knowing how insanely hectic her schedule tended to be.)

It had been a long time since he ever travelled such a long distance on foot- he had been around Eorzea long enough to have familiarize himself with aetherytes all over the country. His poorly-fitted peg leg wobbled with nearly every step he took, and his grip on his walking stick slackened in the rain. The forest road inclined steeply as he neared the edge of the mountain pass and his footholds on the rocks became precarious. He hiked onward and upward. He saw the sky darkening through the canopy and hastened his pace, but the trees above him failed to shield him from the encroaching downpour. Rain cascaded down in torrential sheets. With each step he took, the stump of his bad leg chafed against the leather socket of his peg leg until it was agonizing. He walked until it became too much to bear, willpower fading in the face of exhaustion. He tried to find a dry spot against the face of the cliff, but the wind was blowing the rain directly into him. He pressed his back against the edge of a tree, using it as a shield against the rain, but the wind changed moments later. He didn’t get back up. He tucked his knees to his chest and rested his forehead on them. It was the middle of Gridania and the air was mild, but the rain felt bitterly cold as it soaked through his clothes and stuck against his skin.He allowed himself only a few moment’s rest before he pulled himself up again and continued his uphill struggle.

He snagged low-hanging branches on his way up the path and stepped as carefully as he could. Water cascaded beneath his feet and thundered down the cliff’s face- it was a wonder he managed to keep his footing for so long. The worst part about this was that he had no idea when it was going to end. He checked a map before he departed, and a traveller he met along the road told him it took only two bells to climb the mountain pass on foot. That advice probably applies to good weather, he thought as he was forced to stop and rest once more, leaning his back against the cliff face.

It continued like this for at least three more bells. He’d start, then he’d stop. He’d start, then he’d stop. By the time he reached the top of the cliff, his leg burned, his head pounded and his shoulders felt like they were about to pop out of their sockets with the weight of his sodden travel bag. His toils were rewarded by the sight of a small village nestled against the forest and cliffs, smoke puffing from chimneys. In the center of the town, the blue glow of a crystalline aetheryte penetrated the thick fog that hung around the mountain. It was dinnertime and Khyran could smell spices in the air. His empty gut twisted as he noticed his hunger in earnest, but he ignored it. The job he was here for was best suited for an empty stomach. He limped towards the first building he could reach and knocked on the door. He didn’t know where his client lived, but the place was small enough that he was sure he could be pointed in the right direction. Moments later, the door opened a crack and he could see a red-headed child peeking through a sliver of an orange glow. “Momma!” The little girl called, closing the door, but Khyran easily heard her. “There’s a weird man at the door!” “Does he have an eyepatch?” Khyran heard a female voice reply. “Yeah!” The child replied. “Let him in, Jana. That’s the voidhunter.”

The door swung open again and the red-headed girl stepped aside to let Khyran pass. She fixed him with a distrusting stare, her brows furrowed and her upper lip curled in an obvious pout. Khyran stopped in the threshold, dripping wet, noticing how heavy his boot was with mud. Looking into the common room of the house, he could see a Hyur woman standing at a cooking stove, stirring a pot. He saw a wooden table and chairs, a couch in a corner, and a rug on the floor. A stairwell led somewhere else. The woman looked over her shoulder at Khyran and said, “one moment! I can’t let this sit or it’ll burn.” She beckoned him. “Come in, have a seat.” Khyran stood there awkwardly, settling both his hands on top of his walking stick. “Ah… sorry, I don’t want to track mud through your house.” “I have three kids, sir. It’s nothing I can’t deal with.” The woman responded over her shoulder. “Besides, you’re here to help, aren’t you? I’m just glad you made it here through all that rain.” She tossed a handful of herbs into the pot and called, “Jana, go and get the nice man some towels.” The little girl started to walk backwards with a defiant stare. Then, she turned and retreated up the stairs with a patter of bare footsteps. Khyran was not left waiting long. The little girl returned with two patterned towels, holding them out to him. He reached out to take them, and she dropped them at his feet and bolted. He stooped to pick them up, trying to dry himself off the best he could. He lowered his travel bag to the floor, propping it against the wall, unlatched his boot, and pulled it off his foot. With that done, he finally felt more at ease to sit at the woman’s table as he was bidden. “You must be Claire?” He asked as he lowered his aching body into a wooden chair. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner. I haven’t ever been up here before, so I had to walk.” “You found the right place, aye.” By now, Claire was spooning stew into bowls. Khyran smelled pumpkin and fish. She raised her voice and called, “boys, come on down!” Footsteps thundered down the stairs as two wiry boys rushed into the room. They looked exactly alike, right down to their clothes. “Hey, the void guy came!” One of them said, and the other nudged him with an elbow. “He’s a voidhunter, not a void guy.” The other rolled his eyes. “Shut up, know-it-all.” Then, “you shut up.” “Boys!” Claire barked, cowing them into submission. As Claire presented Khyran with a bowl, he refused politely with a shake of his head, raising a hand. “I don’t eat before a job.” He explained. “Thanks for the offer, though.” With all the kids presented with bowls, the woman finally took her seat on the other end of the table, tucking in to her dinner. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Oisin. I was contacted by others asking for details about the case, but you’re the only one who actually showed up. I thought someone else might be coming, too, but I haven’t heard from him.” As she spoke, her expression betrayed discomfort: clearly the subject ahead wasn’t something she was looking forward to. Khyran squinted. Another voidhunter found her job posting? “No need to thank me. This is what I do.” He folded a hand atop the other and watched her impassively. “As I understand, you have a haunted well?” The woman nodded, failing to pick up her spoon. “It started two weeks ago. Every time someone goes to draw water, a monster, or a force, something tries to pull them in. We’ve had to go all the way down the mountain to get water from the stream.” “Yeah,” one of the boys chimed in, “Carter, from next door, he went out to the well just to see what was there, and it nearly dragged him all the way down! He told me he wasn’t scared, but I saw him! He peed himself!” The kids around the table chuckled, but Claire gave them a stern look, which silenced them. “Carter could have died. It’s not something to laugh about.” Khyran, too, didn’t find it funny. “Do you know if anything was done to the well? Have you had any strange visitors two weeks ago?” He asked, keeping his gaze focused on the woman. “Not that I remember. Everything’s been the same up here.” Khyran nodded, his hand lifting to rub at his unshaven jaw as he thought. “Sometimes voidsent just appear. They find weaknesses in the veil and come through at their own volition. Natural forces, erosion, Hydaelyn weakening… it’s not always a cultist responsible for these things. Has anyone felt the force elsewhere, or just the well?” “Just the well.” “The voidsent must be attached to something inside the well. It must be too weak to travel far from where the veil tore. There’s some source of aether down there keeping it fed so that if it goes too far away, it loses its power. An anchor, so to speak.” Khyran continued. “Do you know how to get rid of it?” One of the twin boys asked. Khyran leaned his back against the chair, drumming his fingers on top of the table. “I’ll have to look at it to be completely sure, but from what little we know, I can see one of two things working. I find some sort of bait, draw the voidsent away, then kill it once reveals itself. Or, I find its anchor and destroy it.” His fingers kept drumming, faster as he thought. “The first option might not work because it sounds like our voidsent doesn’t have a physical form. Normally they create bodies when they pass through to our plane, but sometimes they don’t. The only way I could kill it is if it possessed something physical and that’s a bit of a gamble.” “Wait… you’re not saying the best way is going in there!?” One of the boys blurted. “That’s crazy! You should do the bait thing!” “James,” Claire said, “this man is a professional. He knows what he’s doing.” She looked back to Khyran and added, “you have quite a reputation among voidsent hunters, do you not? Can’t you… leech the power out of things you touch?” “My reputation’s not wholly deserved.” He said with a lopsided smile. “I had a lot of help. And that aether leeching thing I do is just a cheap trick.” He gestured loosely towards the boy that spoke last and said, “your kid has a point. Going down there is probably going to be rough. But it’d be the fastest way to kill the voidsent. Not only is the second option not guaranteed to work, baiting voidsent isn’t always a good idea. They don’t always behave predictably.” “How do you think you’ll get down there in one piece?” “Does it still have a functioning bucket and pulley?” Khyran asked. “Yeah.” “The voidsent probably won’t target me. Someone can just lower me down.” “It’s targeted everyone else, why wouldn’t it target you?” Questioned one of the boys. “It’s something I’m born with. They can’t sense me, so that makes hunting them a little easier for me than others.” He thought for a moment. “But that would pose a problem for anyone lowering me down and pulling me back up again, as it would probably attack them, so… we’re going to have to extend the pulley system so it can be done from a greater distance. And I’ll need a bell or something that I can ring once I need to get back up.”

