open post/voicetesting

[afflatuses]

help




some random memes options/ideas (but hit me w/ whatever you want!):

✧ random scenario meme!
✧ amnesia
✧ hidden relationship
✧ nursed back to health
✧ memory share
✧ AUs!!
✧ TFLN (link pearl from last night??)
✧ anything really!!

(most of these seem shippy- that's just what's on bs at the time of writing this- but i love platonic, antagonistic, etc. relationships and threads too!!)

Comments

Nursed back to health, or Zari runs head first into danger and pays for it.

[noclan]

[ Zari sighed as she once again failed to sit up on her elbows in bed. She flopped back down onto the pillow behind her and made a disgruntled face. Stomach wounds really were a pain to heal.

She turned the face onto her healer and her friend. The one who had dragged her out of the fight and brought her to the infirmary. ]

How long am I going to be stuck in this bed?

ZARI PLS....

[afflatuses]

If you keep trying to get up, I’ll make sure you’re stuck in it forever.

[ the threat comes with no real bite; if anything, ihxi’wo seems reassured that she’s well enough to at least be asking questions like that. still- there’s concern in his face as he continues to inspect her wound.

a pain to heal, and even more of a pain to keep the infection away... but despite his worry over getting it right, he still wouldn’t allow anyone else to heal her but himself. ]

Getting to rest for a bit won’t be so bad, will it? Think of it as a vacation.

Re: ZARI PLS....

[noclan]

[ She is mature enough not to stick her tongue out at him for the threat. But it’s a near thing.

She settles down to watch him work. Like she’s done many times before- it’s just usually not her he’s working on. ]

When is the last time you took a vacation Ix?

[ He gets a raised eyebrow. ]

If I’m not on a beach with some disgustingly sweet yet delicious drink than it’s not a vacation.

[afflatuses]

[ it’s almost as though he can sense her resisting the urge to stick her tongue out, because his smile widens-

only to be replaced by a genuinely thoughtful one at her question. ]

Ah, hmm... Oh, we had to go to Costa del Sol for something a few months ago, remember? [ although he’s sure that doesn’t count, especially with her explaining what a real vacation is. ]

Be careful what you wish for- I’m sure some of the pain potions here are quite disgustingly sweet. [ delicious? not so much. but that does remind him- ]

How’s the pain?

La Hee!

[songonthewind]

[ The sun is setting, casting long shadows through the Greatwood. In Slitherbough, the Night's Blessed are already settling in for the evening, the quiet sound of hushed conversations and the scents of lingering campfires filling the air.

It had been a long and busy day. Mysteries to be solved, fanatics to be fought, crazy errands run all over the width and breadth of the map.

Stretching with a yawn, Yona flops down beside one of the campfires with a tired groan. ]

At least this place isn't bogged down with mosquitos... Surprising, with a swamp just out there. Then again, maybe enough things tried to eat me today that I hit my quota already...

Re: La Hee!

[afflatuses]

Oh, no, don’t you start yawning- if you start, then I’m going to start, and then-

[ TOO LATE. ihxi’wo lets out a yawn of his own from his position near the campfire, shaking his head to clear it as he shots yona a jokingly reproachful look.

the look soon changes to a thoughtful one at her hypothesis, however. ]

I can’t say I miss the mosquitoes, but you might be onto something. What do you think the quota is? What tried to eat you today... [ he holds out his hand, pointing up a finger as he lists them. ]

That must be at least... what, 13?

[songonthewind]

[ She snickers when he interrupts his own complaint with a yawn, grinning at him from across the fire. ]

I think I should be more offended that you had time to count what tried to eat me today instead of paying more attention to me not being eaten.

[afflatuses]

I think I paid just the right amount of attention to that- you weren't eaten, were you? [ ha HA! he grins like he's won some kind of important argument. ]

Perhaps I should be offended that you don't notice my efforts more. [ a tragic sniff. ]

Still... you'd think we'd both be used to it by now.

[veryeet]

There you are!

[ The voice calls out to him mere moments after arriving in the Crystarium once more. The pale-haired twin was clearly lying in wait as she bounces over, an impatient look on her face as she loops her arm through his and abruptly tugs him towards the door. ]

Your expertise is needed.

[afflatuses]

[ there’s something to be said about how alisae’s forceful, impatient voice immediately makes ihxi’wo feel like he’s in trouble for something the second he arrives back to the crystarium.

thankfully, the feeling passes and he’s left smiling in a bemused manner as she leads him away, arm-in-arm. ]

Nice to see you too. [ he laughs. ] But of course- where to, Miss Leveilleur? [ his agreement almost immediately fades into concern, however, when he remembers just what his expertise often consisted of. ]

Oh, gods- nobody’s hurt, are they?

