Fang of the Chimeriad

Independent semi-private Presa RP blog from Tales of Xillia. OC friendly and multishipper. Mun and muse 21+ Sometimes NSFW blog. Sideblog to tetherwithme. Written by Samiel.

[femmefang]

“Hmmm… both.” Presa smirked, the slightest hint of a purr in her voice. “And what about you? Or is that broadsword just for show?”

She followed Alvin up the stone stairs, easily keeping pace with him. The walkway opened up to a platform overlooking Xian Du and the river below, a warm breeze ruffling the magenta tips of her pink hair. Enjoying the sun on her skin, Presa stretched her arms over her head, loosening her muscles before she joined Alvin by the railing. She leaned her back against it, facing him.

The question didn’t surprise her. Inevitably the subject would have come up. It always did.

Presa looked Alvin over once more. Like his coat, he looked well-worn and travelled. 

He had yet to give her a reason to lie to him.  

Turning around to lean her arms against the rail and join Alvin in examining the river below, watchful for his reaction, Presa answered, “Ul’dah.”

[broadswordandpistol]

“Nope, not just for show. Though it’s been a while since I’ve been in there. Can’t say I’m retired, exactly, but I’ve had other stuff taking up my time.”

It took some effort on Alvin’s part not to watch this Presa too closely. She would have fit as neatly in the curve of his shoulder as the one whose grave he’d left flowers on a few days ago, though her motions had the rich fluidity of a true feline bone structure.

It remained damnably difficult to make sure he was treating her as her own separate person. Fortunately, her answer gave him yet another point to add to that growing differential.

“Ul'dah,” he repeated carefully, catching the soft glottal stop. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it.” He met her eyes, and read nothing but truth there, so he gave her a piece of his own. “Which is pretty surprising. I’ve been almost everywhere on this side of the Schism, and a lot of places on the other. I guess I could’ve missed somewhere, though.” That seemed wildly unlikely.

[femmefang]

That Alvin did not know of Ul'dah was less a surprise after Presa's foray into the First, but at least he had not accused her of lying outright. Even she had to acknowledge there were places yet unknown to her in Etheirys, however, her suspicion that she was not in the Source grew. Ul'dah was one of the major city-states of Eorzea after all, and an important hub for commerce to boot.

"The Schism?" The term rang with a similar familiarity as the Rift, perking Presa's pink ears at the name.

[mercuryartes]

"You have cracks running all through that pretty soul of yours!"

[broadswordandpistol]

femmefang​:

The warmth of Alvin’s chuckle broke the wave of unease, until it little more than a lingering ripple between them. Good. Once this was over, and she returned to the Source, she would treat Thancred to a drink for his invaluable comment. 

A soft chuckle escaped her own lips as Alvin put on the airs of a tour guide. The stiff posture, the formal speech. It really didn’t suit him.

Xian Du. Rieze Maxia. Auj Oule.  

Presa mentally pocketed each term, turning the foreign names over in her head until they meant something. 

The options Alvin listed off all warranted some level of interest, though the structure suspended over the river had piqued her curiosity even before Alvin’s timely arrival. Hearing that it was in fact a coliseum moved it right to the top of her list. After all, if Xian Du was anything like Ul’dah, the coliseum would be the heart of the city. 

“How about the coliseum first?”   

“The coliseum it is. You like to watch, or you like to fight?” Alvin asked, as he led the way. She moved with the grace of a fighter – well balanced and alert. “Or maybe a little of both?”

It was a decent walk up the stairs to the coliseum’s main gates, and the view over the city was spectacular from the landing. He paused, set his arms on the railing, and drank in the damp air and the view from the river below.

“Mind if I ask where you’re from?” he inquired, after a moment. “You’re not exactly the usual passer-by around here.” There was a beat, and he added, “I know it sounds weird, but I promise I won’t laugh. I’ve dealt with enough of that.”

[femmefang]

“Hmmm... both.” Presa smirked, the slightest hint of a purr in her voice. “And what about you? Or is that broadsword just for show?”