“That can be arranged.” Claire said, looking a bit nervous. “Is that all you think we need to do?”

Khyran nodded. “If I can’t figure out what the voidsent’s anchor is, I’ll be surprised. But if I don’t find anything, at least we’ll know what not to do.”

***

Rigging the well’s pulley system was an adventure in and of itself. Khyran was at the ready while some of the village men came out to assist in the task, and Khyran was able to see first-hand exactly what sort of problem he was dealing with. As soon as someone precariously approached the well to grab the existing bucket rope, he was tugged full-force and nearly launched down the mouth of the well by an unseen force. It took three people scrambling forward all at once to pull the man back out. By the time everyone had gotten the rope system extended, Khyran was handed an extraordinarily long roll of twine, the end of which was attached to a silver bell and set to dangle over the frame of someone’s door. He attached the twine to his belt and was given a small lantern as a final preparation. Everything was tested and deemed sufficient, but Khyran couldn’t help but to feel nervous as he stood at the mouth of the well, staring down into a black abyss. He hadn’t felt anything tugging at him, which confirmed his theory: the voidsent in the well couldn’t sense him. He let out a breath he had been holding. Doing this sort of work was never easy, but he was one of the few people in Eorzea uniquely equipped for the job. Someone had to do it. He straightened, steeling himself, then called to the people waiting nearby, “I’m going in. I’ll ring the bell once when I’ve hit the bottom, and I’ll ring it again when I gotta come up. It’ll be three rings, in rapid succession, in case I accidentally jingle it or something.” He paused. “Oh, and if I ring it a lot, I’m in trouble.” One of the men waiting by the end of the pulley system gave him a thumbs-up. Khyran nodded. He attached the lantern to his belt, feeling its weight hang against his hip. He set one foot in the bucket, grabbed the rope with both hands, and waited for the villagers to lower him into the darkness. His descent was unsteady and jarring. Several times he nearly lost his balance and fell out of the bucket. At last, it lowered into the water with a plunk. Gingerly, he stepped out of the bucket, trying to feel how deep the water was. He didn’t feel anything at first, so he jumped in, holding the lantern above his head and praying he could keep it from going under. The water came up to his chest, but at least he could feel the bottom. He rang the bell. At least, he thought it rang. He couldn’t hear it from down here. By the lantern’s warm glow he could see the underground passage continuing on into a cave. The rocky walls were lined with moss and were slick to the touch. He didn’t immediately see anything strange. The air smelled clean. He waded towards the passage where the walls closed in around either side of him. He was a very thin man, so it wasn’t an extremely tight fit for him, but he could see it posing a problem for someone else. The passage opened up into a second chamber and the water became deeper. Khyran was up to his neck in it, struggling to hold the lantern up. He realized, moments later, that he didn’t even need it anymore. There was one more passage ahead of him, and an ominous red glow was pulsing from around the corner. His heart lodged in his throat as he felt an oppressive force coming from beyond the corridor. He knew he had to go onward, but he didn’t know if he could keep his lantern up anymore. He searched for a place to put it where it wouldn’t drop into the water, and gratefully found a shelf of stone and moss where it could rest. With his hands freed, he swam through the frigid water, towards the source of the red glow. He went slowly, so as not to cause a ripple in the water or accidentally ring his bell. He had no idea what was waiting for him on the other side of the rocks. The water deepened all the more as he swam. Anxiety swelled in his chest. Of all the things he truly feared in this world, it was drowning. He was in too deep to abandon this mission now. He saw what the problem was. It was below him. A red glow came up from beneath him, bright enough for him to see its outline. An aether crystal. It was a natural formation, and he could only guess all the rain these past few weeks had caused shifting in the underground tunnels and revealed it. It must have been giving off enough power to feed weak voidsent, allowing them enough strength to cross through the void. Khyran was no stranger to dealing with such crystals, but he wasn’t entirely sure how deep it was, and he still hadn’t seen the- Something struck his head. Stunned, he grabbed on to the wall and looked up. The whole tunnel rumbled and rocks rained down. A few pebbles bounced off his back. He heard a low moaning and his skin crawled. “Get out. Get out. Get out.” Something hissed in the midst of the red glow. “You’re not what I want. You have nothing. Nothing.” More rumbling. Khyran kicked off the wall and dodged another cascade of rocks. “You’re right,” he said between gasps, exhausted from treading water. “I don’t have any aether for you.” “Hungry, so hungry…” the moaning voice continued. He couldn’t see its source. It was possessing the ceiling above him and he couldn’t reach it. “That’s right. And without that crystal, you’re going to starve.” Khyran said back. The creature sounded like it was screaming, but inside the rocks. Khyran gulped a breath and dived. Dust kicked up all around him and he could hardly see where he was going. He swam down towards the crystal with all his might. The cavern rumbled so much it felt like he was in the middle of an earthquake. His fingers were inches away from the crystal. A heavy stone plunged into the water with the force of a cannonball. Khyran jerked back just before it would’ve struck him, and it landed on top of the crystal. He was running out of air. He grabbed the rock and pulled, but it didn’t budge. More rocks fell. He pushed and shoved. Nothing happened. Desperately, he stuck his peg leg between the rock and the ground and pushed against it. Somehow, that worked. He was able to leverage it up enough to roll it out of the way. He grabbed the crystal. His lungs burned. He kicked off the ground and broke the surface of the water, choking. As the voidsent in the cave screamed and shook the very earth, Khyran’s fingers tightened around the aether crystal. He didn’t have to think. It just happened. The power within his hands sapped the aether crystal of all its raw power, the energy swirling in the air around his hands. It couldn’t enter his body- he had nothing to hold it. With nowhere else to go, the aether compressed, crystallized, and took on a different form. Something the voidsent couldn’t eat. As the energy left the aether crystal, reducing its red glow to nothingness, the rumbling in the cave waned and the voidsent’s voice whimpered and died. Khyran grabbed the newformed materia crystal with his free hand, shoving it triumphantly in his pocket. Then a rock smashed his head. * * * He woke with a start and coughed up a mouthful of water. The first thing he saw was the unfamiliar face of a pale Elezen man hovering over him. He saw more people gathered around, worry and relief on their faces. He recognized the village around him, and he was lying in wet grass. Khyran felt bewildered, and the back of his head hurt so bad it was like somebody lodged a hatchet in his skull. “Thank Menphina, he’s alive.” The Elezen breathed, his gentle hands reaching down to scoop beneath Khyran’s back, helping him sit up. The sky ended up somewhere below him and the buildings pitched and tilted. Khyran’s insides flipped. He couldn’t remember what he was doing here. There was a red glow… materia… a voidsent underground, but where was he now? How did he get here? He swallowed thickly and his head flopped forward against his volition. “With all that rumbling, there was no way