#short one today

[marlynnofmany]

The Little Things

“It’s the unexpected stuff that gets me,” I said, swirling my drink. “Like, I’ll expect alien food on the alien spaceship, but the first time I heard offworld music, I thought the engine was about to fail.”

“Oh, I know, right?” agreed the other human, waving her own drink around. She hadn’t spilled it on the spaceport floor yet, but her ship had heavier gravity than this, and she was still adjusting. “And have you smelled what passes for perfume among the Mesmers? It’s like someone cut an onion and rubbed it in hot peppers.”

“Wow, I haven’t come across that yet,” I said with a glance back toward the spacedocks. “We’ve got two Mesmers onboard. Maybe they haven’t felt like getting fancy.” I tried to picture either of my exoskeletoned crewmates preparing for a high-class event, and my brain shorted out. Neither of them seemed the type. Zhee would stand by the punchbowl and complain about everything, while Trrili would hide behind curtains and jump out to startle people. Probably.

“It might be a courtship perfume,” the other human was saying. “Either that or it’s really expensive. I swear, if our navigator wore that on a regular basis, I’d have to invest in one of those high-quality personal air filters. It was bad.”

“Enough to make you miss the people who overdid the perfume back home?” I asked.

She set her drink down and leaned forward. “Enough to make me miss the body odor back home. And I don’t say that lightly!”

“I’ll bet!” I said with a toast of my own drink. It was cherry soda in a champagne glass. The Frillians running this restaurant were so proud of their Earth foods, and I didn’t have the heart to tell them that was anything other than a perfectly normal combination. And the fried-chicken-on-French-toast was actually good.

“It has been a while since I was home, though,” she said, picking at the remains of her macaroni and peas. “Earlier I saw somebody wearing a scarf like my mom’s, and now I keep thinking of all the things I miss. The tree outside my bedroom window, the cat purring, the sound of rain over an old TV show.”

I had a mild epiphany. “Well,” I said, finishing my drink. “I can’t help with all of that, but if you want to make a quick visit to my ship…” I leaned with a conspiratorial grin and whispered, “I’ve got kittens.”

Her gasp made people at three different tables look at us. “Oh my god, yes! Here, I’ll pay for your food. Where did you get kittens??”

“It’s a long story,” I said as she tapped at the payment interface. “I’ll tell you while they’re busy trying to fight your shoes.”