She followed Alvin up the stone stairs, easily keeping pace with him. The walkway opened up to a platform overlooking Xian Du and the river below, a warm breeze ruffling the magenta tips of her pink hair. Enjoying the sun on her skin, Presa stretched her arms over her head, loosening her muscles before she joined Alvin by the railing. She leaned her back against it, facing him.

The question didn’t surprise her. Inevitably the subject would have come up. It always did.

Presa looked Alvin over once more. Like his coat, he looked well-worn and travelled. 

He had yet to give her a reason to lie to him.  

Turning around to lean her arms against the rail and join Alvin in examining the river below, watchful for his reaction, Presa answered, “Ul’dah.”

[femmefang]

I Hardly Recognize You

[femmefang]

The ebb of unease flowed back in force. Something wasn’t right. Alvin’s voice as he confirmed her name was tight, forced. A name for a name. That was her only intent. And yet she had somehow snagged a thread on his tangle of hurt.

In the First, whenever… he was around, Presa had sensed a melancholy, bottomless and cold, lingering beneath the surface of harsh wit. An unspeakable sadness that her very presence seemed to have unknowingly wrought. 

A sadness she seemed to have inflicted upon Alvin now as well. 

And somewhere, buried so deep within her she could not truly confirm it was even her, she ached to comfort Alvin.

“I cannot guarantee I am the best conversational partner, however, I am adept at nodding stoically at appropriate intervals.” 

[broadswordandpistol]

Whatever Alvin had expected as a reply, that wasn’t it. He blinked, startled out of his grief, and broke into a warm chuckle.

“Well then, that’s good enough for me,” he agreed. He put on a mock tour-gude expression, and wedged himself formally upright. “Welcome to Xian Du, Miss Presa.” 

Then promptly slipped back into his more relaxed stance. “Home of the Rieze Maxia Coliseum,” he waved at the giant building suspended over the river, “the King’s wyverns, the Royal Hunting Grounds, and a number of the Auj Oule tribe leaders’ enclaves. Plus a number of terrific restaurants, coffee ‘n tea shops, and spectacular views all over the city. Where would you like to go first?”

[femmefang]

The warmth of Alvin’s chuckle broke the wave of unease, until it little more than a lingering ripple between them. Good. Once this was over, and she returned to the Source, she would treat Thancred to a drink for his invaluable comment. 

A soft chuckle escaped her own lips as Alvin put on the airs of a tour guide. The stiff posture, the formal speech. It really didn’t suit him.

Xian Du. Rieze Maxia. Auj Oule.  

Presa mentally pocketed each term, turning the foreign names over in her head until they meant something. 

The options Alvin listed off all warranted some level of interest, though the structure suspended over the river had piqued her curiosity even before Alvin’s timely arrival. Hearing that it was in fact a coliseum moved it right to the top of her list. After all, if Xian Du was anything like Ul’dah, the coliseum would be the heart of the city. 

“How about the coliseum first?”   

[femmefang]

I Hardly Recognize You

[femmefang]

An unseen weight burdened his responses, though he made an effort to make light of it. By conversing she had hoped to learn about his intentions and of the surrounding area, but Presa’s expression softened at the mention of his mother’s passing. 

Perhaps it was the grief she had been sensing. Nothing more.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she offered sincerely, without resisting his change of topic. 

Somehow the unease lessened.

Presa pushed off from the bridge, stepping towards Alvin and smirking slightly. “Offering your services, Alvin? And how much will that cost me?”

“You can call me Presa.”

[broadswordandpistol]

The gratitude Alvin was about to offer for her condolences died in his throat. It left a large, sticky lump that he couldn’t swallow down, and she could see his Adam’s apple bob.

“Presa,” he confirmed, his voice thick. He cleared his throat. 

This was a damned elaborate trick – too elaborate. Maybe he was the spirit, unknowingly knocked over a railing by someone collecting on a grudge. Or maybe the world really was that unbelievably small, somehow.

He was at a bewildered loss. Then again, she hadn’t told him to get lost, either.

“If you were hiring, I’d charge. But I’m offering; that’s different. If you gotta pay me, I’ll take it in conversation, if that suits you.”