in hell we were gonna wait for that bell to ring.” A burly man said where he stood next to the Elezen. “Mr. Oisin? Are you alright?” Khyran teetered. “Never been better.” He croaked. “You look like hell. Took a hit to your head down there. Can you walk?” Khyran started to stand. Even with the supporting grasp of the Elezen, his bad leg quivered and he dropped back down to the ground. “Don’t push yourself, Mr. Oisin, you’re badly hurt.” The Elezen said gently. “I’ll carry you.” “Bring him with me, please. Let’s get him dried off.” Said the burly man. Khyran felt the Elezen’s arms scooping under his back and beneath his knees. His head swam with vertigo as he felt the ground leave him. The Elezen brought him through the doors of the house from earlier. Khyran was vaguely aware that those kids from earlier were following, but their mother, Claire, told them to go play quietly in their rooms. The woman hurried ahead of them, disappearing into the house, followed by the man at her heels. Up the stairs they went. Khyran felt himself gently lowered into a chair. He was in a room now- someone’s bedroom, by the looks of it. Claire brought fresh clothes and laid them out on the bed. “These are my husband’s clothes. They might be a bit big on you, but I’ll have your old clothes laundered for you soon as I can. Just leave them outside the door, alright?” Claire told him. Khyran squinted in her general direction. He saw three of her. He blinked. Good, now there were just two of her. “Can you get dressed, Mr. Oisin?” Asked the Elezen. Why were they all acting like he was suddenly an infirm old man? “I’m fine. I think I just…” He couldn’t think of the word he wanted to say. He sat there in complete silence. The others waited for him to finish his sentence in vain. Claire then bowed and left the room. Khyran felt the Elezen unbuttoning his jacket, undoing his belt, pulling off his boot and peeling off his soaked clothes. He didn’t try to stop him. His eyelids drooped and his head sagged against the back of the chair. Moments later, he felt completely bare and exposed, and the Elezen was patting him dry with towels. One by one, fresh clothes were returned to his body, tugged into place. He was lifted from the chair and laid into the bed in such a way where he was seated upright. Heavy, warm sheets were pulled up to his lap. Moments later, someone knocked on the door. “It’s Onyx,” a male voice said. “Is he dressed?” “Yes sir,” said the Elezen, and the man entered the room carrying a tray. He set it down on the bedside table. Through the blurs in his vision Khyran could make out a cup, a bowl, a few jars, and a roll of bandages. “Thank you,” the Elezen said, and began to lift some things off the tray, applying the contents of a bottle to a cloth. The next thing he felt was a horrifyingly painful sting as the Elezen touched the cloth to the back of his head. He inhaled sharply through clenched teeth. “Sorry!” The Elezen said. “I have to clean it, sir. You’re bleeding everywhere.” The stinging abated a few moments later, and he endured it. Khyran watched the Elezen open the jar and dip out a green paste. He felt the other man’s fingers pressing the cool, green gel into the back of his head, spreading it around. He shivered. Bandages rolled around his forehead, across the back of his head and around again, layer after layer, until they were finally affixed in place with a small pin. “You think you’ve got it from here?” The gruff man’s voice asked. The Elezen nodded. “I’ll watch after him. If I had arrived sooner maybe I could have helped him before this happened.” “It’s not your fault.” The gruff man said. Khyran heard retreating footsteps. “My wife and I will be downstairs. Yell if you need us.” A door opened and closed. Khyran drew in a deep breath and tried to think, but his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Every time he opened his eye, the world pitched and twisted and it felt like there was a blurry film over his eye. “I’m Toviel.” The Elezen introduced quietly. “I saw the job posting in Gridania and I offered to come help, but I was very late. I’m sorry I didn’t show up in time to help you, Mr. Oisin.” “My name’s Khy.” He replied. “No need to… be. Be formal like that. You know.” He said between breaths. The effort of speaking made his stomach twist. Toviel chuckled. “Alright, Mr. Khy.” He gently patted his hand. “I know you must want to rest, but please try to eat something first.” He wasn’t even remotely hungry. “No, thanks.” Toviel picked up the bowl from the tray and brought it into his lap. “You’ll heal faster if you have some food in you.” He offered the bowl out towards Khyran. He didn’t want it at all, but he reluctantly reached for it. He missed. He couldn’t see straight. The look on Toviel’s face was empathetic. “I know this might be embarrassing, but you’ve got a terrible concussion, sir. Please allow me to feed you.” Khyran stared at Toviel with a grimace. Then, his head drooped, and he chuckled. It came out like a wheeze. He didn’t say anything. The situation alone was funny enough. Toviel scooped up a chunk of fish in the creamy pumpkin soup on the wooden spoon and held it out towards his lips. “I have heard stories about you. You go by Vulture, don’t you? I heard you killed a voidsent on the second tier.” Khyran reluctantly ate the mouthful of soup. “Now look at me, reduced to this.” Toviel smiled sadly at him. “I quite admire you, actually. This is nothing to be ashamed of. You’re only human.” He ate a few more mouthfuls of the soup, but it wasn’t settling well in his stomach. By the next offered spoonful, he lifted his hand in silent refusal. Toviel set the bowl back down on the bedside table. Khyran wilted like a dying plant, sliding down the headboard of the bed until he was resting on his back. The back of his head burned when it fell against the pillow. “Rest, Mr. Khy. I’ll be here if you need me.” Toviel promised. Khyran drifted into a haze. As night fell outside the grey sky blackened. The sounds of the family of five in the house below faded as everyone went to bed. Khyran had trouble sleeping under the watchful eye of a stranger. With his eye closed and breathing slow, he could only pretend to be. Even the slightest creak in the house or wind outside his window was enough to keep him wide awake. In the back of his mind, he felt a little sick. It must have been a few bells, lying there like that in complete silence. His insides started roiling and he tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. He couldn’t deny the nausea anymore. He was sweating and salivating. He didn’t know if he’d be sick or not, or where to go if he was. He couldn’t see a bucket in the room. Looking over at Toviel, he found the man still seated upright, but asleep in his chair. Khyran didn’t want to wake him. He peeled back the bedsheets and pushed himself upright with his elbow. His stomach lurched. Did this family have a lavatory somewhere? He didn’t want to risk opening random doors. He’d just go outside. Mapping out a plan in his mind, hastened by the rapidly worsening nausea, he slipped his foot to the floor. He gently set down his peg leg next, careful not to make a sound. He counted to three in his mind and stood up. The bed creaked as he did, and he stumbled with overwhelming vertigo. He grabbed the edge of a bookshelf to steady himself. He stuffed a hand against his mouth, breathing heavily, horribly sick. Toviel stirred in his chair and woke with a start when he saw what was going on. He went to Khyran’s side and rested a hand on his back. “Are you going to throw up?” Khy nodded, his breaths quickening. Spit pooled in his mouth. “Just let it out, I’ve got you. Don’t worry about the floor.” He was worrying about the floor. He wanted to go outside. He took an unsteady step towards the door, but Toviel was holding him in place, one hand brushing against his forehead and the other bracing his stomach. Khyran stood there, leaning forward, feeling caught between falling over and