First, I exist, I swear it. Iâm falling back into writing but it will no longer be exclusive to ffxv - as I havenât even touched the game in a couple years now. That doesnât mean I wonât ever write for it again, just not exclusively.
With that being said, expect a sort of reinvent of this blog - including a name change (most likely). My master list will stay up but if/when I post other stories, the ffxv content will be grouped so itâs easy to find.
I learned in a Latin Studies class (with a chill white dude professor) that when the Europeans first saw Aztec cities they were stunned by the grid. The Aztecs had city planning and that there was no rational lay out to European cities at the time. No organization.
When the Spanish first arrived in Tenochtitlan (now downtown mexico city) they thought they were dreaming. They had arrived from incredibly unsanitary medieval Europe to a city five times the size of that centuryâs london with a working sewage system, artificial âfloating gardensâ (chinampas), a grid system, and aqueducts providing fresh water. Which wasnât even for drinking! Water from the aqueducts was used for washing and bathing- they preferred using nearby mountain springs for drinking. Hygiene was a huge part if their culture, most people bathed twice a day while the king bathed at least four times a day. Located on an island in the middle of a lake, they used advanced causeways to allow access to the mainland that could be cut off to let canoes through or to defend the city. The Spanish saw their buildings and towers and thought they were rising out of the water. The city was one of the most advanced societies at the time.
Anyone who thinks that Native Americans were the savages instead of the filthy, disease ridden colonizers who appeared on their land is a damn fool.
just a note, we donât think of old european cities as ruins, because those civilizations continued and kept building over the oldâthere are no abandoned ruins for us to visit & photograph. when we picture those old cities, we have only mental images drawn from our own assumptions & prejudicesâimages that tend to glorify âcivilizedâ europe.
since victors write history, our image of native american cities was created by colonizers motivated to uphold the ânative savageâ myth. when we think of these civilizations now, we think of âuncivilizedâ (rough, broken, abandoned) ruins, because thatâs what remains. ruins are the only thing left. because of the destruction wrought by western invaders, these civilizations never had a chance to continue building. they were destroyed, and all we have left is an unimaginative shadow of their former glory.Â
went to peru and visited some of their museums and learned inca history that american schools donât teach you. basically you know why they were beaten out by the spanish invaders? because incas were mostly scientists and not warriors. they had advanced medicine, farming and science technology. THATS what they were good at - tech - not building weapons to most efficiently kill people. the spanish were good at that. so they won. basically the real savages and thugs won and murdered a bunch of scientists, and their technology and advancements are lost forever. it took into the 20th century for colonizer technology to advance in the field of medicine and agriculture to the level of the incas. colonizers literally set human knowledge back like 500 years.Â
i mean all of this yes but if you are nonnative please make sure you are not internalizing this idea that somehow our cultures are more âworthyâ of preservation or w/e bc we were âadvancedâ by european standards
letâs please bust the myth that western europe was somehow this bastion of technology and knowledge (bc it is absolutely untrue) WITHOUT devaluing indigenous cultures that didnât create long-standing monuments or what have you
having big garden with sculptures, wearing white Victorian dress, growing flowers and herbs, running barefoot, reading books in the shades of trees, enjoying sunshine and the melody of harp and settling vintage tea parties
âWhen someone comes into your life and completely fucking changes it, you stay. You stay through the arguments, you stay through every obstacle, every hurdle. You stay and you work through it all because love is the hardest thing to find, and finding someone worth it all is even harder.â
I absolutely loved your Prompto hanahaki story! Iâve read it a few times and it never fails to get me emotional! All of your stories are gold and I love themđ
Thank you đ that story broke my heart to write but itâs one of my all time favorite pieces!
Happy Holiday Season, yâall. Iâve been doing some writing that Iâve forgotten to post. Iâve got a few things up my sleeve I hope to have up over the season. Hopefully, the girls will be back in full force along with a new story that I intended to be one chapter per Chocobro but probably will be longer because my brain takes off sometimes.Â
Get ready for angst and backstory.