With a happy squeal that caused more than one wince from the aliens nearby, she swept our dishes into the recycler, then we were off to the spacedocks.

~~~

The ongoing backstory of the main character from this book. More to come!

#short one today #hooray for kittens #my writing #the Token Human #humans are weird #haso #hfy #humans are space orcs #homesickness #in spaaace #cats

[oliverstarksbae]

Golden kisses

◇ Not my gif

◇ note: Tysm for the support of my first one shot, so here is another happy new yearssss and I'm sorry this was so short

◇ summary: in which his kisses always feels golden to (Y/N)

Today was a normal day on the diaz household, both eddie and (Y/N), where off of work today

It's morning, and (Y/N) had felt a shift on the bed, which cause her to wake up and let out a tired groan.

"Shoot,did I wake u?"

"Yeah, but it's ok. You know chris is going to jump on the bed anytime soon.

"Right after that, not even a second later, they felt someone on the bed.

"Mom, dad, I'm hungry".

"Well, good morning to you too." Eddie said

"Hi bud,eddie said

The (Y/N) said "well I'm going to cook because if it was up to your dad, the whole house would be in flames"

This comment caused chris to die of laughter and Ed's to dramatically gasp.

"I'm offended"

"Well, it's true, dad."

Which eddie and Chris started to tickle fight.

"Stop dad I c-an-t bre-ath," he says while laughing like crazy.

After a good bit of giggling it was time to cook

"HEY WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT TO EAT?" (Y/N) yelled since they were far

"PASTA" They both responded at the same time

While she was cooking the pasta, she felt a trail of gentle kisses on her neck.

"Ed's let me cook"

"Not after what you said", she said, giggling

When she was done, they went to eat while watching TV.

After they finished eating a bit after chris fell asleep since he fell asleep late last night

"Let me put him to bed" eddie said

She nodded

After he put him to bed, they went to their room and laid on the bed

"Hey, what do you want to watch"?

" can we watch gossip girl?"

One thing eddie would never admit is that he enjoys watching this with (Y/N) beacuse if he did he would never get the end of it

"Fine"

After watching TV for a bit, eddie started to kiss her first on the neck, then on the cheek, and finally, the lips.

And yes, they have been together for a while, but every single kiss felt electrocuting in an amazing way

And she will always and forever save those golden kisses

#short one shot #short one today #eddie diaz #911 fox #911 show #eddie diaz x reader #eddie diaz x y/n #eddie diaz x you #911 onshot #911 x reader #911 abc x reader #911 abc

[britcision]

All day I was planning to steal a minute to write so I could drop y’all some Harley this week…. And yet here we are 😅

I sewed about nine feet of hat drapery instead. Hat’s gotta be done for the 27 and I also have nine feet of curtains to sew around it once the top is on, sooooo… I’m a busy bee!

Gonna be a fucking great hat though

———————

I’ll Take The Highway iii

Finding Jason had been harder than usual. He’d never turned his phone back on after last night, and Bruce was still wrestling with one of his least favourite (and most common) side effect of a concussion; light sensitive headaches.

Even with the screen brightness all the way down, it was hard to even look at the batcomputer while he waited for Constantine to arrive.

None of his usual tricks were helping, spikes of pain jabbing behind his eyes every time he tried to scan the cameras for Jason’s presence.

It was Babs who found him in the end, taking her lunch at the library late to help him out. She had whole programs to scan the security cameras of Gotham for her, trained to recognise any bat or rogue from any angle.

False positives happened, but usually didn’t take more than a look to confirm or deny. They were extremely accurate.

Bruce would know.

He had copies of the same programs.

They just weren’t running properly.

He was probably still tired. He’d been pushing himself while injured, as usual, and as usual Alfred would be eager to tell him he’d been overtaxing himself too hard to work efficiently.

And then Constantine was late.

By the time the magician arrived, Bruce was regretting having taken a break to sleep at all. He should have sorted this out last night, before ever calling Jason.

They could have picked a time to meet, and while Bruce was fully aware Jason might have just told him to fuck off, he might not have. Especially if Bruce had promised to leave him alone.

He knew better than to ask Jason to introduce Danny to Constantine.

Barbara had generously kept an eye on Jason in the interim, and by the time Batman and Constantine were ready to go he seemed to have settled in Freeze’s place.