standing upright. His shoulders shook with each breath he took. His grip on the top of the bookshelf felt slick with the sweat on his hand. He peeled his other hand off of his mouth and rested it against his knee. Khy inhaled sharply and coughed. He felt Toviel’s grip tightened around his abdomen. Khy’s breaths quickened to a retch and his body lurched involuntarily. The contents of his stomach surged up his throat and spilled to the floor. A disgusting bastardization of fish and pumpkin soup mixed generously with bile. It smelled sour. He gasped for breath and heaved again, feeling Toviel’s hand squeezing his middle as he did. The nauseating puddle of vomit expanded. “Good job, Mr. Khy. You’ll be alright. I’ve got you.” Toviel reminded him in a soft voice, the cool hand on his forehead brushing back his hair. Khyran tried to respond, something about how embarrassing this was, but he spluttered instead and threw up a thin trickle of bile. He spat out the bitter taste and gagged dryly but nothing else came up. His dry heaves soon abated and he slumped, held upright by Toviel’s supporting grip. He felt exhausted and embarrassed. Slimy drool clung to his beard. He couldn’t spit it away, and he didn’t want to soil the other man’s clothes. “Can you stand on your own?” Toviel asked him. Khyran nodded miserably. Toviel left him there, moving to the bedside table, where he soon returned with a damp rag. He must’ve dipped it in the cup of water. Toviel wiped his mouth and chin for him, then gave his back a few comforting rubs before guiding him to sit down on the edge of the bed again. Toviel gave him a once-over, as if making sure he hadn’t puked on himself. As far as he knew, he hadn’t. Khyran started to say something, but somebody knocked on the door. He pressed a hand to his face. He wanted to disappear. “You alright in there, Mr. Oisin?” Claire’s voice called, sounding concerned. “He vomited on the floor,” Toviel answered. “I may need some things to clean this with. And do you have a bucket for him?” “I’m sorry.” Khyran croaked weakly. “Don’t worry about it, Mr. Oisin. I have three kids, remember.” By the sound of her voice, she didn’t seem too angry about this. “I’ll be right back.” Toviel sat down beside Khyran and rested a hand on his back. “I’m sorry you’re feeling so ill. I should’ve thought ahead. This can happen sometimes, when people get a concussion.” Khyran just shrugged. He didn’t want to risk speaking, when every breath he took still felt like it wanted to be a retch instead. When Claire returned, she had her husband, Onyx, with her. He helped her carry some things- a mop bucket, lye for cleaning the floor, a bunch of rags, and a spare bucket which was placed at the side of Khyran’s bed. He watched as the three others cleaned the floor, and none of them complained. “I feel terrible about this.” He found his voice a few moments later. “If- if there’s anything I can do to make it up to you-” “You just killed a voidsent that was terrorizing us for weeks and nearly drowned for it.” Onyx interrupted, barking a laugh as he tossed a handful of soiled rags into the mop bucket. “You don’t owe us anything.” Khyran laid back down, feeling horribly guilty as everyone else cleaned up after him. His hand was still pressed resolutely over his face. Here he was, the legendary voidsent hunter, Vulture, felled by a pebble and puking all over a stranger’s floor. He felt ashamed of himself. He didn’t remember falling asleep. It was dreamless and silent. When he woke again, he didn’t know how long it had been, but dawn’s light was outside his window and he was feeling pathetically sick all over again. Toviel was still there, sitting in the same chair. “Good morning, Mr. Khy.” He said when they made eye contact. He passed a glass of water towards him. Khyran still had trouble taking it. His head throbbed. Toviel kept a hand steadily on the glass of water as he drank. He took a few sips and passed the water back. “You still look rough.” Toviel commented. “But you should try to eat, anyway.” Khyran shook his head, grimacing as a headache pounded behind his eye sockets. “It won’t stay down. Please don’t make me try again.” “You’re very weak. If you don’t eat you’ll never get better.” Toviel hovered over him, his expression some mix of concerned and stern, “I want you to keep trying until it stays down, alright?” He realized, with a growing sense of dread that rivaled the tunnels of the well, that there was no arguing with the Elezen. - - - Khyran had a reputation among his friends and co-workers of having an extremely poor constitution. Normally, however, he could keep to himself and care for his own problems so he could avoid involving others. Now, however, he didn’t have the luxury of that. It was either Toviel or Claire and her family, all hovering around him, constantly checking on him, cleaning up after him, bringing him food (which only stayed down less than half the time), and never leaving him alone for too long. He was miserable the entire time. He hated feeling like such an inconvenience, so he kept to himself as much as he could. When he wasn’t shut away in the borrowed bedroom (which he learned had belonged to Claire and Onyx and wondered uncomfortably where they were sleeping instead), he ventured outside with the help of Toviel to get fresh air and clear his head. The family was extremely kind and understanding. Their three rambunctious children had the presence of mind to be tame in his company, and asked him all sorts of questions about all the voidsent he had hunted throughout his time. (He answered less than half of their questions honestly.) He was stuck there for a week before everyone deemed him well enough to travel back home- on the condition he would rest more until the lingering symptoms of his concussion faded. In that time he had come to learn about Toviel. The Elezen called himself a travelling problem-solver: though he didn’t specialize in hunting voidsent like Khyran did, he had the magical knowledge and skills to encompass a variety of fields. He admitted to reviving Khyran when the village had pulled him out of the well, drawing the water out of his lungs with a spell. Khyran left a linkpearl with him, as well as a separate one for Claire and her family, promising that if they ever had a problem with voidsent again, he would help them free of charge, and in good health. As he walked towards the village aetheryte, readying himself to attune his soul to its power, Toviel walked with him. They were silent until Khyran reached the precipice of the powerful crystal. Turning to face the Elezen, Khyran tilted his head back to look at his face. “I never got to properly thank you for taking care of me.” He said. “I insist you come visit me at my company’s headquarters soon. It’s called Ark. We’re a collective of voidsent hunters.” He held out a small card, and Toviel took it. He turned it in his hands, examining both sides of it. There was an address on one side, and a symbol of a bird on the other. “Thank you, Mr. Khy. I would love to come and visit, when I’m able.” “If you’re interested, I want to offer you a job.” Khyran continued, resting both his hands on top of the bird-shaped head of his walking stick. “You saved my life back there, and you’re quite skilled with first aid. If you find yourself hurting for work, Ark could really use someone like you.” Toviel gave Khyran a bucktoothed grin. “Why, thank you very much for offering such a thing, Mr. Khy. How about we discuss it more when I’m able to visit? I’m sure it won’t be too long.” He tapped the linkpearl that Khyran had given him. Khyran tried to smile back. He hoped it passed as one. “Aye, I’ll see you again soon.” He pressed a hand to the hovering crystal. “Twelve bless you, Toviel.” “And you, Mr. Khy.” “You can lose the ‘mister’ part, you know.” He didn’t hear Toviel’s response. All he could see was a blue glow, and all that he heard was a humming in his ears. The aetheryte was working its magic. He left this place behind him.