XXX
Eirwen had been silent since the incident several hours before. Gladio had steered her away from the training area of the Citadel and into the back garden in hopes the quiet and seclusion would give her some peace. For hours he had watched her pace, absently trailing fingers over the stone walls and leaving a trail of ice behind her. Finally unable to watch her self loath any longer, Gladio had dared to speak and ask her where she wanted to go. Her answer had been a vague âanywhere thatâs not hereâ before he had handed her his extra helmet and they sped off through the busy streets of Insomnia. She had followed him almost blindly until she heard him rattle his keys as he opened the door to his apartment - conveniently across the street from the building Prince Noctis had recently taken up residence.Â
The apartment was entirely decorated in dark leathers, navy blue, and dark wood. Photos of scenic mountain views and pictures of his family were scattered along the walls. âThis is...impressive,â Eirwen paused as she caught sight of the floor to ceiling custom shelves that housed an incredible number of books - most bound in hardbacks with titles covering subjects ranging from history to culture to largest number of war and strategy books she had ever seen outside of that section in the Citadel library. She also noted the fair number of fiction books scattered throughout and couldnât help but see that more than one seemed to be romance novels. Trailing her finger over their spines, she was shocked to see how immaculate the collection was - no creases or signs or weather and absolutely not dust to be seen.Â
Keys clattered somewhere behind her as Gladio deposited them into the bowl by the door and removed his heavy boots. âBit of a hoarder when it comes to books. Coffee or tea?âÂ
Pulling an old leather-bound tomb from the shelf, Eirwen scanned the pages of a guerilla warfare strategy written in Ancient Lucien. âMilk?âÂ
âCoconut.âÂ
Nodding, Eirwen carefully thumbed through the yellowing pages. âCoffee, then.â Various sounds of cabinets opening and shutting and then of a brewing coffee pot filtered around her as she scanned the old runes advising on the importance of partners and scouting teams.Â
Minutes late, Gladio handed her a steaming cup of fresh coffee that was just the right shade of dark caramel. He took up residence on the couch beside her, careful not to touch her but remaining close enough that she might know he meant to offer her comfort if she needed it.
Looking at her now, Eirwen looked nothing like the ice goddess she had appeared to be earlier in the day. Currently, her skin was flushed pink from worry and the heat of the coffee, her blue eyes bright with something akin to anger but without such force. She had tucked her legs under herself and curled into the corner of the couch as if trying to take up a strategic position to protect herself. Gladio had never witnessed such power before today - not even when King Regis had renewed the power that held up the wall protecting the city of Insomnia. It was incredible to think that any mortal could wield such power.
Exhaling, Eirwen closed the book with a sense of finality and caught the slight jump from Gladio out of the corner of her eye. Rubbing at her forehead, she forced herself to speak evenly. âYouâre scared of me now?â She hoped she hadnât sounded angry when Gladio was the only person who seemed willing and eager to listen to things from her perspective without jumping in and trying to give her advice. He was her partner in battle.Â
âScared of you?â Gladio readjusted himself so that he more easily faced her but did his best to appear relaxed as he reclined his arms across the back and sipped his cooling coffee. âIâm not afraid of you, snowflake. Iâm worried for you. Thereâs a big difference.â
A humorless laugh escaped her. Leaning forward, she twisted the length of her pale locks between her fingers and focused on controlling her emotions so as not to turn the Shield-in-Trainingâs apartment into a meat locker. âDonât worry about me. Iâm always ready for battle.â In fact, punching something sounded like a wonderful idea at the moment.Â
Finishing his coffee, Gladio deposited the cup onto the coffee table before making a show of giving her his full attention. âIâm not doubting your training and abilities - a few rounds with you on the training mats has proven youâre more than capable in that department. What happened earlier between you and Amira has me worried. I felt...whatever that was that you pushed out at her. I watched her freeze over. I saw your expression when you pulled yourself back out.â He didnât ask her to explain, nor did he demand answers or promises that she wouldnât do the same to him.Â
