#valiant eirwen

[thatonebirbnerd]

🔥 and 👃 for ur commander >:3

Ooh!! Thank you!

What’s a surefire way to make your OC get flustered? - It’d be pretty hard for anyone other than Lyri to stumble into this, but she knows exactly what she’s doing: a compliment on anything Eirwen is insecure or private about. Eirwen’s scar from Balthazar was repaired shortly after she and Lyri reunited, so perhaps not that, but any of her other scars count for sure. Let alone anything more spicy, of course. It’s not often the Commander gets compliments on anything other than their ability to lead, after all.

Does your OC smell good? Do they have a signature scent? - If you’d asked me this a week ago, I’d tell you there isn’t much going on here, but now I have a relevant emerging special interest so the tables have turned! Eirwen leans toward the more floral type of sylvari, though her bark has toughened up over time. She might have smelled more like lily-of-the-valley when she was younger, but over time it’d become easier to describe her scent as... not quite woody, but definitely more green, like a tough plant stem. That said, only Lyri has the privilege of getting close enough to take all of this in, of course.

#valiant eirwen

[keepingeahalive]

Ever After High Parents’ Names Headcanons Pt. 2:

Apple White:

Snow White: Ambrosia White

King White: Audacious White

Raven Queen:

Evil Queen: Elin Queen

Good King: Benevolent “Ben” King

Briar Beauty:

Sleeping Beauty: Rosalinda Beauty

Prince: Valiant Beauty

Ashlynn Ella:

Cinderella: Dustine Ella

Prince: Determined Charming

Maddie Hatter:

Mad Hatter: Darjeeling “Darjee” Hatter

Cerise Hood and Ramona Badwolf:

Red Riding Hood: Scarlett Hood

Big Bad Wolf: Lucius Badwolf

Cedar Wood:

Pinocchio: Pine Wood

Blondie Lockes:

Goldilocks: Chiffoni Lockes

Mr. Lockes: Unknown

Hunter Huntsman:

Huntsman: Archer Huntsman

Huntsman’s wife: Juniper Huntsman

Daring, Dexter, and Darling Charming:

King Charming: Forthright Charming

Queen Charming: Felicity Charming

Holly and Poppy O’Hair:

Rapunzel: Cressida O’Hair

King O’Hair: Dauntless Charming

Melody Piper:

Pied Piper: Reed Piper

Mrs. Piper: Karsilamas Piper

Lizzie Hearts:

Queen of Hearts: Mary Hearts

King of Hearts: Henry Hearts

Kitty Cheshire:

Cheshire Cat: Catherine Cheshire

Mr. Cheshire: Unknown

Duchess Swan:

Swan Princess: Odessa Swan

Prince: Ambitious Charming 

Hopper Croakington II:

Frog Prince: Hopper Croakington 

Princess: Precious Charming

C.A. Cupid:

Eros (adopted)

Psyche (adopted)

Alistair Wonderland:

Alice: Alicia Wonderland 

Bunny Blanc:

White Rabbit: Panon Blanc

Mrs. Blanc: Coney Blanc

Ginger Breadhouse:

Candy Witch: Sugar Witch

Mr. Breadhouse: Biscotti Breadhouse

Sparrow Hood:

Robin Hood: Martin Hood

Maid Marian: Marianne Maid

Rosabella Beauty:

Beauty: Belleza Beauty

Beast: Best Charming

Faybelle Thorn:

Dark Fairy: Darcy Thorn

Mr. Thorn: Loki Thorn

Farrah Goodfairy:

Fairy Godmother: Freya Goodfairy

Mr. Goodfairy: Auberon Goodfairy

Crystal Winter:

Snow Queen: Frostine Winter

Snow King: Eirwen Winter

Justine Dancer:

12th Dancing Princess: Hustella Dancer

King Dancer: Swift Charming

Lilly-Bo Peep:

Little-Bo Peep: Lila-Bo Peep

Mr. Peep: Ramon Peep

Meeshell Mermaid: 

Little Mermaid: Pearl Mermaid (canon)

Prince: Philip Mermaid (canon)

Humphrey Dumpty:

Humpty Dumpty: Barnaby Dumpty

Mrs. Dumpty: Henna Dumpty

Jillian Beanstalk:

Jack: Jock Beanstalk

Jack’s wife: Janine Beanstalk

Nina Thumbell:

Thumbelina: Dalena Thumbell

Flower-Fairy Prince: Mosswell Thumbell

Coral Witch:

Sea Witch: Cirrina Witch

Mr. Witch: Barney Brine

Brooke Page:

Female Narrator: Constance Page

Male Narrator: Pendleton Page

#eah #ever after high headcanons #ever after high #class of classics #got a request for part 2 #I guess some destinies are to just marry someone in this universe #If one is left Unknown then they are #not in their children's lives or #not even the parents know for whatever reason #This series gets darker the more you think about it

[thatonebirbnerd]

After

Word count: 476

Trigger warnings: Flashbacks/PTSD, death, implied suicidal ideation, depiction of burn scar (on a sylvari)

Eirwen comes to terms with the events of Path of Fire, while also having to continue onward into its aftermath. In part inspired by this incredible work by @antariies​ ​. Spoilers up through PoF.