The Frozen Fields. Named for his wife, who Bruce’s top scientists still wouldn’t be able to save.

Along with Harley, Waylon Jones, and Danny.

Of course he was with Danny.

Half the city seemed to be intent on frustrating him today. They’d taken the Batmobile, and while he tended to only drive it in emergencies (and after dark), it still barely sped the journey through the city traffic.

It always felt wrong, sitting and waiting with the rest of the cars in the Batmobile. Didn’t match the “lurking justice in the shadows”. Which Constantine was quick to remind him.

Bruce just gripped the steering wheel tighter, sucked in a deep breath, and nearly bit his tongue when they finally edged up to an intersection only for the light to turn red.

——————

Y’all are so eager to see Bruce getting his comeuppances, sooooo here’s the start of his real bad day 😁 It’ll only get better from here!

Tag List: @welcometosasakiworld @kyrianclawraith @someonebored0100 @stealingyourbones @starkcravingmad @frostedthroughghost @akikkobara @rainbowbunny0159 @littlefeather345 @violet-catsarelife @serasvictoria02 @wolfjackle @blacksea21090 @secretdestinywerewolf @anime-hipster-the-amazing @undead-essence e @skitscratched @blackroserelina @snoodly-boop @trickerdi @mayoota-blog @xysidhe @idkmrpianoman @little-apricot-the-writer @chaoticmistake @the-legal-shipper @bun-fish @aroranorth-west @demon-cat-goes-woof @perfectwastelandcreation @onyxlightdragon @larks-and-katydids @peachesandcreamfemboy @jesus-camp-the-sequel @may-rbi @mothman-the-mothman87 @viyatrix @stargirl1331 @idfk-man10 @thedepressedrobin @skulld3mort-1fan @rootsmudge @ravenshadow17 @cankoking @phantom-dc @mentalcarebear @magic-pincushion @redamancyardor @lyra689 @itsparadoxlacuna @alcorbearson @asphyxia778 @why-must-i-be-like-this @tkiesai @greenpyrowolf @frivolous-pastel @honeysuckletook

#dp x dc #danny fenton dead and loving it #wip wednesday #chapter 15 #i’ll take the highway part 3 #short one today #bruce is Suffering

[houseofache]

it doesn’t escape me that “the way that you were” sounds like a funeral processional hymn, with its layered choral-like vocals complete with a bellowing organ instead of vessel’s standard piano. add to the fact that the entire thing is about something no longer being there, having changed beyond recognition— “you will never be the same”— and you have a potent hymn to send off the death of a relationship.

the most cutting line appears in the chorus: “and you think i don’t notice the way that you were?” which encapsulates the depth at which this relationship has shifted beyond what it once was. the singer remembers painfully the difference between who his loved one was and who they are now. resigning himself to a restless send-off, ending with an unanswered question: “how far did they take you?“ with the implication that they will never return.

#this song just hurts. especially once that first chorus hits and how vessel’s voice almost shakes as he asks these existential questions. #short one today #this song is ripping my heart out today #and my response is to write of course #the way that you were sleep token #the way that you were #sleep token #st #vessel #ii #iii #iv #analysis #writing #i guess #sleep token analysis #lyrical analysis #sleep token band #sleep token worship #worship #sleep token lyrics #sleep token lyric analysis

[tpwkwriter]

Sleepy girl.

Sorry for the writing hiatus, serious writing block has hit me 😭

A short one! 💫

Fluffy <3

——————

“And that’s a true story!” Sarah laughed continuing to pack away her kit, the clock had just passed 2am and all of the crew seemed to still be sitting around the studio, the music producing had finished well over an hours ago it just consisted of the friends lazing around and talking shit.

Harry and y/n we’re both next to each other on a brown leather sofa that sat adjacent to the rest of the band, y/n would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t tired.

“Y’okay love?” H asks leaning into her and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Mmhmm” she sleepily replied.

“We can go soon m’promise” he said placing his hand on her thigh.

“Harry! Come help me finish this up real quick?” Mitch asks from the other side of the room.

“Just one more thing and we can go angel” he says giving the girl a chaste kiss.

What realistically was 4 minutes felt like an hour for the sleepy girl.

H came back out to get his girl so they could finally head home when he sees both Sarah and nyoh giggling to themselves.

“What y’two laughing at?” He asked

“Goodluck getting her home Harry” nyoh smiled pointing to y/n who had seemed curl up on the couch and find her self in a slumber.

Harry saw the sight as absolutely adorable, his girl curled up in a fuzzy blanket, he couldn’t help but smile proudly at her.