#short story #vivicrowsketchbook #drabble #oneshot #sickfic #xivkhy

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stagkingswife · 2 years

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2 and 20 for the ask game! ^^

2) What draws you to your gods? What do you like about them?

I’ll be honest here, as much as I dislike the language of “calling” that is often used to describe why people pick the entities they do, but it really is the best word for how I feel. I don’t think my gods “called” to me necessarily, I use “calling” here more like how some people describe their careers as a calling. I was chosen sure, but like how one gets chosen to do a job. I had the right skills, knowledge, personality, etc that at some point Oisin decided to pick me to do this work he needed on behalf of his family.

I love how old they all feel, even Wren who presents as a child. I’ve had encounters and relationships with a lot of entities in my 25 years, and The Forgotten Ones are the most ancient entities I have ever felt. So returning them and bolstering them with my worship feels like an act of preservation. I also love how much they clearly love one another, they are clearly a close knit family. Despite the hardships they may have gone through that lead to their fracturing they all put the rest before themselves.

20) List a few deities you worship and associate each with a quote you think represents them best

I hope you’re prepared for a lot of lyrics from musicals and quotes from fantasy novels…

Drove: “Even gods understand that a shepherd can’t neglect the sheep. A god who didn’t understand would not be a god worth believing in.” Terry Pritchett - Wee Free Men

Amaranth: “Try to remember a time of September when grass was green and grain was yellow.” The Fantasticks - Try to Remember

Clovis: “Look I made a hat, where there never was a hat.” Sunday in the Park With George - Finishing the Hat

Flint: “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” Albert Einstein

Axe: “I love not eh bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” - JRR Tolkien - The Two Towers.

Pesse: “Feel her bow rise free of mother sea, in a sunburst cloud of spray. It stings the cheek while the rigging will speak of sea miles gone away.” Stan Rogers - Bluenose

Or - “foam is white and waves are grey, beyond the sunset leads my way.“ Bilbo’s Last Song

Skelly: “Out of what we live and we believe, our lives become the story that we weave.” Once On This Island - Why We Tell the Story

Vega: “Are you lookin' for the moon? Would you dance with her tonight? Would you chase across the shadows as she goes slippin' out of sight? Leavin' common sense behind you for a joy that ends so soon, Rushin' through the forest blind, never knowin' what you'll find” Tom Paxton - Looking for the Moon

Wren: “Well, what you get does the wind talk? What nationality is the storm? What country do the rains come from? What color is lightning? Where does the thunder go when it dies?” Ray Bradbury - Something Wicked This Way Comes

And I tried sooooo hard to find quote, or lyrics, or anything I liked to reflect Oisin and Brona, but I think I am too close to those two, too lost in their vastness to pick one aspect or facet to capture in a quote. I tired, but I kept finding additional quotes for the others by accident.

From the polytheist ask meme.

#the returning #the forgotten ones #ask stag stuff #ask box meme

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lillotte17 · 6 years

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Oisin and Tonlen first smooches!! <3 tagging @scurvgirl and @feynites for OC borrowing. :)

Oisin wakes up well before dawn, both to ensure that she has enough time to make all the necessary preparations for the day, in an effort to get the bath all to herself, for once. Not that she dislikes bathing with her siblings, but there is almost always a squabble over what temperature it should be set to and what scent to use in the water, whether they should pick bubbles or bath oils; that sort of thing. It is the sort of family bickering in which Oisin inevitably finds herself almost immediately overrun, while the more boisterous members of her family dig their heels in and refuse to surrender any ground. Normally, she does not mind, but today is special.

She is going to see Tonlen today, and she wants everything to be perfect.

They have been courting for almost a year and a half now, and Oisin finds Tonlen just as charming and handsome as she did the first day he spoke to her in his shop. They do not get to see each other half as often as she would like, and someone from her family is almost always hovering in close proximity when they do, but they have at least managed to keep up a healthy correspondence. Which has mercifully remained private from her parents’ prying eyes.

At least…she hopes it has. Oisin feels like she would die of mortification if anyone in her family had ever read some of the warmer sentiments that have passed between herself and her paramour.

Unfortunately, sentiments are nearly all that has been passed between them thus far. In the form of courtship gifts, lingering touches, and a heated glance now and then. All of those things are lovely, of course, and Oisin is by no means complaining about any of the attention that Tonlen has lavished her with thus far. As far as a first courtship goes, it has been absolutely perfect -despite the constant hovering of her parents.

She just…really wants Tonlen to kiss her.

Oisin understands that between her inexperience with romance and the concerns of her family, Tonlen is being cautious. Taking things slowly and taking more traditional routes than most couples do nowadays. She does not mind it, for the most part, but she does think that after a year, it is probably alright to be kissing each other.

Assuming that Tonlen wants to kiss her.

She is fairly certain that he does, though. He has said as much in words and flashes of heat in the emotions around him when they are together. And there had been a few moments here and there where she had been sure it was going to happen, and then one of her family members had interrupted. Oisin just needs to make sure that she is irresistible today. And that they actually get to be alone.

One feat is much more easily managed than the other.

Oisin perfumes the bath with an orchid soap, a cool fresh scent -also one of Tonlen's favorite flowers- and lets it soak into her skin. Luxuriating in the warm water and trying to locate a bit of calm to carry with her for the day. She washes her hair with expensive conditioner that Papae bought her in Arlathan and brushes it until it shines like a wave of spun gold. It takes her over an hour to get through the whole routine; creamy lotions, delicate paints for her nails, and a gentle exfoliant for her face to brighten her complexion. It will not hide her freckles, but Tonlen has never mentioned anything about finding them objectionable, so they are probably fine.

The next step is clothing. Tonlen is a very meticulous dresser, having lived so long among the flashy city-types in Arlathan, and requiring a knowledge of fashion trends to ply his trade. Oisin usually relies on her sisters for advice on how to dress. She finds too many things beautiful to keep track of what has fallen out of favor with the trend-setters. They are going to be out in the woods today, though, so she also needs something practical. Stylish and practical do not often go hand in hand.

It had taken a good deal of sweet talking, along with some forward charm from Mealla, and some subtle bargaining from Einin -which she still denies doing- but Oisin has managed to procure two harts for the day. At a reasonable price, no less. Most of the animals in Bel'thyl are used for farm work, there is no sense or need to keep animals for recreational purposes. Even the elves that hunt in the village usually do so on foot or in animal form. These harts belong to the town magistrate, and are usually only called to work when some rare visiting dignitary needs to be shown around without having to fret about stepping in ox dung.