[femmefang]

The ebb of unease flowed back in force. Something wasn’t right. Alvin’s voice as he confirmed her name was tight, forced. A name for a name. That was her only intent. And yet she had somehow snagged a thread on his tangle of hurt.

In the First, whenever... he was around, Presa had sensed a melancholy, bottomless and cold, lingering beneath the surface of harsh wit. An unspeakable sadness that her very presence seemed to have unknowingly wrought. 

A sadness she seemed to have inflicted upon Alvin now as well. 

And somewhere, buried so deep within her she could not truly confirm it was even her, she ached to comfort Alvin.

“I cannot guarantee I am the best conversational partner, however, I am adept at nodding stoically at appropriate intervals.” 

[femmefang]

I Hardly Recognize You

[femmefang]

Presa’s ear twitched at the approaching footsteps, her eyes quickly following to meet the source. A man around her age had appeared from the nearby stairs, lingering at the landing for the briefest moment before deciding to call out to her. 

The coat he wore was of fine quality without being superfluous. Intricate details adorned the sleeves and appeared to spread to the back. His boots were practical and well-worn, but the scarf hanging from his neck suggested he was probably particular about his fashion. His brown hair was brushed back to compliment his facial features, handsome and clean shaven. 

Presa guessed he was quite popular with women, and he knew it.

Despite his attire, this wasn’t a man swaggering toward her the way so many did in the hopes for a “good time.” Even as he examined her ears, his expression remained carefully neutral. 

Reserved in a way that reminded her of… Hades. 

She brushed her fingertips against the colored tips of her hair. 

“No, this is my first visit,” she answered honestly, having no reason yet to lie.

Presa casually leaned against the ledge of the bridge, the warmth from the sun-soaked stones permeating against her. Water lapped gently below and the banners fluttered just as lazily in the wind. The relaxing atmosphere of the town at odds with the subtle unease bubbling within her.

“And yourself? You seem a little too well-traveled to be one of the locals.” 

[broadswordandpistol]

As Alvin approached, the certainty that this woman was not who he’d initially thought she was settled in his stomach. Her ears obviously figured into that decision, but the bones of her face and the way her hands moved added extra emphasis, and her tail was decidedly not Presa’s magical creation, but something far more real.

Her voice, too, was just slightly different. A shade richer, maybe, with a subtle purr that no human throat could match. Even so, there was something unspeakably familiar about her. 

Maybe she really was a spirit. He’d had a conversation with Milla about what that was like, before she’d returned to the spirit realm. If so – even if this person had at one point been Presa, he knew that this would be a clean slate.

He mirrored her motion, choosing a spot on the bridge to lean that was not too close, not too familiar.

“Can’t argue that. I have been a lot of places,” he said, as lightly as he could. “And all over Xian Du a number of times, but not as often as I used to since my mom passed away. It’s still a pretty place to visit, though, and business may be dragging me back here more often, if things pan out.”

“The name’s Alvin, by the way. Need a tour guide?”

[femmefang]

An unseen weight burdened his responses, though he made an effort to make light of it. By conversing she had hoped to learn about his intentions and of the surrounding area, but Presa’s expression softened at the mention of his mother’s passing. 

Perhaps it was the grief she had been sensing. Nothing more.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she offered sincerely, without resisting his change of topic. 

Somehow the unease lessened.

Presa pushed off from the bridge, stepping towards Alvin and smirking slightly. “Offering your services, Alvin? And how much will that cost me?”

“You can call me Presa.”

[femmefang]

I Hardly Recognize You

@broadswordandpistol​

This was not the first time Presa had found herself walking along in an unknown land without explanation. Even before the First, fate had ever followed at her heels. Always in the right place at the right time–where she was most needed. 

She had long since set aside the belief it was coincidence.

The arid air and heat reminded her of Thanalan. Monsters dotted the landscape, some minding their own business, others not. Those that confused Presa with prey found themselves easily dispatched by her blade and magicks. 

The who or what that had called her to this world did not immediately introduce itself, choosing instead to remain an enigma. 

