Heart & Home

He smiles that little crooked smile. There’s no denying he’s your child. Without him I don’t know what I’d do. He gets that from you. How he loves your old guitar, Yeah he’s taught himself today. He melts my heart, Tells me he loves me every day. Indie Sarah Ulric/Mama Ulric RP Account .

[heartxandxhome]

The weather was earning its keep tonight with its driving sheets of rain and blustering gales. There was an argument to make about pathetic fallacy but Dave just couldn't bring himself to comment on it right now. Not when Sarah had just opened the door and he was stood there, soaked to the bones and words lodging in his throat the second her eyes met his, "M'mighty sorry for callin' so late..."

The weather always had a way of telling a story around their islands. Even when she was a girl, her dad had spun tales of the sea spirits stirring among the whipping winds to defend the land against the Leviathan's anger.

The thunder was her horrendous anger.

And right now Sarah felt kindred with that Astral; her biting ferocity in the wind, her spitting spite in the gusts of wind, and her loathing for normality within the crashing swell of the waves.

Realising how long the silence stretched between her and Dave, she shook herself and stood too quickly from the table. She knocked against the timber; a mug fell to the hard floor and broke apart. The hunter moved to gather the skittering bits, and her her hand gripped the sideboard for balance.

"Don't."

Dave paused mid-bend and was caught between the meaning. Don't pick up the broken splinters of cermaic. Don't explain any further why he was here. Don't explain the dog-tags on the table. Don't. Don't. Don't.

'Sarah, m'so sorry ... I never wanted t'come here for this,' The quiet words stabbed at her and she turned away from Dave because she could hear the knot in his throat. She knew how much of a burden he put on his own shoulders as head hunter. He could semd another hunter to the families across the continent and break the news their loved ones would never come home.

But this? No. She knew there was no other way to break this except for him appearing in the driving rain with a broken expression and guilt seeping out of his too-blue eyes.

Her hand went to her mouth and a sob forced its way out, back to Dave.

What will we do without him? How will we manage? How will I tell the kids?

Her last argument with Kaleb shattered her and she gave in to the crying; she had asked him not to go on this hunt.

"We argued before he left."

[foughtforthefuture]

yeah, she could still read him like a book. it didn't matter how much he grew or how many months passed between them seeing each other, nyx had always been shit at hiding his true feelings from his mother, even as a kid she'd been able to square him with a stare that made him squirm on the spot.

this was dangerous. it was a simple as that. it was remote, exposed to the sea's wrathful waves and unyielding wind. it was probably teeming with varmints that he'd only ever seen pinned to tipster boards in lestallum, and that didn't even touch on the daemons that surely spawned and prowled once the sun set - spelcray was the closest haven, but that was west of caem and closer to the tunnel.

but what place wasn't dangerous these days?

sucking in a deep breath, nyx silently reminded himself that he had to trust this. he had to trust that his mother had already considered all those factors.

boots crunching on the dirt that was strewn with rough gravel, nyx winced, shoulders hiking, ' i just, i worry. that's all. i know you know what you're doing, and i know that dad is a hunter, but i still worry about you all. and yeah i know that it's your job to worry about selena and i, but it works both ways i guess.'

[heartxandxhome]

"I know you do, I do too." Sarah chewed on the words as they walked, knowing the great unsaid between her and Nyx; they had both been in Galahd for the raid, when the remoteness of their town had worked against the locals. "- that's the whole reason we decided to leave."

Or rather she had. Selena was a quiet teenager, and Sarah knew she would have jumped at any opportunity to keep her family together, even if it was obvious how far apart her parents had grown. And Kaleb ... well that was complicated.

He had never wnated to leave Galahd; leave behind his parents and the small farm they had worked for all those years. But months and months of rumours of imperials in Accordo had filled her with enough worry to broach the subject; a new life on the mainland. She had talked it over with Kaleb's mother and father for weeks while he was off on a hunt, and they had been in complete support of the plan. Six bless them; they would have agreed to anything if it was a chance at their son not losing his family. "Your grandparents are even thinking about relocating to Lestallum, no definite deicision made, but it's a thought."

Leading Nyx across the road, and up a slight hill, Sarah glanced back at the lighthouse again; an hour and a half from aid was a lot faster than days. "- do you ever hear any rumours about home? In the glaive, I mean?"

[foughtforthefuture]

there was a danger in this place - it reminded him so much of galahd, and now with his mother here and piecing together a new life with his little sister and maybe even he'd be proven wrong about his father ... the danger lay in the hope that things could go back to like how they'd been back in galahd.

but things were different. libertus tried to put on the same front' he'd had back home, but nyx was the one checking his pockets for pills when his friend wasn't looking. and luche? hell, what the fuck had happened there? his childhood friend had done everything in his power to shed his old self, casting off anything that would remind him of galahd.

in reality, luche would probably turn his nose up at the prospect of travelling to caem, and libertus might too, but nyx knew he had no leverage with libertus, especially if he got crowe on-side first. she'd do the heavy lifting for him with convincing libertus to pay this place a visit.

blinking out of his stupor when she rested the battered basket on her hip. nyx twisted his head around to glance down in the direction of the closest beach, his brain immediately starting to run through the likely varmints that could be native to this area - but at least she knew not to go alone. that was a good thing.