This is at its heart a story about Eirwen’s experiences, but due to a recent and sudden traumatic event, the emotions are unfortunately my own.

AO3 link

---

Whenever something happens that changes you forever, it’s never that thing itself that shakes you the most.

I don’t remember dying… at least, not the process proper. The Domain of the Lost, er, scattered my memories for a bit. I wasn’t even sure who I was; I had to be reminded, as I walked by all the ghosts of my past and the things I’d done.

But I remember screaming. In pain, in terror… in grief. For my friends. For Aurene. For myself. 

Every time my mind rests idle, it takes me back to that moment - like it never left that day. And then my throat goes suddenly raw, and I gasp for breath, and the knotted scar throbs and burns… when it’s at its worst, I can’t move, and the world blurs.

I can’t get Balthazar’s voice out of my head, either: And now, you die.

Over and over and over.

And all I could do was scream, until I couldn’t anymore.

Sometimes merely using my voice at all reminds me of screaming. I wonder, briefly, if going silent would make it stop.

There have been… so many other moments like this. Lyri, taken from me before she had the chance to live. Xenia, the human who nearly taught me to love and trust again, dragged beneath the waves before my eyes. Trahearne - having to put my eldest brother out of his misery. 

But none of these hurt me. I grieved everyone I lost, deeply, but the pain faded, and I could move on.

And now I’m the one left broken and scarred and somehow alive again, and I only have myself to blame, for falling into that trap, thinking I could ever win… 

It almost doesn’t matter that I came back, that I succeeded in the end and that son-of-a-bitch fallen god is gone for good. 

Because every time my mind falls back to that moment… I wish I hadn’t.

It doesn’t stop. I wish it would stop.

I’m afraid to try to fall asleep most nights. I don’t want my mind left to its own devices, to loop everything again and again and again, in waking or in sleep. And we’re moving through hostile territory, so there’s nothing I could use to numb it. I’m not alone; but I don’t have enough constant company, let alone company I trust. I can talk to Taimi on my communicator all I want, but it isn’t enough. I can’t feel safe, so my mind doesn’t stop.

We have a war to fight. A lich to confront, a dragon to chase, people to save… 

And for the first time in my life, I realize I don’t want to. 

Because I don’t want to keep going. Because I don’t want to keep feeling. And because I think the one who needs saving the most… might just be me.

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #fanfic #gw2 fanfiction #tyriaslibrary #valiant eirwen #ptsd // #flashbacks // #death // #scars // #kestrel writes #this is deeply personal for me. if that's too much for most people then i understand #it's been a rough month.

[thatonebirbnerd]

A Big Healing Hug

Word count: 1023

Trigger warnings: None!

In the middle of the night about a week and a half ago, I had a cute idea that may or may not be inspired by someone’s post about Brahammander comforting a scared Taimi (can’t find it). So I did my own take on it. Have some comfort snuggles. May be a little less polished than usual, because I’ve had fewer and less detailed beta reads than average.

Also no illustrations this time ‘cause I couldn’t do an edit. Might commission artwork of this sometime, though.

But fuck it. It’s a G-rated cute. That’s not something I do a lot.

AO3 link

For once, we have a houseguest. 

It’s not often that we have friends come to Dreamer’s Terrace, for fear that someone might disturb what little privacy we have left. But right now, Taimi is staying with us. We invited her for a few reasons: I missed her dearly, yes, but Lyri also hadn’t met her in person yet, so I figured it was high time. 

Taimi’s been suffering from illness for as long as she can remember. But just months ago, she told me her disease was no longer in remission, and getting worse. The poor baby - and that’s a funny thing to call her, because she’s nearly three times my age - is in constant pain. It’s getting even harder for her to walk without her mobility golem, Scruffy, but she’s soldiering on, and I’m so proud of her for it. The little asura’s got some grit.