Information would be her first priority then. 

On the horizon was a settlement nestled between two sheer cliffs. As Presa approached, the buildings carved into the stone and colorful banners drifting lazily in the afternoon air came into view. A stone bridge hung over a river cutting a path between the cliffs, connecting one half of the settlement to the other. 

Presa stopped a local near the town entrance and asked for the name of the settlement. Xian Du was the answer given. The local openly stared at her tail and ears, but quickly shuffled away without inquiring. Puzzled, Presa glanced around at the other inhabitants of Xian Du. Everywhere she looked, the inhabitants all appeared to be hyurs, and she became acutely aware of the eyes upon her.      

The people acted as though they had never seen a miqo’te before, which possibly meant trouble for her. At least in the First the world had a miqo’te equivalent so she did not stand out so.

Better gather intel and move on quickly.

The bridge offered the best vantage point for what lay above and below it. Presa made her way to the structure, carefully maintaining a steady gait and calm body language to avoid additional notice. 

It was a shame really. The weather was warm and lovely. A breeze ruffled her cropped hair against her neck, a sensation she was still adjusting to after her recent haircut. The gold trim on her void blue exarchic coat caught the sunlight and glinted against the stone as she neared. The view from the bridge was stunning and invited her to linger despite not knowing where in the Fourteen Shards she was. 

[broadswordandpistol]

“See you, Alvin.”

“Take care, Yurgen. Call me if you need anything or find anything weird, ‘n let me know if Isla starts to get better, okay?” Alvin dropped the keys to his mother’s old apartment in the other man’s hand. “I’ll be around.”

He propped his arms up on the edge of the balcony as the door closed behind him, and let out a sigh. There wasn’t any need for him to hang onto the place any longer, but it felt like ripping off a caked-on bandage. He was grateful for the metaphorical air on the wound, but it still ached. 

The prayer flags flapped in the breeze, an arrhythmic cadence that drew his eye upwards. He watched them in half-reverie, not yet quite willing to move on, when the sound of boots in a familiar syncopated beat on the bridge below requested his attention.

Impossible.

Alvin’s heart pounded against his ribcage. He gripped the balcony rail in a strenuous effort to prevent himself from charging down the stairs. It was possible – more than likely – that it was someone else, he reminded himself sharply. It was even more likely that grief was messing with him, and causing him to imagine things.

… She was still there.

He forced himself to take the stairs one steady step at a time, and bit the inside of his cheek as he turned on the landing. What the hell did you say to someone you loved, that you failed to save?

As he exited the stairwell, he got a better look. No – something wasn’t right. Her familiar fox-ear hairstyle wasn’t actually a hairstyle, but seemed like actual ears; one flicked toward him as it caught the sound of his own boots.

A spirit, maybe?

Well, he’d never know if he didn’t ask. What was the worst that could happen?

“Hey there. Come here often?”

[femmefang]

Presa’s ear twitched at the approaching footsteps, her eyes quickly following to meet the source. A man around her age had appeared from the nearby stairs, lingering at the landing for the briefest moment before deciding to call out to her. 

The coat he wore was of fine quality without being superfluous. Intricate details adorned the sleeves and appeared to spread to the back. His boots were practical and well-worn, but the scarf hanging from his neck suggested he was probably particular about his fashion. His brown hair was brushed back to compliment his facial features, handsome and clean shaven. 

Presa guessed he was quite popular with women, and he knew it.

Despite his attire, this wasn’t a man swaggering toward her the way so many did in the hopes for a “good time.” Even as he examined her ears, his expression remained carefully neutral. 

Reserved in a way that reminded her of... Hades. 

She brushed her fingertips against the colored tips of her hair. 

“No, this is my first visit,” she answered honestly, having no reason yet to lie.

Presa casually leaned against the ledge of the bridge, the warmth from the sun-soaked stones permeating against her. Water lapped gently below and the banners fluttered just as lazily in the wind. The relaxing atmosphere of the town at odds with the subtle unease bubbling within her.

“And yourself? You seem a little too well-traveled to be one of the locals.” 