Going for a ride had been Oisin's idea, as it is one of the few physical activities she excels at. It would have been much more romantic to ride a pair of halla, of course, but Tonlen does not have clearance to learn about Mana'Din's Hidden Estate, and it would attract far too much attention to bring any of Mamae's herd to Daran or Bel'thyl. Neither of them are the proper rank to ride halla yet, and Mana'Din only officially has one of them. A magnanimous gift from the Lady Ghilan'nain. Someday Oisin hopes she can take Tonlen to meet the rest of them, though. They are a marvel to behold, and Oisin always feels calm around them. More certain of themselves. She would like to share that with someone she loves. It would be so lovely to lie in the grass together, watching the halla graze and telling him all the stories about them and the Dalish elves from other worlds that Aili and Lavellan had told them when she was little.

But today she must content herself with a pair of harts and a long ride out into the woods.

She chooses a bright peachy pink as the color of the day. Her riding coat is a more feminine cut than some of her other clothing, accentuating the narrowness of her shoulders and her slim waist. It is a soft suede, patterned with a small floral print, and it seamlessly flows into a creamy knee-length skirt with just enough of a slit up one side to give a tantalizing glimpse of her legs as she walks and can easily be moved out of the way while she rides. At the last minute, she decides that a pair of leggings are in order, to reduce the risk of chafing her thighs against the saddle, and to appease her Papae if he should happen to catch sight of her before she manages to escape for the day.

Oisin twirls once in front of her mirror, pleased with the effect of all the swishing fabric. It is early spring, and she looks a little like a blossom that escaped its bough. Her boots are a little plain, and she can only manage to get her hair into a simple braid on her own, but she thinks her appearance is pleasing enough. Definitely kissable.

Hopefully.

It is still a few hours before Tonlen is supposed to meet her, but Oisin thinks it might be better to leave now. Before any nosy siblings and fretting parents are up and about. Nenae is still in Daran on business, and Nanae asked Mamae to stay in their room last night, which usually means a slow morning for both of them the next day. And Papae sleeps like a rock. So, with any small amount of luck, she will be able to slip out the door without bothering anyone. And perhaps, just once, she can be truly alone with the man who is courting her.

Such hopes are dashed when she nearly runs headlong into Einin on her way to the front entrance.

"You're up early," she notes casually, raising a brow and scrutinizing her with sharp silvery eyes, "Going somewhere fun?"

"It's my rest day," Oisin mumbles, glancing away. She can never manage to conceal anything, especially not from Einin, who seems to have been born with some innate secret-detecting abilities. "I thought it would be pleasant to go for a morning ride."

"By yourself?" she wonders, her mouth twitching up into the beginnings of a smile. It is clear that she has already surmised the truth. Oisin winces.

"Please don't tell," she implores, "It will only be for a few hours. And just once…just this once, I want to be alone with him. Please?"

"I understand," Einin assures her, "but our parents will be in hysterics if you just vanish without saying anything."

"I told Mamae that I was going to go riding on my day off," she tells her, "I just…did not say when or with whom. You can tell them that I will be in the woods east of the town if they need to come find me for something important. I just do not…wish to speak of love with Papae or Nanae looming over our shoulders."

Einin snorts.

"I will tell them, but they will not like it," she says. She looks them over for a moment. Contemplative. "Is that how you are going to wear your hair?"

"It was the best I could manage on my own," Oisin admits with an air of chagrin.

Her sister takes her hand, pulling her back towards her own bed chambers.

"We can do better than that."

It takes the better part of an hour, but by the time they are through, Oisin's hair has a dozen smaller braids in it, all twisted and plaited back from her face in an intricate net-like pattern and woven into a single long rope that falls to her waist. Dozens of little jeweled hair pins have been tucked into it, all of them crafted to look like tiny wildflowers. Pansies made of garnet and sapphires. Amethyst violets. Opal daisies. And delicate sprigs of baby's breath made from pearls and slender twists of silver wiring.

Oisin must admit that the effect is lovely, and they say as much while Einin digs around in a box near her vanity.

"My supervisors think much the same," Einin hums, finally unearthing a pair of little golden studs shaped like roses and passing them to her sibling, "They are certain that these will be all the rage this spring, so long as they can convince the right high-ranking elf to wear them, and so they have asked me to use my connections in my large and fairly prominent family to stir up some interest. Try not to lose any of them, though. I think they still want Papae to pay for them if he ends up liking them."

"These aren't yours?" Oisin baulks.

"I have them on loan," Einin confirms, patting her shoulder, "And you have them on loan from me."

"Thank you," Oisin says quietly, not quite able to keep the sniffle out of her voice, "They are so beautiful. I'm sure they are well beyond my personal credit limit, otherwise I would offer to buy a few of them myself. I'm certain that Tonlen would enjoy getting one or two as a courtship gift. He always finds me such beautiful things, and most of my gifts for him have been handmade by me."

She sighs deeply.

"Unfortunately, I do not think you were the clientele my supervisors were hoping for," Einin tells her gently, moving back over to the box the flowers came in a digging around a bit before pulling out a small bundle of pink tissue paper, "Papae and Nenae get seen by all sorts of important people every day. People who want to emulate their taste and style. No one else in our family wields that kind of influence. Yet."

She holds the bundle out for them to take.

"This might help, though, if you are set on offering your cobbler a gift today."

Oisin blinks at her in surprise before taking the mysterious item from her hands and carefully unwrapping it. Inside are three ornamental hair combs, each decorated with different varieties of spring flowers. White lilies set against silver, pink roses on bronze, and blue irises on gold.

Oisin gasps in delight.

"They are so lovely!" she exclaims, "Are you sure I can afford one of them?"

"Normally, the answer would probably be 'no'," Einin smirks, "but these are from last year, and my supervisors agreed that I could keep one of them as a reward for convincing Papae to wear the other ones."

"Oh, but then this is yours!" Oisin exclaims, "I couldn’t possibly take a prize you earned for yourself! And what if you can't get Papae to wear these little ones?"

"Let me worry about Papae," Einin waves her off, "And I have plenty of other ornaments for my hair. One less is not going to ruin any of my ensembles."

"You really don't mind giving it to me?" Oisin checks, "Just like that?"

"Well, I would be lying if I said I was not interested in getting some form of compensation for it," Einin hums thoughtfully.

"What can I give you?" Oisin asks doubtfully, "You already said that I probably don't have the credits for it."

"There are plenty of things that are worth intrinsically more than credit," Einin informs them smoothly, "We will work out a satisfactory arrangement later, but for now, I think you had better get going. Mamae and Nanae will likely be up soon."

Oisin smiles at her, nodding once in acceptance before folding the comb with the blue irises into a handkerchief, tucking it into a coat pocket, and heading back towards the front door as quickly and quietly as they can.

They do not reach the eastern edge of the forest as soon as they would like. The stable master had been less than thrilled at Oisin's early arrival, mumbling and grumbling to himself as he went about preparing the two harts for a day's ride. Purposely moving slow. Oisin could not quite muster the nerve to try and hurry him along. After all, there are many people who dislike being awake and active in the morning, and it did not seem like something worth starting a fight over.

The animals both seem calm enough, despite the hour. The larger of the harts is a soft gray-brown with purple markings on its legs and face, while the smaller one is white and cream. Oisin leads them both by their bridals to her intended meeting spot with Tonlen.

It would have been much easier to meet him at the Eluvian in Bel'thyl, but Oisin had been worried about other townsfolk seeing them together and snitching on her to her parents. Not that she is ashamed to be with Tonlen in the least, she just…does not want any interruptions. Today is going to be special, she can just feel it.