I know she has options, for instance transferring her wonderful mind into her golem, like her late friend Blish did. But it still hurts me to see her in this shape, and I wish I could do more to help. To let her get around most easily, we’ve let her stay in a room just a short walk - or golem ride - away from ours, with a wonderful view of the city and plenty of fresh air. Hopefully, that's enough to keep her happy.

Even though I’ve mentally prepared myself to help Taimi when she’s feeling down, I still don't expect her to limp into our bedroom on a cool winter night (if you can call it that in the tropics), in her pajamas, without Scruffy.

“Pooh-bah? Lyri?”

Her voice is quiet, and seems on the verge of breaking, but it wakes me up. Startles me, even. “Whoa! Oh, it’s you. Taimi? Is everything okay?”

“Wha- is that Taimi?” Ah - Lyri’s awake too.

“Sorry to come in like this, but… it’s really bad tonight…” Taimi grimaces with pain, sucking air through her teeth, then breaks down, crumpling to the floor. She manages a few more words in between sobs. “I… couldn’t sleep…”

It takes a lot for me to get out of bed when I’m this tired, but for Taimi, I’ll budge. “I’m so sorry… is it okay if I pick you up?” 

“Y-yeah… please…” She’s still in tears. I can see a sympathetic expression on Lyri’s face, even in the dark.

I toss the covers off me and walk over to the doorway, where Taimi is curled up. I scoop her up, letting her keep her weight off her weakened and aching legs. I’d seen a norn mother holding her infant like this before, and I wonder if I should try something similar to what the woman did to help it sleep. I bounce a little with my knees, rocking back and forth. It takes a few tries to get the rhythm right, but I eventually manage. Taimi buries her face in my shoulder, and it seems like she’s calming down. After about five minutes, she stops crying and looks up at me. Her eyes are still red and puffy, but she looks relieved. “Thanks, Commander,” she whispers. “Still hurts, but… it’s always better to have someone around.”

Perhaps a bit amazed at no longer hearing Taimi’s sobbing, Lyri gets up and groggily tiptoes over to us. I guide her hand toward Taimi, and Lyri searches around for a bit before spending a few seconds gently massaging Taimi’s back. “Oh, hi Lyri,” remarks Taimi. “Thank you too… I think that helps.”

Lyri downplays herself, as usual. “I’m a healer. It’s what I do. Now that I think about it, it’s what we’ve both done, at least in the past. You need to sleep with us for the night?”

Taimi nods slowly. “Oh… so that’s what that is. You’re channeling Ventari. More power than your average medic. Yeah. I’ll… I’ll take it.”

That’s a good idea. Not that I would’ve considered it off the bat, though; Lyri is more of a cuddle bug, even if I’ll gladly accept that myself.

I walk back over to the bed, still carrying Taimi, and Lyri follows my light. It takes me a bit to figure out how to crawl in bed with a tiny asura in my arms, but I get it eventually, and place her in between myself and Lyri. Her head rests on a spare pillow that I’m suddenly thankful we have.

I can see Lyri moving under the covers, and Taimi leans toward her. It doesn’t take too long to figure out that Lyri is holding Taimi’s hand. A golden glow shines through the blankets - Lyri’s magic. Perhaps it's a bit of a flashlight to help her see Taimi, but more importantly, I can see and feel Taimi gradually relaxing. “Whoa,” she whispers. 

I decide I should help, too, placing my hand on Taimi’s shoulder. I can see a faint blue glow coming from my fingertips. Taimi must have caught that out of the corner of her eye too, because she glances over, perhaps a little amazed. To be fair, weapons are most of my arsenal these days. I don’t do combat healing nearly as much as I used to. Taimi smiles just a little and closes her eyes - then starts talking a bit. She’s more lucid. Which is good, though ideally she’d be actually sleeping.

“That’s so much better. And to think asura hate the concept of physical familial bonding. In Rata Sum, this would be an outrage!… But yeah. You… you helped a lot.”

“We’re glad we could,” I respond.

“I know Lyri’s probably overworking herself and I’m sure you can only do this tonight but… who cares? This is gonna be the best night I’ve had in years. I love you guys.” Taimi gets choked up again, this time with happy tears. I can’t help but smile.

As if on cue, Lyri and I snuggle just a little closer together, wrapping Taimi in a big healing hug.

“Aww, really…”

And that’s how we fall asleep. 

As I doze off, I think to myself: maybe this is what it’s like to be a mother?

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #gw2 fanfiction #tyriaslibrary #fanfic #kestrel writes #sylvari #asura #taimi #valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn #hurt/comfort #snuggles. that's it. that's the plot

[thatonebirbnerd]

One More Question

Word count: 1038

Trigger warnings: Injury/recovery

plunges face-first into a pile of feelsy floof

Have some lesbians doing adorable lovey dovey things, with a splash of goofy Aurene and a little romantic treat at the end. 