âI donât know what to tell you, Gladio. I canât explain it. It happened once, years ago. AmiraâŠâ trailing off, Eirwen raked her hands through her hair in frustration as if hoping to pull the words from her head. âIt was like sheÂ
 me when I was completely broken - or at least patched me back together. I wanted to try to do the same for her but I couldnât find it, I couldnât find what hurt her.â Tears of frustration threatened to spill from her eyes and she angrily wiped at them. âI couldnât do the same for her. What good is this power if I canât even protect the people I care about.â Forcing herself up from the couch, she marched over to the large window looking down on the busy streets below and pressed her forehead against the cool glass hoping to calm herself down. âSheâs the only family I have.â
Silence rang out through the apartment. Distant sirens and the sounds of city life filtered between the two warriors to break up the deafening quiet. Gladio, for all his reading and knowledge in how to handle emotional trauma when related to combat, loss, and injury, was at a complete loss. Another not so well kept secret of the Twins: bad family relations. To his knowledge, Eirwen had none to speak of. In the file Cor had given him in preparation for his first mission with her, she was listed as a ward of the Citadel until she had become of legal age. Gladio, on the other hand, was fortunate enough to have an actual family.Â
âYou donât have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Iâve got your back now, Eirwen - on and off the battlefield.â Gladio walked past her to the kitchen to put away the dirty dishes as he spoke, hoping not to make her feel pressured or closed in. âPeople care about you.â He had seen the way Crowe, Libertus, Pelna, and Nyx were with her and it was clear they had forged a bond that was deeper than camaraderie or friendship.
Across town and shaking from over exertion and residual tingles of forced magic, Amira leaned against the window from her perch. Purple lightning cracked in the distance each time her fingers twitched. It had been hours since the incident and she could still feel the sorrow in her heart left by Eirwen just before their connection snapped. The bone deep chill had left her almost as soon as it had arrived but now she felt oddly warm in a way that reminded her of post fever.
Nyx had been kind enough to make her a pot of gunpowder tea, piping hot and slightly bitter. She also vaguely noticed that he had switched on the radio to a low jazz to fill the ringing silence of her mind. He moved with familiarity and confidence in her home and she couldnât help feeling both grateful and annoyed at the same time.Â
âYou donât need to stay.â She hated how quiet and weak her voice sounded but she felt the need to at least offer him a way out of the current situation. Other than Eirwen, she wasnât really accustomed to anyone trying to take care of her even after her injury.
âAnd you donât need to catch the flu pressed against the window, princess.â Nyx chuckled at the obscene hand motion Amira quickly shot his way and was relieved to see she seemed to be clawing her way back out of herself. âIâm not going anywhere until we figure this out.â When Amira opened her mouth to argue, he was quick to stop her and refocus her attention on the larger goal in hopes of getting her to face the current issue. âWeâll be called back into the field any day now and since youâve been cleared, I need to know youâre in the right headspace.â If he couldnât get her to consider the issue as a work-related problem, he would have no hope of getting her to open up about personal issues.
Nodding, Amira worried the warm mug between her fingers. âI told you, I felt something snap. Iâve never felt her so far away - not when weâre separated by thousands of miles.â Assuring her that the connection could be fixed, Nyx urged her to continue. âWhatever she was looking for...something seemed to break her heart.â
âIâm sure sheâs just worried about you. The two of you have always had each other -â Nyx stopped short as his phone vibrated in his pocket. The only people that had his number were Glaives and other work associates and the only time it rang was due to some work related issue. Fishing it out from the pocket of his jeans, he was surprised to see Pelnaâs name lighting up the screen. âReport,â he offered by way of greeting.