“We’ll leave you to it” Sarah smirked

“Goodnight H” Mitch sighed patting his friends back.

“Night guys”

The noise of the door shutting was enough to stir the sleepy girls sleep. H rushed to her side.

“Hey sleepy girl” he smiled kneeling beside the arm of the sofa allowing there faces to be on the same level.

“We can go home now my love” he said pressing kisses to the girls face.

“Did I really fall asleep?” She asked shyly, blush creeping onto her face

“Mmm, y’did” he smiles

“My music that boring huh?”

“Nooooo, m’just tired” she laughs

“Just kidding dove, let’s get to car and go home hey?”

“As long as you carry me to my seat?” She asks cheekily but also seriously

“Whatever y’say beautiful” he smiles.

#harry styles #my fic writing #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles au #harry styles blurb #harry styles x y/n #fine line harry styles #fluff #hshq #hs #blurb #harry styles fluff #short one today #oneshot

[tiredtreebranch1]

Poison Killed The Cat

Poison no.24 he read. The vial only sat on the second shelf. Hundreds of small crystal vials filled with different coloured liquids were meticulously arranged in the towering cupboard. Each one had a neat label either numbering them or naming the known ones; cyanide, hemlock, belladonna, and less known ones; strychnine, curare. The cupboard was ostentatiously labelled ‘POISON’. He had been looking for the bathroom when he had glanced at the cupboard through an ajar door. How could he not be interested in such a beautiful dangling carrot. He didn’t care that any normal person would have run. Run and left this house. But instead, he had slipped into the room and cautiously opened the door to the cupboard.

Now as he stood their beholding the terrifying (but impressive) sight. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t reasonably return to dinner with an obvious psycho, but he doubted he had it in him to confront the host. He could possibly call the police. But was it safe to do so inside the house? Maybe he should just backtrack to the common sense he had ignored earlier. The instinct that when you see something so obviously dangerous that you should run. Activate the flight response. He didn’t even have a fight response he was just curious. He was a cat, and he was about to be killed.

But yes, he would sneak out. It was the best option. As slowly as he could he closed the cupboard door, keeping an ear out in case he heard any footsteps.

“Adam, Adam, Adam,” came a mockingly disappointed voice from behind him. He whirled around, wincing as the cupboard door closed the rest of the way with a slam.

Standing in the doorway was the host of the night. Henry.

Adam tried to take up a defensive position, straightening his back and throwing back his shoulders.

“What are you doing in here? The bathroom is further down the hall,” Henry said with a further mocking undertone to his words. Adam felt like a fly stuck in a web with a taunting spider.

“Well, I was, uhm,” Adam scrambled for an excuse, “I was looking in here to see if this was it and noticed that the cupboard,” he gestured behind him, “was open and I figured that you probably didn’t want it to be, so I came in to close it,” he ended with a gasp for air.

“Oh, isn’t that odd? I would swear that I closed it last time I was in here,” Henry said with fake confusion as he strode closer.

“Yea. That is odd,” Adam said carefully as he started to edge his way away from what would end with him in his coffin.

Henry nodded emphatically, “just so I know, how much did you happen to see?”

He said it in a way that conveyed genuine curiosity, but his gaze conveyed a threat.

“Barely anything, almost as if it was empty,” Adam forced out a laugh and glanced at the door.

“Right, right,” Henry paused where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest as if he was considering something.

Adam took this as the perfect opportunity to make a dash for the door.

Quicker than Adam had expected, Henry had stepped back into the open door and closed it with his back.

“Tsk, tsk. Come on, you must know that by now I can’t let you leave.”

With a click of a lock Henry looked Adam in the eye and spread his mouth into a malicious smile.

“I can’t have you spilling my little secret, can I?”

Adam shook his head, not really in answer to the man, he was just shaking all over.

“I knew you’d get it!” Henry said gleefully as he stalked forwards.

Adam stumbled backwards, “I promise I won’t tell anyone!”

“Of course you won’t,” Henry pulled out a chair from the side of the room. It clanged against the cold stone floor as he placed it right in the middle of the room.

“Sit.”

Adam took a step back and away from the shadowed chair, “why?”