Spoilers for the end of Shadow in the Ice.

AO3 link

“My champions.”

Where am I? Who is that? Reminds me of… no, I don’t think that’s it.

I can’t make out much, but it’s so bright. And my stomach really hurts. Am I-

“Lyri? Are you awake? Lyri!”

“Eirwen?” My voice is hoarse. I can feel her hands on my shoulders, and see her familiar glow over me, but there’s something else shining down on us. What is that? I’ve never seen anything that bright. Not since… not even in the Dream. “…Where are we? How long has it -”

“Lyri, I thought you were… I thought you…” Eirwen breaks down sobbing, and I feel her tears falling onto my chest.

“It’s been almost two weeks.” The calm, motherly voice is coming from the blinding light above me. I realize it’s shaped like… a dragon?

“Aurene? Is… is that you?”

“Yes. How much can you see, little one?”

“Not a lot, but by the Tree, you’re bright as sunlight. What is this place?”

“You’re in my sanctuary, high in the Shiverpeaks. Eirwen’s been here with you the whole time,” she continues. “Her tears almost filled the Scrying Pool - that’s the water you hear next to you.”

“Hey!” Eirwen interjects through tears, trying to stop crying. I think I can hear Aurene chuckle. 

“I did my best to heal you, Lyri, and calm your fitful dreams. I guided your other friends here so you could recover in peace. They’re all waiting to see you.” 

I hear loud footsteps heading toward me. Multiple people. Big people. “Hey, butterfly! You’re awake!” Well, look who it is. Eirwen helps me up, and guides me toward the source of the noise.

“Braham! I could hear you from a mile away. And…” I smell charr. Can’t mistake the fluffy, musky things for anything else. “Rytlock? Crecia?”

“Yep,” says Rytlock, in that comically deep bass of his. “We’re here too.” 

“And me.” That’s Jhavi, the norn woman we only just met. “Glad to see you up.”

“What happened in that cave after I… took that arrow? How’d you get me out?” I know something happened after that, as I lost consciousness, but I have to piece it all back together.

“I might’ve, uh, become the wolf.”

“Might’ve…? Braham, I could’ve sworn I heard you roaring like a charr or something! I guess that’s what that was.”

Eirwen describes the sight to me. “He was terrifying! He pounced on Ryland like he’d been able to do it his whole life!” Rytlock and Crecia mutter to each other sadly as Eirwen mentions Ryland. It’s still sinking in that their cub is a traitor.

“Well, yeah, I did that, for a little bit. What?” Braham sounds puzzled. “You didn’t know what our spirit forms look like?”

“You have to remember I was cooped up in the Grove for three years,” I remark.

“Lyri, Braham…” Eirwen’s tone is solemn, and she pauses before continuing. “You both saved all our lives. Again. Thank you.”

I’m about to break down. Or maybe I could laugh, because Braham’s response to Eirwen is so awkward. But considering my midsection is still throbbing with pain, it’s better to just smile.

“So. Bangar?” Eirwen is always one to get to the point.

“Wasted no time stealing credit for our kill,” replies Rytlock. I don’t know much about the Blood Legion Imperator, but I can tell he’s rotten, and maybe not all there. Eirwen told me all about how he orchestrated a plan to have Ryland steal Braham’s enchanted bow. That’s what he used to try to kill her and take our glory, back beneath the lake. I couldn’t just let her die. I could never do that. So… here we are… 

“Any charr who thought he couldn’t bring an Elder Dragon to heel is probably having second thoughts now.” Crecia interrupts my train of thought.

“And Ryland?” inquires Eirwen.

“Gone,” growls Rytlock. “With him.”

We walk back to Aurene’s perch, and I lie down again as she addresses us. “My champions. Friends. I’m glad you’re here. As we speak, the charr split themselves apart. Out of fear, and rage.”

Jhavi is the first to respond. “So what’s our next move?

“We wait for Bangar’s next move. He’ll reach out to the legions, using Drakkar’s death as proof of his power.”

“If he starts splitting up the charr,” Rytlock worries, “we’re talking civil war. And our son -”

Crecia interrupts Rytlock. “Our cub’s made his choice. Now we can only respond to it. We’ll need to be ready. For anything.”

“Yeah.” Rytlock pauses. “For anything.”

—

Eirwen sits down next to me as the rest of Dragon’s Watch converses amongst themselves. “Damn, darling, I’d lie on top of you and smother you in love, but… You in any pain?”

“Yeah. It’s like someone ripped a hole in my stomach.”