[veryeet]

I'm hurt that you'd think I'd be waiting here to sabotage you for work.

[ She huffs out airily, her nose in the air for a moment in mock offense. ]

Besides, my brother's still here. And Urianger, when he remembers to wander back out of that blasted desert. You have more expertise that just being a healer - which I know the others sometimes forget, probably, but I'm not among them.

[afflatuses]

Ah, right, right. Unfortunately, that is not the sort of hurt I can heal very well- but I'm very sorry anyway. [ he can't help but smile- both at her mock offense, and in relief at the reassurance that nobody had fallen over with a mysterious injury while he was away.

because look. it could happen.

still- being ambushed for something that was not work was pretty nice. it's also pretty nice to be reminded that he does have other things he's relatively good at-, as embarrassed as he looks while she reminds him of that. ]

Well- thank you, for remembering. [ he gives a small laugh. ] I'll do my best to help, then.

itp: i exposit a lot

[katanyaa]

[ Luka is never going to an Ul’dahn party ever again.

That’s what he’ll say, if asked about the events of the Sultana’s bloody banquet. It’s short and snappy and easy enough to keep the fear and sadness from seeping into his voice, because the very real truth of the matter is that Luka doesn’t know what they’re supposed to do from here. Perhaps he’d gotten too cocky, letting his status of a Warrior of Light and savior of the realm go to his head. With Ihxi’wo - Ix as Luka calls him, or Ixy if he’s feeling extra playful - by his side, the two of them were unstoppable, invincible.

And then it all went horribly wrong.

Luka doesn’t know about his friend and fellow savior, but he’s never felt so powerless in his entire life than he did as he watched his friends sacrifice themselves one by one in the hopes of routing their pursuers. It was like he was a kid again, watching helplessly as disease and the terrible ticking of time stole his mother away. It was all he could do to cling fast to Ihxi’wo’s wrist and run, while the silhouettes of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn shrank away behind them.

The bottomless kindness of Lord Haurchefant is their saving grace, in the end, but Luka is ill prepared for a trip through the frozen wastes of Coerthas, and through the even colder and more frozen gates of Ishgard. The arrival of the Warriors of Light to Ishgard is met with little fanfare as both boys nearly freeze their tails off and have to be ushered to Fortemps manor with no small amount of haste. They hardly look like the saviors of anything, huddling under blankets while Tataru gives them both a stern talking to.

Their hosts are gracious enough to provide Tataru with the funds to see Luka and Ihxi’wo properly dressed for the clime, and with Alphinaud drafted as her rather unwilling pack chocobo, Luka and Ix are left alone for the time being. Luka is fairly certain the guest chambers in which they’ve been set up are bigger than his entire childhood home, but the only part of the room that matters are the plush chairs in front of the roaring fire where he and his fellow Keeper sit. Luka’s pulled his blanket up over his ears, huddling over the mug of hot cocoa that had been pressed into his hands at some point, teeth grit against the pins and needles sensation creeping back into his frozen limbs. ]

Sod the snow.

[ What a way to break the silence, but it’s better than moping. ]

i love it tho...

[afflatuses]

[ everything felt frozen- and it wasn't just because of the literal ice and snow they'd been travelling through. if anything, the fire ahead of them, blanket draped around him, and hot chocolate clutched in his hands like a lifeline were doing their job of warming his body admirably... not that that made alphinaud and tataru's mission of finding them warmer clothes any less necessary, of course.

no, it felt more like his mind was frozen- stuck replaying the images of their friends and colleagues urging them forward as they fought off their pursuers to allow them to escape. them, because while the rest of the scions had stayed behind, luka, ihxi'wo, and alphinaud had gotten away... together. and it is this thought as well as the others' comment that reminds ihxi'wo that, despite the images continuing to flash through his mind, he was here right now. in front of the fire, with luka. he blinks and takes a sip of his hot chocolate, trying to register what luka was saying.

a small laugh escapes him when he does, and the ice in his mind cracks and melts just enough for him to remember how words work. ]

I never thought it'd be like this. [ ihxi'wo admits... although, that could refer to a lot of things right now, couldn't it? he hastens to explain. ] All the snow and ice, I mean. So much of it... [ he sighs. ]

Almost makes me miss Costa del Sol, and gathering everything for their "feast." [ it had been a ridiculous undertaking, but at least the beach was warm. and intensely sunny- not the kind of place he'd ever thought to see as a young keeper in the dark, moonlit woods. seeing new places was once so exciting, even with the danger around them... now, it was just cold. ]

<3

[katanyaa]

[ For a second, it really does seem like the conversation is going to turn heavy, Luka silently bracing for barely concealed hurt to be exposed to the cold, but Ix redirects the conversation much to Luka's infinite relief.