The time for their meeting comes and goes, and Oisin begins to feel a prickle of concern. Worried that something might have happened to Tonlen on his way here. Or that he has somehow lost interest in her since their last exchange of letters.

Such doubts are quelled instantly when she spots a figure swathed in pale yellow green hurrying down the path as fast as his legs will carry him without breaking into a run.

"I am so sorry for being late!" Tonlen pants, doubling over for a moment to catch his breath, "I missed the turn at the farm with the yellow shutters you told be about and ended up in the middle of a wheat field."

Oisin giggles and takes a few steps closer to him, happiness shimmering in the air around her. His tunic is a riot of yellow and white flowers blooming across a field of green, like a meadow that she would very much like to lie down in for an afternoon. His hair is braided back from his face, but left loose to tumble down his back in a way that make her want to put her hands in it. And the combination of snug leggings and thigh-high boots is…very pleasant.

Oisin gulps thickly, feeling a faint blush rising in her cheeks. It feels like it would be a bit presumptuous to ask for a kiss right now. But she wants one anyway.

"Um, I thought…I thought since you were the less experienced rider, you should ride Tulip," she tells him softly, handing him the reins for the cream-colored hart, "They are both gentle, but she's a little older, and the stable master said she tends to go at a steadier pace."

Tonlen takes the reins with only a small amount of hesitance, before seeming to find his resolve and giving his mount a friendly pat on her neck.

"How do I… Is there some special trick to getting on?" he wonders.

"You put one foot in the left stirrup, grab hold of the saddle, and pull your leg up over the other side," Oisin says, "I can help, if you like."

"Please," Tonlen replies with a smile.

Oisin ties her hart to a tree for a moment and comes over to give Tonlen a leg up into his saddle. They don't quite make it on the first try, but with a little more strength exerted and a bit of flailing, they get him up into his seat. Tonlen shifts around a bit, trying to find the best way to sit comfortably, the hart moves her feet around in response, which garners a worried glance from her rider, but Oisin just smiles.

"You are doing very well for a beginner," she assures him, gently taking his foot in her hands, "Here, you need to keep your heels down like this. It helps distribute your weight across her back. Grip her sides with your knees or give her a little bit of a kick to go forward, and move the reins in the direction you want her to go. Do not tug on them too much if you can help it, though. She won't like that."

"Confidence is a fine look on you," Tonlen commends warmly, adjusting his posture as directed and smiling down at Oisin. She blushes profusely, moving a hand up to rest lightly on his knee. Wishing their lips were in a much closer range of each other. She does not want to pull him back out of his saddle, though.

"However I look, I am sure it is not half so fine as you," she sighs instead, "It seems as though you must have escaped from a book of fairytales. The charming hero on his noble steed."

Tonlen laughs.

"And does that mean you are my lovely princess?" he wonders smilingly.

"I certainly hope so," Oisin replies, only feeling slightly shy about it, "I would not want to relinquish the title to anyone else."

"There is no one else who is even remotely close to being worthy of it," Tonlen promises.

"Good," Oisin smiles, squeezing his knee a little. A heated moment passes, but they both seem painfully aware of the awkward physical distance between them, and so Oisin merely clears her throat and pats at Tonlen's leg one last time before going to retrieve her hart.

The ride is just as pleasant as anticipated. The air is fresh and sweet. The sunlight sifts through canopies of leaves and flowers to dapple the forest floor, puddling here and there like pools of gold. They keep to the well-worn paths close to the town, moving at a slow steady pace to accommodate Tonlen's inexperience. Side by side so they can still converse easily along the way.

"I can see why you are so fond of riding," Tonlen says as they take a moment to stop and admire a particularly scenic glen that is carpeted with bluebells, "It is very relaxing, and the woods around your hometown are very beautiful."

"It can be exciting, too," Oisin assures him, maneuvering her hart a little closer so that their legs are nearly brushing one another, "When you are feeling a bit more confident, we can try riding at a faster pace. The wind gets in your face and your heart beats quickly and it is just this amazing rush. Like flying without really leaving the ground."

"We do not need to move at a faster pace for my heart to beat quickly," Tonlen replies softly, his tone heavy with intention. Oisin finds herself blushing again, but she holds his gaze.

"Tonlen, I…um," Oisin flounders, losing the nerve to ask for what she wants before the scentence is even half way out of her mouth, "I…have something to give you."

She pulls the folded handkerchief out of her pocket and hands it to him, her fingers lingering on his skin for a few moments than might strictly be necessary.

"I am sorry it is not wrapped better," she apologizes, "I knew I wanted to get you something, but I couldn't find anything I liked until the last minute."

"It's beautiful," Tonlen replies, beaming as he holds the blue iris comb up to admire it in the sunlight, "The color reminds me of your eyes."

Oisin's cheeks darken further.

"I thought it would look particularly nice with your hair color -not that I really think any color would look bad on you, of course," she stumbles, "Um, may I… That is…would you like me to help you put it on?"

"If you like," Tonlen agrees easily, leaning slightly in his saddle and angling his head closer.

Oisin takes the comb back from him and carefully slides it into his hair. He smells faintly sweet, like jasmine and honey, and she finds that is very hard not to bury her fingers in his dark tresses. The air between them warms with affection and desire, and Tonlen turns his face just a little bit closer towards her. The light catches in his eyes and a stray blossom falls from a nearby tree and lands, seemingly unnoticed, on top of his head.

Unthinking, Oisin reaches up to brush it away, bending over slightly so as not to muss Tonlen's hair with the motion. It is a precarious position to sit in, but she finds herself pinioned by his gaze. It feels as the though whole world is holding its breath, waiting for something miraculous.

"There was a flower," Oisin explains in a hoarse whisper, unconsciously leaning closer even as Tonlen does the same.

"Thank you," he murmurs softly, the air around him sizzling with intent as he angles his head up slightly and presses his mouth against Oisin's waiting lips.

The kiss is soft and slow and chaste. And for all that, Oisin can feel the heat of it burn straight through her, from the tips of her ears all the way down to her toes. Her heart hammers in her ears at the rush of it. The sudden joy. It feels as though a million flowers must have burst into bloom all at once.

It does not last very long, however, and when Toneln draws back slightly, he finds that Oisin is crying.

"I am so sorry!" he rushes to apologize, "I knew I should have asked first. I got so caught up in the moment, but I promise I will never do it again without your express permission. We do not have to kiss at all, in fact, if you find it objectionable…"

Oisin shakes her head vigorously.

"It wasn't that," she sniffles, wiping ineffectually at her eyes, "It was just…just so wonderful. It was perfect. I mean, I hoped it would be like that, but…"

"Have you never kissed someone before?" Tonlen wonders, sounding surprised.

"No, I have," Oisin chuckles wetly, "It just never felt like that."

Tonlen reaches over to brush a few stray tears off her cheek with his thumb, expression thoughtful and eyes soft.

"Does that mean it would be alright if I kissed you again?" he asks, his voice low and warm.

"Please," Oisin sighs.