“I know how that feels.” She sounds distant for a bit. I can tell she doesn’t want to remember Balthazar. “Fire magic at work. It’s potent stuff. But it’s been long enough that you’re looking a lot better than you were.”

“That’s good news, at least.” I relax, and the ache fades. Eirwen places her hand on my belly. Her guardian magic can heal, a little bit. I think it’s helping. Maybe it’s merely that she’s here.

“I’m just glad you’re alive. Because… if none of this had come up, if we hadn’t had to go hunt down Bangar and run through the mountains… I would’ve had one more question for you. Back on the airship home from Dragonfall, I wasn’t ready. Neither of us were ready. You’d just found me. But now that we’ve had a little while to rest, to get to know each other again, and now that we’ve made it through this, I… it’s time.”

“What is it, dearheart?”

“Lyri, will you…” Eirwen trails off.

“Come on,” I cajole her. I hear her take a deep breath.

“Lyri, will… will you marry me?”

“Are you kidding?!”

“Not at all, love! I know the Grove hurts, but… maybe the Omphalos Chamber, safe from everyone, just us and the Mother Tree?”

“And we’ll grow our own dresses like humans wear, and- and- yes! Absolutely!”

“I love you, my little butterfly.”

“And I love you too, my shining light.”

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #gw2 fanfiction #fanfic #tyriaslibrary #sylvari #kestrel writes #valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn #fluff #romance #hurt/comfort

[thatonebirbnerd]

all of this is loveliness

Word count: 1869

Trigger warnings: PTSD/flashbacks (of canon and canon-typical violence), nudity, discussion of sex, several types of intimacy (but not the big one)

My body falls off the side of her bed And now I know what love feels like Don't let me turn into pain All of this is loveliness (source: AURORA - Soft Universe)

Eirwen and Lyri spend an intimate afternoon together while preparing for their wedding. Because the Commander and her lover both need a break. And a hug.

First time writing this kind of stuff, with no relevant life experience... here goes! Yes, the word count is intentionally nice lol.

AO3 link

“Hey! Get back here!”

Lyri chases after me, following the light only she can see like a flitting moth, as we run giddily along the winding paths of the lower Grove. I can only hope that to everyone else around us, we look like an ordinary pair of saplings having fun, naked as the day we stepped out of our pods. I had to let my crystal wings shatter for a while to make the illusion complete… but considering I haven’t been swarmed by adoring fans, maybe that was what I needed.

At last Lyri catches up to me, nearly bowling me over with excitement even though she’s much smaller than me. I let her have what she wants, and fall onto my back as she tackles me and rolls us both over and over. We laugh until we’re out of breath. It’s hard to believe someone loves me this much, for the first time since the Dream… since the moment I thought I’d never see her again. I wish our tumble across the grass could last forever, but alas, we come to a stop. Lyri is on top of me, her arms now wrapped around my neck.

“You wanna go inside?” Lyri’s voice is suddenly quieter. She’s trying to be sultry. It’s adorable.

“Sure.” I respond in a whisper. She giggles as she realizes I’m making fun of her. “Uhh… get on my back!”

I’m not sure where I got that idea, but I guess I said it anyway. I stand up, and carry her into our  cozy neighborhood of Dreamer’s Terrace as she whoops and hollers. “Oh, the pool!” she squeals. “Let’s do a double cannonball!”

There’s a pool of water just outside the spiraling, organic apartment complex we call home. It’s  small but deep, and hidden quite well from the city around it. Just have to walk through the mercifully empty atrium, and to the left…

“You’re getting heavy,” I joke. “Careful!”

I let my wings reform over Lyri, for just a split second, and carry us up in the highest leap I can muster. We both scream with delight as we splash down from the height. The noise we’re making must be tremendous. As we swim to the surface, I’m distracted for a bit by the thought that some enterprising gossip might find us here. We can’t attract too much attention…

“What’s wrong, dearheart?” I don’t know how Lyri senses that I’m distracted. Can she see the distant look in my eyes, or can she just tell?

“Nothing. Just… we might need to keep it down while we're here. I’m worried someone might barge in, looking for either of us."

“Then let’s just be quiet, and we'll stay for as long as we want.”

You know how I said I wanted that moment, just minutes ago, where we were rolling on the ground in each other’s arms, to last forever?

Honestly, I’d rather have this. Just the two of us, treading water. No words in the stillness, and no worry in our minds: no Bangar, no Jormag.