Amira watched and Nyxâs eyes narrowed slightly and his stubbled jaw clenched. Though Pelna couldnât see him, he nodded several times and made agreeable noises to urge him to continue. After a few moments, Nyx ended the call and ran a hand over his suddenly weary face. This time, it was Amira who was concerned by the sudden quiet. âSeems we have a bit of work to do.â
âPelna cracked the firewall and found some sort of list he immediately sent to Cor - who informed him that several emissaries from the Empire are planning a visit to attend the Foreign Relations Gala in a few days.â A crease had taken up residence on Nyxâs forehead as he repeatedly ran the conversation through his mind.Â
Shocked, Amira was silent for a moment as she processed the information. âTheyâre not planning a confrontation in front of a room of international dignitaries. Could they have realized that I copied that file?âÂ
âThereâs no way theyâre that stupid. Theyâre up to something, though. Pelna also reported increased military activity at the northern border - encampments, patrol, the works.â Sighing, he leaned back against the counter and studied Amira closely. âLooks like the vacation is over.â He paused momentarily hoping to choose his next words correctly. âYouâre not going to...like what I have in mind.âÂ
Sighing, Amira pulled herself up from the window and stood to face her partner. âI rarely do,â she reassured him.
XXX
Unlike her Twin, Amira had grown up in what anyone on the outside looking in would consider a perfect home. Malcolm and Nadia Everet were the storybook couple - Malcolm hailed from one of the richest, self-made families in all Lucis while Nadia, coming from old Lucian nobility, had been raised as if she herself were next in line to the throne. When the two had married nearly three decades earlier, neither bride or groom had ever laid eyes on the other prior to meeting at the altar and both had approached the scenario as if it were a business transaction to further themselves and their families. When Amira had been born, she had instantly become the new bargaining chip for her parents and had been ushered through years of etiquette classes, ballroom dance lessons, advanced tutoring, fashion and beauty seminars, and all the formal parties her parents could drag her to. Amira had grinned and curtsied through it all, praying to the Six for a way out.
Things had remained tortuously the same until her fifteenth birthday. For years, she had begged her parents to allow her to train with her paternal uncle and member of the Royal Kingsguard, Declan - her justification being that she should know how to defend herself should her pedigree ever put her in harmâs way. Finally, after much pressure from her uncle, her parents had relented and allowed her to train two days a week for a few hours in place of the cardio workout her personal trainer had devised for her. Immediately, she had fallen in love with the raw violence and unstructured chaos that came from physical combat and had shown real promise for someone so young. Her uncle worked with her continuously had been able to nearly ensure her a position within the guard after her college graduation, even going so far as to go against her parentâs wishes for her by involving King Regis himself. She couldnât have found anything more removed from her original life if she had tried - or at least she had thought until her training accident had sealed her fate.Â
Uncomfortable falling back into bad memories, Amira kept fidgeting in her seat and pulling at the garment she had hoped she would never wear. The couture gown had been stashed away in its original box since her parents had sent it to her over a year ago in hopes of enticing her back into the spotlight her family thrived in. The saving grace was that the dress was at least mostly black. Made of the highest quality black satin and an overlay of organza, the floor length gown possessed a custom fitted corset with an off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline that dipped between her breasts exposing a bit more skin than she felt entirely comfortable with. The draped split sleeves fell beyond her wrists, perfectly displaying the tattoo of delicate roses twisting and blooming down her arm, and a careful slit ran up the long skirt to her mid thigh on one side. Hand embroidered gold applique leaves and vines decorated the bodice and skirts while the sleeves and trims were encrusted with shimmering gold glass beads. She had paired the dress with a pair of black designer pumps with a scarlet bottom adorned with a criss-crossing straps that buckled just above the ankle and glittering gold and diamond drop earrings. Sheâd had to buy new makeup as she had avoided wearing it as much as possible in recent years and had opted for a heavy-handed winged eyeliner and a dark plum lipstick.Â
âIf you pull continue to pull at the dress, youâre going to end up ripping it before we get to the gala.â