#Oisin x Tonlen #Einin #clusterfuck triplets #Clusterfuck AU #fic #they are so gross and in love #it's so cute #X3 #and...then a VERY ANGRY swan probably divebombed them #but I didn't really want to end it with an argument #let everything be soft and shiny for a minute #poor tonlen #oisin cries at everything #I promise it's not you #well..it's kinda you #but in a good way

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lillotte17 · 7 years

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@feynites said: *sends mental image of babies falling asleep on uthvirs*

It is a warm lazy afternoon, and the triplets and Virevas are all about ten months old. They are all beginning to settle into their new home, and their new life. Although it is not too different from the way they had been living at the Hidden Estate.

Aili returns from a quick trip to the market in town to a relatively quiet house. Uthvir and Mealla have gone to Daran for a few brief meetings about the new security measures around Mana'Din's palace, and discussions on training for some of their newer agents. And Lavellan is visiting with Pride, which she has mixed feelings about. Lavellan was already grown by the time she became a part of her family, but she is still protective of her welfare, and while he is not evil, per se, her chosen paramour is…dangerous. Aili would prefer to keep him well away from all of them, but she can respect the fact that Lavellan is old enough to be making her own decisions about her love life.

It doesn't mean she has to like it, however.

There are sounds of loud delighted squealing and vigorous splashing that leads her to believe that Thenvunin is in the process of attempting to bathe at least two of the children. And by the sounds of the voices she can hear, one of them is likely Ardal, which means he has his work cut out for him. She considers joining him immediately and seeing if he needs an extra pair of hands, but she is still wearing some light armor and a few concealed blades about her person, and she should probably remove them before handling anyone with soft delicate baby skin.

Her bedroom is simple, but airy; done over in cool blues and soft creams and accents in bronze. There are three large sunny windows enchanted to look out over the paddock for the halla back at the Hidden Estate. A large meadow full of wildflowers surrounded by tall trees and distant mountains. All of her furniture is curved and organically shaped, with touches of delicate leaf and floral patterns here and there. Not a harsh color or sharp corner in sight. The entire space seems to radiate an aura of calm.

And when she opens the door to her room on this day, she is met with the sight of Vhenan lounging in something of a small pillow fortress they have built across the expanse of her bed, with a baby tucked securely under each arm. Einin and Oisin, curled against the warm bare skin of their nanae's chest, sleeping soundly. They have their own bedroom, of course, but they tend to only use it for their Deep Sleeps, and the storage of anything that could potentially be hazardous to infants. So, they end up sleeping with her more often than not. Usually with at least one of their children nestled between them, safe and cozy.

She smiles warmly, trailing silent footsteps into the room, and doing her best to remove the outer layers of her gear without making too much noise. She doubts that Uthvir is truly sleeping, though their eyes are closed at the moment. However, the scene is such a lovely one that it seems almost a crime to intrude on it. After all they have been through, the suffering and separation, and being lost to one another in almost every way they could be, to see them here, like this, in their own home, with their own children, is…miraculous. More than she had ever truly let herself hope for.

When she is down to her soft layers, she walks closer to the bed, moving a few pillows over so that she can slide onto the mattress beside them. A serene sort of happiness suffuses the air around her, as she reaches over to brush a few strands of hair back from Uthvir's face. They blink open their eyes to look at her, and she is caught for a moment, as she still is sometimes, by the bright sky blue of their gaze. Still expecting brown, after all these years.

"Have they had their lunch yet?" Aili asks quietly, carefully pulling Einin into her arms as she snuggles in beside them.

"About a half an hour ago," Nightmare confirms, "It seemed to make these two sleepy, but Ardal began throwing his sweet potatoes at one point, and then Virevas followed suit with her mashed peas. So, Thenvunin decided that he should clean them off before trying to put them down for a nap."

"It did sound like there was a lot of ruckus going on in there," Aili hums, "Should I go lend him a hand?"

"They are having fun," they reply, "No one is worried or upset. Although, I suspect Thenvunin is likely fussing about something or another, as that is his usual state of being. Stay here with me. I have two children to wrangle as well, you know."

"Does he really not need the help, or are you just angling for a bit of alone time?" Aili wonders with a faint grin.

"It cannot be both?" Uthvir wonders with the beginnings of a smirk, reaching their free hand over and pulling the tie off the end of her braid. Carefully unravelling it until her hair is tumbling across her shoulders in long golden waves. "Not that we are precisely alone at the moment."

"As close to it as we are likely to be for a long while," Aili replies with a pleased sigh, pressing a light kiss into the dark red curls on her little daughter's head.

Vhenan hums in agreement, seeming content to simply lay there with her and two of their children, slowly running fingers through her hair. She studies their face for a moment, pensive, as she sometimes is when they actually catch a moment to breathe. They have all endured such hardship to reach this place, this peace, and yet she is not entirely certain…

"Are you happy?" Aili asks in a low whisper, "I mean… I can tell that you aren't especially upset by this turn of events, and I know that you love all of our children, but… We never really talked about…any of this. Having children and essentially moving to the country. I always knew I wanted to be with you, marry you if I could, but even though I wanted it, I thought that hoping for children would be too much. So, I never mentioned it."

"I had my suspicions," they admit, shifting close enough to nuzzle their nose into her hair a little, "Your desires have always been a bit…transparent."

Aili makes a face at them.

"It is one of your most endearing qualities, I assure you," Uthvir smirks, "Although, it did cause some me concern here and there over the years. Since there seemed to be such a high chance of discovery. None of it seemed capable of convincing me that you were not worth the risk, however."

She leans in a bit to press a kiss against their lips for that.

"It did sort of end in disaster, or at least…it seemed like it had. For a long time. I'm not certain I would change anything though, given the current outcome," Aili sighs. "And you didn't really answer my question. Did you want this at all? Are you happy?"

"I am always happy to be where you are," they tell her with enough frankness that color rises in her cheeks, "I…never really considered having children, in the time before. I did not think I would be a particularly good parent, given my background. And Andruil's palace would not have been a safe place to raise them, even if she had miraculously granted us permission. Just being with you was almost more than I had dared to dream of. To find a person who would accept me so completely, even with all I might be lacking… I wanted it, but I did not truly think it would happen. And when it did, wishing for anything more almost seemed…selfish. Greedy. As if we might be punished for taking more than our share. ...Perhaps we were."

They close their eyes, and press their nose into the curve of her neck, breathing her in deep.

"When you were gone… When I could no longer feel your heart attached to mine, my only wish was to have you back," they breathe out against her skin, "But when you placed Mealla in my arms that first night… I knew she was ours, confused as I was, and I never wanted to let her go. It is a little overwhelming, at times, to be a parent, but I would not give it up. I would not exchange it for anything else I might gain. And when we learned about the new babies, I was worried for you, but excited to meet them, too. Our children are a small, glorious horde."

"Then…you are happy?" Aili presses, running her free hand down their side to squeeze at their hip at little. Tender and just the tiniest bit possessive.

"Entirely," they hum in reply, shifting their arm a bit when Oisin makes a slight sound of discomfort in his sleep.

"Good,"Aili says with a deep relieved sigh, curling into them further and tangling their legs together just a bit, "I am too."

#Aili lavellan #uthvir #Clusterfuck AU #clusterfuck triplets #fic #the sharp one likes your shine!#poor thenvunin has been abandoned to the Loud Children #bc Aili and her vhenan are having a Moment #oops #>_>#Aili will likely go help eventually #especially if it sounds like Ardal and Vir are being extra wiggly #but he probably likes getting some alone time with them too

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