It’s cool and humid here, on the shaded lower level of the Grove. There are thick, tangled trees around the pool we’re in, and I can see street lamps poking through the gaps. The pathway leading past us, on the other side of the makeshift wall, is rarely traveled - and if someone were to pass by, now that we’re not making a ruckus, all they’d be able to see would be our heads. There’s a bath house to my right, next to the entrance leading back into the atrium - a good place to wash off the debris of a hard day’s work.

Lyri puts her hand on my neck, slowly guiding it down my back. It’s not often that she can see every detail, so she relies on touch to truly know me. Her hand comes to a sudden halt at the base of my spine, and her mouth makes a surprised little O. There is a sprout there, on both of our growth sockets, ready to burst into branches and petals that will twist around our bodies and become our wedding gowns. And these buds are why we’ve come home, free of the burden of armor, to see each other as we are. For now they itch, the wonderful itch of growth, and of a beautiful thing to come. But in a few weeks, she’ll be as gorgeous as ever, and I’ll just be… me in a dress.

The sites of my old scars are a little rough on Lyri’s fingers, even compared to her woody green bark. In seven years, I’d taken hits from blades, blasts, Brand crystals… the list was endless. I can’t help but think that if I were human, made of fragile flesh rather than sturdy wood, I would be dead many times over. Even if I don’t count the time I actually died.

Speaking of which, Lyri ducks below the surface and plants a kiss between my breasts, a bit too close to the remnants of Balthazar’s killing blow. I grimace a bit and recoil with a splash, even though the wound is long-healed. “Ow… careful!” The pain is more mental than physical; I’m trying to push back the memories of two and a half years ago. Now is not the time.

 As the waters calm, I swim back toward Lyri and press my palm to her stomach, on her own scar, a dimple in the bark. This one is fresh, barely a month old. From the arrow. I feel her breaths get quicker as she gazes at what little she can see of me, like a terrified puppy. She hugs me in a way she hasn’t before, holding on tight, begging for love and protection.

“I didn’t mean… I’m sorry, Lyri. I’m so sorry.” She shouldn’t have had to suffer so much, shouldn’t have nearly died for me a second time. I don’t know how else to help, other than to return her embrace, tickling the buds in the small of her back. She ruffles my leafy hair, and her smile returns, a worried smile.

I stroke Lyri’s arm, and she giggles a little and relaxes again. Her limbs are just the slightest bit thinner than they should be, and she doesn’t have the endurance nor the strength of most sylvari. But there is no point in cursing a long-dead dragon for forcing her into the world early, too early to let her experience it with all five senses. I’d rather say the best words I can. “You’re still perfect, dearheart.”

Lyri lets out a contented sigh. “Eirwen?”

“Yeah?”

“What do humans call their loves?”

“Oh my goodness, you wouldn’t believe the names. “Cutie pie,” “sweetie pie.” Can’t blame them; pie is good. “Baby,” for another one, but what is a baby but a tiny helpless crying human? I heard something about “mommy” and “daddy” once, but that just sounded strange. Oh, and there was “honey.” I liked that one.”

“I like it too. Honey’s sweet. Fits you.”

“That’s funny; I was going to say the same thing about you.”

“Oh, and… what’s that other thing that humans do? The one in be-”

“Lyri!” My laughter is more of a cackle at that one. “I haven’t seen it! Wasp-stings if I know what it’s like! ”

“I’m pretty sure they use something down…” Lyri points between her legs. “…here?”

“Lyri, you’re killing me!” It’s a bit hard, I admit, to double over laughing while in the water.

“You know I ask stupid sapling questions sometimes. Learning more about the world makes me want to try new things, now that I have you.”

“What do you mean, “new things?””

“Maybe just… getting to know each other more, while we have peace and quiet. Would that be okay?”

“I suppose so. Just… don’t hurt us both, promise?”

“I promise.”

And then Lyri pulls me under.

But rather than take the lead, she lets herself sink into my arms. She caresses me, and I find myself exploring her in ways I couldn’t with my eyes alone, below the leaves that preserve some semblance of modesty to the folk around us. Hidden petals slip slowly through Lyri’s fingers. She offers less for my touch to savor, but there is enough; even nothing would be enough. We revel in each other, and it shows on our faces, in the gasps of pleasure and embarrassed laughs that come out only as bubbles.

Yet something nags at me. It’s not easy for a sylvari to drown. But… I’m thinking about everyone else. This time, I’m taken back to seven years ago, fighting in the foul waters of Orr. So many who shouldn’t have fallen. For a moment, Lyri’s face is the face of the only other woman I dared fall for, dragged into the deep by a Risen fiend -

No. Stop that. I sink to the bottom and open myself to Lyri’s kisses, or whatever she wants to do. But rather than oblige, she stops and leads me to the surface to breathe. She can tell I’m worried again. “Eirwen, what’s wrong?”