Sighing, Amira arched a perfectly filled in brow at her uncle Declan who was comfortably dressed in his usual Guard uniform of black slacks and dress shirt. Heâd only added a jacket and patent leather shoes to his daily ensemble. âYou know how much I hate this. I thought by becoming a Glaive I could wipe my hands of all this.â Contempt leaked into her words as she studied her black and gold manicure.Â
Chuckling, Declan straightened his jacket and offered his niece a knowing grin. His salt and pepper hair mixed with the warm gold of his eyes had always made him so much more inviting than her father. âDonât tell me youâve forgotten how to walk in heels already? I thought we raised you better than that.â
Immediately, Amira flipped him off with her glittering gold-tipped finger and flipped her half pinned up hair over one shoulder. âPlease. We both know I came out of the womb wearing a pair of six inch pumps.â Thankfully, the sleek black vehicle came to a stop and the back door was opened by a smirking hero. âDonât start with me tonight,â Amira warned Nyx as she slid across the leather seats and carefully out onto the sidewalk before the Citadel.Â
Flashing lights erupted from either side of her. As if flipping a switch, Amira smiled for the photographers pushed back her shoulders until she felt the familiar ache beginning in her spine. Declan was quick to take up her elbow as he too paused to allow the paparazzi a moment to capture his image. As the two moved forward towards the grand entrance, Nyx moved to her other side as if to shield her from the cameras. Speaking quickly, Nyx spoke just loud enough for the two Everets to hear him. âMany of the foreign dignitaries have already arrived but no one has spotted anyone from the Empire yet. The others are posted up inside and I will be positioned to see the entire ballroom.â Holding out a gloved hand to Amira, Nyx offered her nearly perfectly clear earpiece. âPelna just finished these this morning. Donât worry about it not picking up your voice if you speak quietly, itâs been calibrated to your voice specifically.â
Declan ushered Amira through the glass door before heading to the elevator and pressing the correct floor. âI probably should have mentioned this earlier, but your parents are here and they would like to speak with you. Try not to get blood on the dress.â
Groaning, Amira thumped her head back against the onyx wall of the elevator during her brief moment of normalcy. Tonight, she was once again Amira Everet, heir to the Everet fortune and darling daughter of Malcolm and Nadia. Of course, they had not been briefed on the plan the Vanguard and the Kingsguard were to execute. To them, their daughter was finally coming to her senses. âSix, I am going to need an entire bottle of champagne.â She could already feel the headache beginning to bloom in her temple.Â
Whew, here it is - first time Gladio smut. This was actually a little hard for me to get out but I am so in love with the ending. Not quite as long as the Prompto fic but still something. (I just canât write short stories :) ) I hope yâall like romantic Gladdy as much as I do. *Swoons at the thought of him quoting Shakespeare* tagging @cupnoodle-queen because Gladio.
i was wondering if i could request something? maybe where the chocobrosâ s/oâs best friend/sibling/twin/someone they were extremely close to dies while s/o is with them? like maybe they were in a car accident and s/o blames themselves because they were the ones that were driving? and the bros try to comfort them in the best way they can and they go to the funeral with them? i hope that makes sense, and if you donât do it thatâs completely fine! i hope you have a marvelous dayâš
I apologize for the delay, dear lovely.
That being said, this hit me so close to the heart. Iâve lost a lot of people and have blamed myself for a fair number of them. I did twist this so it fits in with the game universe. I also went with Gladio since this took a more story like turn than a headcanon. If you would like the other Chocobros done, just let me know.Â
This may be a tough read.
XXX
Clutching at your side, you manage to continue your forward trek, the smashed remains of your phone clutched in your hand like a pitiful, useless lifeline. Escaping Insomnia had been nothing but pure luck - or complete torture. Each step on your injured knee, each lick of your sandpaper tongue on your chapped lips and the copper tinge of blood, each gasp through your broken reminded you of all that you had lost - all that had been ripped away from you.Â
Unaware of your path, you marched forward. The sounds of horror filled screams and the rumbling of the falling city echoed in your ears. There had been so much blood, so much cursed metal twisted and unrelenting. Ghosts of death and destruction filled your mind and caused the emptiness of your heart of ache with guilt and utter loss.Â
Ahead, a dusty truck stop was only just coming into view. The name Hammerhead seemed right in the small part of your brain pushing your forward in overdrive. Another step and even that part of your seemed to shatter. Catching your foot on a rock, you pitched forward onto your hands and knees. Pain, white hot and welcome blocked out your memories for a moment.