The mention of Costa del Sol is quite nice, but thinking of that horrid feast makes him wrinkle his nose. ]

Oi, no you don't. That feast can sod off too. If I never have to see another wheel of cheese again in my life, it'll be too soon.

[afflatuses]

Ah, of course. Shall I inform the manor chefs? [ ihxi'wo responds with his best imitation of an ishgardian accent; it doesn't last long before he's wrinkling his own nose at it and returning to his normal method of speech, however. ]

I've never stayed anywhere so... fancy, before. [ he takes a sip of his hot chocolate and inspects the fireplace in front of them. yep, definitely fancy. ] But- giant wheels of cheese sound like something they ought to have lying around.

comes for your feels >.>

[tostandbeside]

[ Everything is quiet. The stillness goes beyond a mere hush, it's almost an emptiness. A nothing. One could say it's a sort of waiting. An anticipation. A longing.

One could also be a lonely fool, long caught in a dreamless slumber, slumped back on a throne not his own.

He's as still as a statue himself. Motionless as the tower that he guards. Or that guards him? It's hard to remember anymore.

But in the distance, there's a long groaning creak. A tingle of magic as wards are accessed, breached. A stir of air as massive doors swing inwards.

And from the slumped figure atop the throne, a single red ear twitches faintly in reaction. ]

immediately just falls over and dies, thanks

[afflatuses]

[ the doors have opened.

it seems so long ago that they had closed upon the tower and it's lone occupant, leaving ihxi'wo standing outside with the rest of noah in stunned silence. it's odd to think he hasn't been in here in so long, when he's spent so much time in the tower in the first in recent memory.

so much time with the exarch, even though the g'raha tia from his time is still asleep on the throne when he reaches him.

it's strange to see him again with no crystallization, no whitened hair; it makes him look younger- which, of course, he is.

for a moment, ihxi'wo pauses, fear getting the better of him. there were so many ways this could go wrong- they'd all discussed the risks, the possibilities... but, then he remembers:

"if i told you we would meet again... would you believe me?"

he had nodded, then. he believed- he still did. hesitation over, he takes out the spirit vessel that he'd been carrying around norvrandt with him on a farewell tour, before kneeling down and placing it carefully on the throne. and despite his belief, he can't help but let out, in a whisper: ]

Please work...

you're welcome! :D

[tostandbeside]

[ For a long moment, nothing happens. All is still, as if the very Tower itself was holding its breath.

And then the vessel begins to glow, aether slipping from its depths to swirl in the air like a sparking mist, caught on a playful breeze. For a moment, it almost seems to dance about Ihxi'wo's head before it darts towards the still figure on the throne, seeping into him and vanishing.

All falls quiet again. Still. Waiting. Spent, the vessel dims, going dark and lifeless now that it had been emptied of its precious cargo.

A heartbeat passes. Another. A third.

Finally, there is the faintest twitch of one red ear and dark lashes flutter against pale cheeks. ]

Time to get engaged!

[noclan]

[ Zari pushes the door to the apartment she shares with Ix open and steps through. She’d been gone most of the day on scion business and all she wanted to do was collapse on the couch with her boyfriend and not think for a few hours. It has been a long day and she never liked going out on jobs without him.

They’d been lovers for almost a year now, friends for much longer. She wasn’t sure when her feelings shifted from looking at him as a best friend to looking at him as more. It was a gradual thing, one that was probably inevitable, and something she was lucky enough that he reciprocated. They slid into a relationship just as easily as they slid into friendship and they had decided to move in together just a few months ago. Which was a brilliant idea because that meant she could come home to him after a long day. Usually. ]

Ix? [ she’s calling into the apartment as she walks fully in. ] are you home?

[ he’d been acting odd the last week or so. Nervous; like he had been right before they got together. He said it was nothing when she asked but she was still worried about him. ]

MAWWIAGE...