“I wish it were nothing. I was just… thinking about Orr. There was someone I… tried to move on with, after I lost you. I had to… leave her behind. But you’re here, so I shouldn’t be thinking about this -”

“You couldn’t save her. I can hear it in your voice. It’s okay, my light,” she tells me. “It took so long to find you but… now I’ll always be here. You’re safe.” I have to repeat those final words to myself before I can believe Lyri’s reassurance. “And I forgive you.”

---

The unbridled ecstasy and lingering fear gradually wear off, and I lead Lyri toward the water’s edge and into the bath house. I gently move her arm toward one of the streams tumbling from crevices in the walls, and the water dances over her palm. She jumps back a bit and turns to face me with a smile, before walking toward the waterfall again to rinse the muck out of the vines that adorn her head. I join her, and we frolic for just a bit longer, splashing each other playfully and slinging the silliest of flattery back and forth.

“Mordremoth must have been terrified of allowing you to see how beautiful you are.”

“Good thing that damned dragon couldn’t handle your biceps!”

At last, Lyri yawns. “I’m tired.”

“Me too.” For a moment I hear a whisper in the back of my mind: rest. No, it’s safe to do that here, so far away from Jormag. “Want to lie down on the shore?”

“With you, yeah.”

I hold Lyri’s hand and guide her over to the pool. It’s dusk now, and her faint golden bioluminescence is beginning to peek through as we watch fireflies dance across the pond. She curls up on the damp, mossy soil, her head on one dainty arm. “Love you, you big glowy thing,” she says sleepily.

“Love you too… honey.”

As she nods off and I lie awake next to her, my bark against hers, I realize that maybe this is the moment that I want to last forever.

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #gw2 fanfiction #tyriaslibrary #fanfic #sylvari #kestrel writes #valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn #ptsd // #nudity // #romance #intimacy #not *quite* smut? #ask to tag

[thatonebirbnerd]

Nightmare Eirwen? Nightmarewen?

There’s not a lot in her current continuity that could have made her snap and specifically go Nightmare, so this is probably what would’ve happened if she were captured as a sapling. Especially the helmet, which I like to imagine would be a case like Neasa’s in “The Muzzle,” because they’d have to mess her up real bad to get her to turn.

Assuming the helmet is facial growth as in the aforementioned story, Eirwen would be a Guardian gone bad - silent, tortured, and very, very angry.

#nightmare au #guild wars 2 #gw2 #sylvari #valiant eirwen #also keep an eye out for eirwen x lyri fic coming out Very Soon

[thatonebirbnerd]

Sad Eirwen/Lyri thing I thought of a couple nights ago, maybe to balance out the story I just posted and also the adorable “give Taimi hugs” fic I’m writing right now. I could probably incorporate this into a Guiding Light rewrite. Like... a book-length one, cause my beta readers said I could’ve done that with the story, somehow.

tw: choking, death

Lyri was stillborn on the physical plane after the attack on the Dream, and the mender who came to check her pod when she didn’t come out found her entangled in vines. Specifically on her leg, where Mordremoth’s roots pulled her down, and around her neck. The mender had to free her and take her body to Eirwen.

So... Eirwen had a rough first few days.

#choking // #death // #lyri twiceborn #valiant eirwen #it is sads time apparently

[thatonebirbnerd]

As Aurene ascended, she gave me one last gift.

Where was the scar…? The one from where I… um… I was just starting to be comfortable with it…

All that remained in its place was a trail of crystals. I pulled at one curiously, and it snapped off. The bark underneath was… smooth?!

I could hardly choke out a “thank you.”

--

Well, Eirwen’s still not doing great mentally, but Aurene decided to fix what she could of her. And then fix half of Grothmar Valley. So, here’s Eirwen, sparkle factor amped back up with a lot more gold this time, in the most gorgeous zone Anet’s given us in a long damn time. Shinies!

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #valiant eirwen #i'm not tagging this one as spoilers - it's only visual and it's been 6 days #and then it's also been months since e6 #strange as it seems #kestrel writes

[thatonebirbnerd]

12 and 14 for the married leaves

Oh my gosh you just straightup sent 3 asks, hell yes, thank you!

12. Eirwen and Lyri don’t celebrate their awakening days, for similar but different reasons. But now they plan on celebrating the anniversary of that day in Dragonfall - their reunion day (and the day Kralk got annihilated). I can see Eirwen giving Lyri jewelry, especially magical jewelry because it’d leave magic signatures Lyri can see (and possibly use to see other things). Lyri would probably give Eirwen anything she could use for self-care, so that might also be jewelry, or it could be a day pass to luxury baths in somewhere like Hoelbrak, lol. Because the commander needs a break.