Vaguely, your recognized the sound of your name carried on the unforgiving dry winds. The next time you caught your name, it was followed by the sound of frantic footsteps. Someone knelt down, scooping you up in strong arms and trying to mumble something to you.Â
âIt appears that sheâs in shock. Quickly, let us get them to the caravan.â
âŠ
Unaware that you had fallen asleep, your eyes felt swollen when you struggled to blink them open. Sitting up, you could help the whimper that escaped you as your ribs were jostled against the muscles in your side.Â
âTheyâre up,â an excited declaration came from the bunk bed across from you before the door to the run-down camper opened and three familiar faces poked themselves inside.Â
Grunting, you nodded your head at the four before leaning yourself against the wall while still favoring your ribs. âNice to see you alive, your majesty.â Your voice was rough and raw from the yelling and inhaling the dust of collapsed buildings.Â
âHeâs fine. What the hell happened to you?â Gladio, bent down in front of you but you couldnât bring yourself to look him in the eyes. You knew the fire inside them would ignite what little was left inside you.Â
Something green and slightly glowing was thrust in front of you. Smelling lightly of mint and acrid magic, you scrunched your nose up slightly before turning up the vial and swallowing the potion. âYou really should learn some healing magic and be done with this fowl shit,â you grumbled already sounding and feeling better.Â
Silence filled the small space and you were content to let it live on until a certain impatient shield gently gripped your chin and forced you to look at him. âWhat. Happened?â The fear and the anger in his voice was unmistakable. Part of you hated yourself for letting him feel those emotions. Part of you just hated yourself.Â
âDonât tell me you havenât heard. Canât imagine the Empire wasted much time getting the word out.â Bitterness and hatred dripped from your words. Closing your eyes, you watched as your world exploded around you for the thousandth time.Â
âInsomnia has fallen.â Finding Noctis, you couldnât miss the way he clenched his fists at his side.Â
Nodding, you licked at your lips somewhat pleased to still find them split - a reminder. âBastards lied. Took down the entire fucking city. All those people,â a shudder ripped through you and tear slipped from your eye.Â
âH-how did you survive?âÂ
The nervous blonde - Prompto, you remembered meeting him just before the four of them had set out from the city - seemed the most shocked to see you.Â
âYou know us Glaives. Weâre never easy to take out,â a humorless chuckle left you, sounding as hollow as you felt. âWas my day off.â
âJudging by your injuries, I donât imagine you saw the actual battle. You wereâŠnear the collapse, were you not?â
Nodding, you looked directly at the tactician. His green eyes were darkened by the horror he could only imagine. The horror you had been front row to. âAs soon as I heard the sirens, I made for the Citadel. A building collapsed - I think it was a bomb - just down the block. The screaming wasâŠI tried to dig people out of the rubble.â
Shifting in front of you, Gladio pulled your attention back to him. You knew what he was doing: trying to redirect your attention to the task at hand. He was relying on your combat training and hoping the soldier in you still had some fight left. âWhereâs your twin?â
Your other half. Your entire world. The two of you had always been a storm, two parts of one ass-kicking storm that left everyone else scared. âMy fault. I wasnât watching and,â a tear broke free from the damn, a shudder wracking through your entire body, âI didnât even see where they came from.â
âItâs alrigh-â
âDonât say it,â you screamed at the man you loved most. âIf they hadnât tried to heal meâŠâ
âYou wouldnât be here,â Noctis finished for you. His normally morning blue eyes flashed the same shade of crimson as fresh blood. âThis wasnât you. It was them.â Turning to Ignis, he nearly growled, âI have to see it.â
And so you did. Thanks to the potion, you had managed to crawl into the Regalia and help the others fight their way to the top of the hill. The Six seemed to cry with you as the sky opened and rain fell, masking your silent tears.Â
âThis will be their grave.â The words left you before you could stop them.Â
A strong hand gripped your shoulder. Feeling a pain that must have been similar to your own, Gladio did nothing to try and placate you. Nothing would take away your pain. All you could now was to turn it into something useful. âAnd itâs the beginning of the end of them.â