“Well, we have to make sure you keep your promise, don’t we?”

The rest of the night was a blur.

#writing #creative writing #writers on tumblr #written by me #fiction #not a prompt #civilian #villain and civilian #civilian x villain #not romatic #used gendered terms this time because i could so theres no obvious labelling of the characters morality #short one today

[finch-the-fox]

Dwayne Hoover x Gn! Reader Fluff Blurb

WARNINGS- none just some fluffy shit , written on the app .

Unedited

SUMMARY - cuddling with Dwayne while he reads . Hardly any if any dialogue .

————————

The Hoover house hold was nearly silent while you laid between Dwayne’s legs as he read one of his philosophy books . A rare time indeed that there was no fighting or Olive squealing . For once it was peaceful . Dwayne’s free hand was held in yours as you absentmindedly played with his fingers . Between the repetitive motion and the sound of his light breathing plus the occasional page turn , your eyes were starting to get heavy . Letting his hand free you get into a comfortable position, head resting on his thigh . You let your heavy eyelids drop , letting out a content sign . Dwayne’s now free hand came to lightly play with your hair . Adding to the comfort you felt . Unknown to you , as you drifted off into a peaceful sleep Dwayne had gently placed his book down . A small smile spread on his face as he watched the peaceful look on your face . It wasn’t too often that Dwayne felt the way he did just in that moment . However he would kill for this moment to last forever .

#paul dano #little miss sunshine #x reader #dwayne hoover #dwayne hoover x reader #blurb #short one shot #short one today #dano nation

[uniquevocashark]

"I'll devour you." She said.

And you hadn't moved. You stood there and watched her face cracked in half, and her cheeks grew vicious sharp teeth, and you had only thought about how wonderful she looked.

Lady Dimitrescu grabbed your face in one clawed hand and lifted you up, "I'll eat you, you stupid fool."

And maybe you were a fool, because even as your face hurt, you were overjoyed. She was never so emotive when you usually talked and you had feared that you were boring her more than not.

"My lady," you said, and she seemed shaken by your calmness, "Being devoured by you is a delight."

#lady dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x reader #alcina dimitrescu #short one today #im sleepy and too happt to form words

[irisopranta]

FFxiv Write Prompt 10: Respect

“You? A noble woman? Please don’t put yourself on the pedestal like that.” Two noble elezen women laughed at Iris. Her and Stephanivien just got engaged and it’s been nothing but hell for her since. Just no respect from other noble women in Ishgard. She wasn’t sure what to do.

It was just then Laniaitte walk on by. She was returning back to the manor and saw what was going on. “That’s enough!” She growled at the two ladies. The two got terrified by the Commander of the Rose Knights and ran. She then turned to Iris. “Are you okay?” She extended a hand to her to help her off the ground.

Iris took it to help herself up. “I will be. But why would they even hassle me?”

Laniatte sighed “It’s because they are jealous you’ll be marrying into a high house. I wouldn’t put much stock into what they say.”

#oc: iris opranta #FFxivWrite2023 #FFxivWrite #FFxivWrite2023 prompt list #ffxiv #ffxiv writing prompts #ffxiv writing challenge #Short one today #Laniatte de Haillenarte

[vi-visected]

wouldn’t you?

#my poetry #poets on tumblr #poetry #original poetry #my poem #short poem #original poem #sad poem #poem #vi writes; poetry #short one today

[sofullofloveicould]

march writing challenge 2023 - day 5

your favorite sing-along song

Kiss me now, I think, with a sudden fierceness that shocks me to the very core. 

He’s leaned over, tossing his shoes into the laundromat’s coin-op machine like a dunce.

It’s soft thud, thud, thud, is in line with my heart as I slouch on the provided benches, feet leaned on one of the out-of order driers. He slips his quarters in, then joins me. 

I reach into my purse, grab the lipstick I’d thrown in there this morning, and apply it in the distorted mirror of the machines. 

It’s not my usual, but the special one I keep for dates, a velvety-soft pinkish-mauve. 

I glance over to him, and my eyes flick down unintentionally. 

“Would you kiss me already?” I mutter, expecting him to be zoned out by now. “Would you?”

I look away, I hear him shift and lick his lips. “I- I can’t.” My blood runs hot in my veins, reaches the tip of my ears. 

“Shit, I didn’t mean to say that, forget I ever-”

His lips are on mine.

I close my eyes - I know it’d never be me he wanted to kiss.  

@deity-prompts credit for the prompts list