[afflatuses]

[ at her calling out his name, a few things happen at once:

ihxi'wo lets out a surprised noise (which is interesting, in that it sounds like he'd been speaking to someone in a rehearsed voice just beforehand), there is a second sound that seems suspiciously like a pot or pan falling to the ground, and, lastly, an emerald carbuncle comes running into the room and up to her in greeting. ]

Yes, I'm home, I'm just- Sorry, just a moment! [ there are more noises coming from the kitchen that sound like ihxi'wo is trying to clean something up as quickly as he can- but thankfully the smells of food wafting in seem normal and not, at least, burnt.

if carbuncles could laugh, the one rubbing up against zari's leg right now clearly seems like it would be. ]

[noclan]

[ an eyebrow raise and she glances over towards the kitchen- as if she could see through walls, but then she has a smile for carbuncle and she kneels down to greet him. ]

what's he doing in there? [ she asks knowing she won't get an answer from carbuncle. She stands back up making her way towards their kitchen. ]

What happened? Do you need help?

for court -

[afflatuses]

[ later, ihxi'wo would wonder if there was something he should have picked up on as being... "different," for lack of a better word. surely there was some sign that something he'd done a million times would not, in fact, happen the same way it had those millions of times before? some hint or clue that he'd simply missed? things like this didn't just... happen.

right?

as it was, everything seemed relatively normal- as normal as things ever were, anyway. the appearance of the strange towers on the source and the scions' efforts at figuring out just what, exactly, they meant for the world meant that ihxi'wo was at a sort of standstill. he didn't have the skills or experience in stealth that were required right now-- and he accepted that easily. what was harder to accept, though, was the feeling of restlessness he had sitting around waiting for those who did possess those skills... and so it was that he found himself on a trip back to the first under the pretext of seeing whether anything here was off as well.

a decent reason, even if it did quickly turn into once again running some kind of errand for the pixies of il mheg, which in turn quickly turned into several flowering witchweeds surrounding him when he tried to pick a flower.

see? everything was normal.

what isn't normal is the figure that appears when ihxi'wo reaches for his grimoire and summons some assistance in fighting them off. there's the usual small burst of light, but then... a pang of surprise and confusion grips him. his mouth opens but there's a beat before he manages to say anything: ]

You... You're not Carbuncle.

[ just in case the witchweeds were wondering, presumably. ]

here i am

[soulshard]

[ There's one primary reason why it happens now of all times, and it has everything to do with being back on the First. Or so Ardbert imagines, as it's not like he has the clearest sense of how any of this works either, but it makes sense, doesn't it?

He's settled into the nooks and crannies of Ihxi'wo's soul quite nicely, all told. As should be expected, based on everything they now know to be true, but the experience remains a strange one. At first, it had felt a lot like finally getting to have a long rest, a proper one after a century of no such thing. He'd been vaguely aware of what Ihxi'wo was up to, but for the most part he'd slumbered. Recovered, mayhap.

Yet bit by bit, he's become more aware, and more like a passenger within Ihxi'wo's self. It isn't frustrating to watch scenes play out around him and not be able to say anything or interact, not like it was before, and Ardbert imagines that's because he feels so comfortable in Ihxi'wo's presence.

But suffice to say, the desire to be of some help is still there. (As it's always been, even during his darkest days.) That desire, nay, need to somehow be part of the action must be what has allowed this to happen: his soul becoming manifest as Ihxi'wo summons forth power from within.

Ardbert's almost just as shocked as he looks himself over. The edges of his body fade and blur into light, and he's fairly certain he's giving off some kind of glow. His axe, cleaner that it's ever been, sits in his grip.

After taking a few seconds to stare back at Ihxi'wo's bewildered face, Ardbert breaks out a warm smile. ]

Sorry to disappoint.

[ And with that he swivels to slam his axe blade-first into one of the Witchweeds. When it strikes true, his heart leaps in his chest.

Somehow, he can still feel such things. ]

(applause!!)

[afflatuses]

[ it would be a lie to say the shock has worn off, but ardbert speaking does manage to break the hold it has on ihxi’wo. he gives a start as if someone’s thrown cold water over him, his own confused face breaking into a smile to match ardbert’s.

what. how. w-

witchweeds. oh, yeah- witchweeds.

he shakes his head to try and clear it, watching as ardbert immediately jumps into the fight. that definitely tracked, even if the sight of his axe actually hitting is a novel one. ]

Not- not a disappointment! [ he insists, finding his voice and raising a hand to send out a flurry of orbs of light towards the creatures. ]

Just a surprise! I’m simply. Surprised. And wondering if that flower was something funny, or if the pixies have decided to play around, or if I’ve hit my head, or- [ ok, ok- witchweeds. focus.

ihxi’wo sends out another spell and one falls, leaving two remaining. thankfully, he’s sure they can handle it... but because he just can’t help himself, he adds, ]

Are you good?