[femmefang]

I Hardly Recognize You

@broadswordandpistol​

This was not the first time Presa had found herself walking along in an unknown land without explanation. Even before the First, fate had ever followed at her heels. Always in the right place at the right time--where she was most needed. 

She had long since set aside the belief it was coincidence.

The arid air and heat reminded her of Thanalan. Monsters dotted the landscape, some minding their own business, others not. Those that confused Presa with prey found themselves easily dispatched by her blade and magicks. 

The who or what that had called her to this world did not immediately introduce itself, choosing instead to remain an enigma. 

Information would be her first priority then. 

On the horizon was a settlement nestled between two sheer cliffs. As Presa approached, the buildings carved into the stone and colorful banners drifting lazily in the afternoon air came into view. A stone bridge hung over a river cutting a path between the cliffs, connecting one half of the settlement to the other. 

Presa stopped a local near the town entrance and asked for the name of the settlement. Xian Du was the answer given. The local openly stared at her tail and ears, but quickly shuffled away without inquiring. Puzzled, Presa glanced around at the other inhabitants of Xian Du. Everywhere she looked, the inhabitants all appeared to be hyurs, and she became acutely aware of the eyes upon her.      

The people acted as though they had never seen a miqo’te before, which possibly meant trouble for her. At least in the First the world had a miqo’te equivalent so she did not stand out so.

Better gather intel and move on quickly.

The bridge offered the best vantage point for what lay above and below it. Presa made her way to the structure, carefully maintaining a steady gait and calm body language to avoid additional notice. 

It was a shame really. The weather was warm and lovely. A breeze ruffled her cropped hair against her neck, a sensation she was still adjusting to after her recent haircut. The gold trim on her void blue exarchic coat caught the sunlight and glinted against the stone as she neared. The view from the bridge was stunning and invited her to linger despite not knowing where in the Fourteen Shards she was. 

[flynnsfaithfulsodia]

Hey

First, I want to apologize for my general absence. I burned myself out pretty badly in 2019 and in some ways I’m still recovering from that, and trying to balance my creative interests with my needs and life in general (and it goes without saying this year is a shitshow). So, after a lot of deliberating and thinking it over and feeling immensely guilty over what I wasn’t doing, I’m sad to say I won’t be able to do that giveaway.

I know it’s been a long time.

I know I probably don’t even need to state it.

But I wanted to be upfront and honest, so nobody would be left hanging or wondering about it.

Also, I don’t see myself returning to write on tumblr for this, or any of my other blogs. I won’t delete anything, because the memories of my time here are precious to me, but consider this an indefinite hiatus. Maybe wiping the slate clean, so to speak, will help me even things out in the long run. Not to say that I’m disregarding any of the valuable bonds I’ve made here. I am still around on discord, and I’ve even become active on Twitter, I’m just not able to RP much.

I just… wanted to let people know. And that I never forgot.

Thank you for the memories. I love you all.

[femmefang]

[theanimalmemes]

[femmefang]

Me: I want to read Alvin and Presa fanfics, but there's hardly any...

Fanfics: You could write your own

Me: *surprised Pikachu face*

[fracturedfather]

“A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. Rage is a hell of an anesthetic.”

— Zaeed Massani  (via incxndia)

[incorrecttalesquotes]

Alvin: Did somebody order a big sausage pizza?

Presa, seductively: I did, but I don't have any money~

Alvin, heading for the door: Why the fuck did you order a pizza, then?

[albusofecclesia]

“Because saving the people you love isn’t stupid. It isn’t even a choice.”

— Kami Garcia (via purplebuddhaquotes)

[femmefang]

Pocket Alvin has fallen asleep next to Presa's teacup. He has been guarding her tea and making sure it stays warm.

Best not disturb him, he looks like he needed the rest. Presa tucks pocket Alvin in with a handkerchief and a smile before a taking a quiet sip from her teacup.

[femmefang]

broadswordandpistol replied to your post “Because falling’s not the problem,                         when I’m...”

OW DAMMIT

[ *blows kiss* ]