#short one today #writing challenge #spotify #writing #writers on tumblr #music #my writing #march writing challenge #original writing #30dwc #mitski #be the cowboy #washing machine heart #not super happy with it - but at least I wrote something today #Spotify

[marlynnofmany]

Racetracking

“The good news,” announced the gravelly voice of Mimi the tentacle alien, “Is that this model defaults to zero-g when it breaks.” He led the way down the corridor with tentacle slaps instead of footsteps, which managed to sound exasperated.

I had the brief thought that he was louder than Mur and Wio when he walked, possibly because he spent so much time in the engine room where everything was noisy. But I put that thought aside. I had a pretty good idea what the bad news was.

“The bad news,” Mimi grumbled, “Is that the carrying cage that these high-paying customers insisted on is so broken that I can’t fix it. Even with the right tools.”

“So we have animals in zero-g,” I said.

Mimi waved a tentacle in a way that I privately found hilarious. “We just took off! Just! It’s like they’re trying to frame us for damages!”

I looked at him in alarm. “Are we sure they’re not?”

He made a dismissive motion, still walking. “That’s what the cameras in the storage holds are for. There’s proof that no one dropped it or whatever. And I think Captain Sunlight is already talking to them about it, which is a conversation I do not envy her.”

I winced. “Yeah. Which animals? It’s just one of the carriers, right?”

“The little ones. I dunno what they’re called. They were alive when I left, but they looked pretty upset.”

That didn’t narrow it down. As the ship’s resident animal expert, I’d had a look at each of the half-dozen life support chambers that passed for carriers among the rich folks. Each of them held a different type of little furry whatsit in wild colors. Each was sealed with its own supply of air and gravity — or at least it was supposed to be.

I couldn’t hear any distressed noises yet, but when Mimi poked the button for the door, it slid open to a chorus of muffled squeaks.

The six chambers were lined up in a row, on display in the center of the room, with nothing close enough to so much as touch them. Five held animals calmly nosing around the bottom.

One held a whirling tornado of blue fur.

I dashed over to peer through the glass, hands dancing uncertainly. I shouldn’t touch it, shouldn’t open it. But—!

…But.

I looked closer. “They’re running.” I dropped my hands and stared.

Mimi plopped down next to me. “Is that bad?”

“No, it’s just — Look at them! They’re doing this on purpose!” I started to smile as I realized why the squeaks sounded familiar. “They’ve made their own hamster wheel.”

“A what now?” Mimi wanted to know.

I gestured vaguely. “It’s an exercise thing for animals like this where I’m from. A wheel that they run inside of, and it keeps spinning. These guys—” I pointed at the chamber. “—Have created their own.”

“Uh-HUH.” Mimi tilted his head to watch the antics, which were slowing down as they noticed us. “That is a strange reaction to zero-gravity.”

“I’ve heard of mice that did that, actually,” I said as a memory surfaced. “It took them a while to make a game of it. I wonder if this isn’t the first time the carrier’s gravity has gone screwy.”

Mimi held a curl of tentacle thoughtfully to his face. “That is an interesting data point. The captain will want to know.” He lowered it. “And if you’re sure these things aren’t about to die of organ explosion or whatever, then we should go tell her.”

The blue furry things — which did honestly look a lot like mice — had settled down to some more even-tempered bumping around in there. None were limping as far as I could tell, and none had been knocked unconscious or worse.

“I think they’re okay,” I said, looking closely. “The food dispenser is closed, thankfully, so there aren’t any pellets or globs of water floating about. They just got a bit of excitement.”

Mimi levered himself off the floor. “They’re not the only ones,” he grumbled. “Annoying little meatsticks must be in cahoots with the rich jerks, trying to make our lives harder. Why would they even do that?”

I gave the chamber one last look, then stood and followed him toward the door. “I dunno, it looks like fun. Probably a lot of animals would enjoy that if they knew it was an option.”

Mimi stared at me with one large eye. “Animals from your planet.”

“Well, yeah. Probably others too.”

He made a wet-sounding snort of skepticism and led the way into the hall.

I followed, smiling. “Come on, it looks like fun. I was just thinking it would be neat to try in a zero-g room, though flat walls wouldn’t be as good as curved ones.”

“Your planet’s full of weirdos. You know that, right?”

“Oh, it’s been said before.”