14. For Eirwen, definitely that past love affair; only Lyri and a few holdouts from the Orr campaign know. For Lyri, any of the most demeaning things wardens or menders said or did to her while she was under their care. I’d have to figure out, besides casual ableism, precisely what, but do I really need more angst?

#valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn

[thatonebirbnerd]

Instead of reblogging the kiss writing prompts, I decided to just... do this, haha. Smorch.

Maybe I’ll finally write their wedding to go with this, but I think I’m out of creative juices after slapping together this pose edit. (Had to move Eirwen’s arm - that’s a pretty new one for me!)

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #s m o r c h #valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn #i'm sure some things look awkward af #but making the best of what i've got

[thatonebirbnerd]

❄️ for eirwen? :)

We take those!

❄️ - I mean. Eirwen is the Commander. The list of regrets is ENDLESS. There is no biggest, only a wall that starts with Lyri's death in the Dream (ok that may actually be the one but there's competition) and has swelled over time, with incidents ranging from ??? shrooms to merely pissing off Braham to the deaths of so, so many friends and allies over the past seven years who could have lived. (*inhales* Apatia Tegwen Eir Trahearne Demmi Blish Almorra WHERE DO I BEGIN) Eirwen's entire life is built on regret, and she's constantly struggling to overcome it. Especially now. Thanks Jormag /s

#valiant eirwen

[thatonebirbnerd]

🍄🌻🌺💫 for Eirwen

I really don’t do as much headcanoning for my commander as you do for yours, do I? I envy the EU crew’s sheer shipping and headcanoning abilities! Time to fix that a bit.

Snacks - Since she’s done the most traveling of anybody on my roster, Eirwen’s learned to be an adventurous eater… sometimes because she has to, but maybe also as a coping mechanism? As much as she likes sampling moa wings, cactus, and Grothmar chili (okay, maybe that one kind of sucked), she’ll always go back to chicken soup. Easy to make and good for the soul. gives Eirwen the title “most likely to just need some chicken soup in her life”

The little things - It’s always been the flowers, or whatever plant life she can find. Even in the frozen north and the middle of the scorching Elonian desert, trees and shrubs still hold on, and she supposes she can too. 

After a nightmare - I’ve still got to write her meeting Lyri, or uh, write about either of them at all, but they’ve met now (when Kralk fell, it was about time that happened) and it’s like they were never separated. They totally cuddle. They tend to both need it.

Favorite fact - Whenever Jormag’s whispers are bothering her too much, she thinks about her time in ??? (we all know the one). The bobbleheads are a pretty good distraction.

#uh whoops i actually wrote something for my commander #baby steps #valiant eirwen

[thatonebirbnerd]

So apparently Eirwen and Lyri have a ~6 inch height difference, and all I’m saying is that in that edit I did for My Guiding Light... Lyri was standing on a box.

#valiant eirwen #lyri twiceborn #sylvari #ah the lengths we go to #to rationalize the things we totally didn't think about #heh #at least I can do cute height difference stuff in future edits???

[thatonebirbnerd]

🌾🥀 for your commander, since you said you don’t do much writing for them :)

Absolutely in love...?

Okay now that I got that out of my system... Oh jeez, this could get cringey.

Someone in love - “I thought she was glowing before. Balthazar couldn’t take away her light. And then... well, she literally started glowing as Aurene grew and bonded with her. Her connection to the newborn elder dragon can hurt so much, but to me it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

But to Lyri, it’s so much more simple. “She shines for me. I wouldn’t know if she does for everyone else, and maybe it’s all the magic she gathered over the years, but I can see only her this clearly, a light in my dim world.”

Notebook - Not too many frills. Perhaps a little keepsake from someone stitched or glued onto the cover: a leaf from Lyri’s hair, or a crystal from Aurene. She keeps her worries in there, and tries to let go of what she writes down. Lately, it’s been her fears about the whispers she’s heard as she ventures north.

#valiant eirwen #feel free to ask more if you'd like - about anyone!

[thatonebirbnerd]

I’ve spent the last couple days taking close-up (selfieish) pics of my characters using some screenshot tips I’ve picked up from here. 2/2

#guild wars 2 #gw2 #norn #sylvari #inkeri deathdealer #tyra hrafnsdottir #jaya foreststrider #caerridwen #elainyn #geanais ironwill #lyri twiceborn #silaane #timewinder siofra #valiant eirwen