~~~

Thanks to this post for inspiration! It was too good an idea to pass up.

Anyways, this is the ongoing backstory adventures of the main character from this book. But you probably already knew that.

#toldja I'd find a way to use it in a story #short one today #posted early #gonna be traveling during my usual posting time #my writing #the Token Human #humans are weird #humans are space orcs #haso #hfy #eiad #zero-g #animals #in spaaace #science fiction #short stories #zero-gravity hamster wheels

[steak-n-popotoes]

FFxivWrite '23 - 4

The sorrowful silence of existence's edge cradled the sound of a mandolin close.

As Beef strummed its strings, a nameless song soared and swooped through the air around he and L'kozu.

They sat at rest in the dark environs, finding motes of light that persisted there. There was no need to speak, as their mutual appreciation for the other's presence in that place was plain.

The line of L'kozu's fishing rod listed dreamily in the nothingness past the path's end. For a place that was by definition lifeless, the stars certainly seemed to teem with things that begged to be caught by one with enough skill.

On the matter of skills - Beef had at first come along to assist in catching these specimens for the sake of L'kzou's study, but when one had quite rudely cut his line after being ensnared, he had instead put his musical skills to work making the surrounds less oppressive. Thus were both fish and fisher let off the hook.

Strange that a place born from so much pain, both personal and universal, could still provide so many little moments of peace.

#FFxivWrite2023 #FFxivWrite #Beef Broganoff #L'kozu #short one today

[laspocelliere]

Day Seven: Noisome

The end of the world had less smoke than she expected.

She didn’t expect anything, but certainly the end of all things would come with fire and flame, burning away everything they’d ever held dear until it all held nothing but ash.

Instead, the end came with horrors beyond comprehension – each one crafted out of the bones and aether of a neighbour, a friend, a loved one – and with a low-hanging stench of rotted flesh and burning hair that was impossible to escape. It filled her lungs as she climbed ever higher, further from the city, an ache growing increasingly painful in her neck with her refusal to look back and see what her doomed city had become.

As Azem, she had shepherded her people as best she knew how. She was everything they needed her to be, whether warrior or friend, lending her not-insubstantial skills to whatever task they best needed. As Azem, she’d watched her closest colleagues decide that those flocks weren’t worth saving. As Azem, she’d wept bitter tears, screaming her rage and grief until her throat tore as these damned Final Days took away that which was most precious from her. As Azem, she’d kissed her last, smiled her last, laughed her last, cried her last.

No longer Azem, she left the city with burning eyes and throat, dry and charred and broken, broken, broken.

No longer Azem, she stumbled and fell in her steady retreat to the burning wilderness, over and over again, tearing her robes, tearing her skin, tearing the last tattered shreds of her sanity. No longer Azem, she listened to the screams of anguish, the crunch and tear of bone snapping into impossible shapes, the wet, slick sounds of chewing and saliva while children screamed their agonies in the streets. With each painful step, she pulled at that newly raw wound in her chest, where she’d torn him away from her very essence, where she’d split the once-unblemished surface of her soul, where she’d reminded herself again and again that she needed to do it, if he were to do what he needed to do.

The tattered hole he’d left in her heart, where she’d left him behind.

No longer Azem, a woman alone in the fire and darkness dragged herself forwards, clinging to the last flicker of hope she had left, deep in the recesses of her heart.

That this was the right choice. That this was worth it.

That one day, no longer Azem, no longer “once” Azem, no longer any trace of herself…

One day, she would make it right.

#short one today #I'm tired #and honestly what I've mostly learned is I need to flesh out my Azem more #I have her lore #she needs more personality #anyway #ffxiv #ffxivwrite #ffxivwrite2023 #azem #ffxiv fanfic #ffxiv fanfiction #azem POV #endwalker #endwalker spoilers #shadowbringers #shadowbringers spoilers #adding those just to be safe

[liminal-storage]

Hysteria

Prompt 16: Deiform

Characters: Starling, Sulin Kagon (an npc exclusively for this story).

Warnings: Implied sexual and physical abuse, violence and murder.

Note: I will preface this by saying I'm not very happy with this piece and will probably rewrite it/add to it at some point, so stay tuned for that I guess? I just wanted it done and out of the way for now.

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Sulin Kagon had come to Eorzea many summers ago to seek her fortune. What she found was a string of misfortunes and hardship, hard lessons learned too early on. All she had left at the end was a shitty apartment she could barely afford to pay for and a heart that was as broken as some of the furniture.

They said not to bring your work home with you, but in her case Sulin had no choice. On her back or on her knees, every gil she managed to scrape together in service to others went to keeping that roof over her head and a few scraps of food in the kitchen. If it meant the occasional bottle or two of amber liquid, she was willing to subject herself to her clients' darker whims.

Questionable clientele, humiliation, or beatings...she had little choice but to endure it if she wanted to avoid going hungry. Such was the way of the world, she reasoned.

There was no path out. No salvation. Every prayer she lifted to Nhaama remained unanswered, and in time she stopped praying altogether.

Until the Starling came to her.

"Oh, you poor, poor thing."

Sulin had never seen a person with eyes quite that color before. Glimmering like gil coins but twice as bright, the Xaela found herself enchanted instantly by the creature who called herself the name of a bird.

"Such a lovely gem should not be left to tarnish in the dirt."

Sulin felt compelled, somehow, to apologize to this sleek creature, the she-beast with a violent smile and eyes like the golden moon.

"Oh, sweetness. No need for that. It is I who should apologize for coming to call on you when you clearly deserve your rest. Still, I did come all this way. Would you honor me with your service in another way?"

Sulin began to strip, and the woman with wicked eyes held up her hands.

"Ah, no, sweet. You don't have to do that. I only ask that you hold me. Will you? I long for such warmth."

The woman from the Steppes felt gob-smacked. None had ever made such an innocent request from her, let alone being concerned for her well being. Apprehension warred with the great sadness that Starling had somehow coaxed to the surface. Sulin couldn't remember the last time she'd just held or been held by someone. She prayed, for the first time in moons as she laid in the woman's arms, that she would return.

And so she did. Again and again, in fact. The starling brought gifts for her, foods she never thought she'd be able to try, jewelry and silken garments and flowers for brightening her home. Sulin felt overwhelmed, undeserved of such delights. Starling always crooned softly and petted her hair and told her not to worry. After all, it was the duty of a greater being to see to the needs of others, was it not?

Several sennights later, Sulin had just finished with a customer with a particularly nasty attitude and a penchant for leaving bruises when her goddess came again. The noise of a dispute drew her to the door where she bore witness to what she could only assume was divine intervention; the customer lay dead in the hall with the starling muttering about daring to lay hands on her toy.

Sulin should feel panic but she did not. Instead she found herself helping to drag the still-warm corpse into her dingy living space and taking the hand Starling offered to her.

"My gem. You deserve more than this place. Come with me, and I will make you shine."

Salvation. The moon shone in this creature's eyes like the beauteous Dusk Mother herself. Gladly did she clutch tightly to that hand, a lifeline in a sea of pitch.

#ffxivwrite2022 #my writing #the ink and the flock #liminal-storage #short one today #brain goes chug chug

[houserosaire]

Prompt #6: Onerous

“Do you ever get tired of wearing it?” Honore’s voice came from somewhere behind him, just a bit further than he could turn while Alain’s efficient hands were buckling his pauldrons into place. 

“My armor?” Silvaineaux asked, pausing to roll his left shoulder as Alain stepped to tend his right. Metal shifted a little with the movement and then settled at last familiarly into place. “I suppose I do sometimes. It is heavy, but I do not believe I really mind it any more than a fussy coat. Why do you ask?”

Honore stepped into view, perched himself on a crate with the armorer's mark burned into the wood. “I only wondered. You put it on every time you go, and I suppose half the time you don’t even need it. Aren’t you ever tired of all this…” He gestured at the room around them with its heavy scent of steel and oil, the suits of armor gleaming on their stands. “Isn’t it a bit burdensome to put it on when you might not even need it?”

Silvaineaux laughed, rolling his right shoulder to settle the pauldron as Alain finished and moved back to the left. “Not as onerous as it would be to need it and not have it.” He shifted his arm slightly to let Alain fasten the plate over his upper arm. “I’ve had a few instances of that and I do not like to repeat them.”

Honore frowned a little. “Would you like a hand, Alain?” He asked after a moment.

“No thank you, my lord. We’ve got a system. It’s not much trouble. It’s cleaning the stuff when he has needed it that's the onerous task if you ask me. Not that anyone did.” He finished with a rather cheeky grin.

“Your service is appreciated.” Silvaineaux said, taking a moment to swing his arm as Alain stepped around him again, testing the fit of his straps. He settled his eyes back on Honore. “I suppose what it comes down to with Priarch is the same as in the War. Any day you put on your armor and then don’t need it after all is a good day.”

#FFXIVWrite2022 #Silvaineaux #Honore #Alain #short one today #my writing #ffxiv rp