' sure, ' nodding his head, nyx's hand went to the kukri on his left thigh, then to the one on the back of his belt - he might be in civvie clothing, but there had been no way in ifrit's hellfire he'd been willing to travel cross-country without his blades.

' how long have you guys been here? i heard a few of the tipster's talking about this place going back on the map as an outpost? '

[heartxandxhome]

"A few weeks continuously, but maybe a month or two on and off." She had come here with Kaleb that first day, not kn owing what he had wanted to show her. Truth be told, her husban had been a stranger back then; they had lived separate lives for so long and lived in different worlds, that neither of then knew each other. She was still in the midst of relearning who Kaleb was and Sarah hoped he was doing the same with her.

There was blame on both sides of this marriage. And their two children had been the true witnesses to that.

Biting the inside of her cheek a she produced a practiced smile, Sarah saw the way Nyx's hands went to his kukris. She didn't blame him for that, no; they were in a south-western region of Lucis where not many people resided. But he reminded her so much of Kaleb years ago.

Leading the way back down the slope towards the road, she let the salty and clingy breeze blow through her hair, as if it could blow away the cobwebs of the past. She had blamed Kaleb a lot in his absence and she wasn't going to back-track and say he wasn't to blame for their estrangement ... but it hadn't been right to blame him overright their children when he wasn't there to defend himself.

"That's the plan I hope. This place was an outpost many years ago." Sarah waited for Nyx to catch up and nodded back at the lighthouse. "- imperial outpost once upon a time. Dave is sending some electricians from Lestallum next week so we'll have lights all through the night and comms to the closest outpost, Taelpar, around an hour and a half away ... but if we can house hunters here, it would be the only outpost in this region and mean there's hunters right here if needed."

Glancing up to her boy, Sarah tried to gauge his expression and blew out a knowing sigh. "I know what you're thinking, you don't need to mince your words. I was a tipster before the Wall was pulled back from the islands; I know the dangers of being remote, Nyx."

[foughtforthefuture]

it was a picturesque place. one of lucis' hidden gems. cape caem was far off of the main routes, away from blockades and checkpoints, a decent drive to the next closest outpost. the cliffs were rugged and exposed to the whipping breeze that swept up from the cygillian ocean. if he squinted and lifted his hand to guard against the glare of the sun, nyx reckoned he could even see angelgard's silhouette against the horizon to the southeast.

but it was so remote.

the same as galahd had been, and it the end it had taken too long for help to come when the empire had seen fit to pick off a tiny island to the southeast of the crown city, just to poke the king in the eye.

nyx hated the small voice in the back of his head that whispered lowly about the novelty of having his family back and how a certain hunter could fall back into old habits, leaving her and selena in this remote place to fend for themselves? shutting his eyes against the breeze that carried the fine mist of the sea, nyx reveled in the familiar bite of the salt in the back of his throat. when he opened his eyes again, there was a beaming smile on his mother's face as another wave crashed against the rocks at the base of caem's cliffs - she looked genuinely happy. happier than he'd seen her in a long.

' it's fine mom, we've got time. i've got a few days. next time i take some time off, i'll see if i can drag libertus along too, i'm sure he'd love to see you again. luche too. '

[heartxandxhome]

She could see the thougths crossing her boys eyes and he hid them well; he had always been good at that. And she had always been an expert at seeing the truth behind his expression.

But Sarah pushed that away for now; she would pluck at Nyx's worried threads when the timing was better. Instead she smiled widely at the mention of Libertus and nodded as the salty breeze tossed her long hair around in the rough breeze. "Oh I'd like that! How have they been? I haven't seen either of them in years."

Libertus and his honest banter. An honest boy to his fault, and one who took things completely to heart, just like his father had. And Luche; the charmer of their little group. That boy had always been a pleaser and held her repair so many fences when Kaleb was gone and her Nyx and Linertus busy with their bar. Back when things had been so good and Galahd had been bustling. How different the skeleton of a settlement was now ...

No; this was a new start. Not a place to transplant the bad memories. Wiping her hands on the thigs of her threadbare jeans, Sarah let out a rousing exhale and forced a smile and spotted a faded and terribly dry wicker basket abandoned by the back of the lighthouse. She picked it up and dusted it off, ignoring the small hole a mouse had chewed in one corner. "- there are some wild-growing vegetables and herbs close by if you wouldn't mind accompanying me? I'd be lying if I didn't tell you there are some varmints native to the area too."

[thecrowinacrown]

So.

[heartxandxhome]

Jeanne tilted her head up to the large floodlights that had been installed around Caem's boundaries. That's why she was here, to hook them up to the power grid and get this place back on the map. Jeanne looked up when one of the hunters spoke to a black-haired woman. Smiling widely, Jeanne held her hand out to the woman, "Jeanne Labreigh - I'm a close friend of Kaleb's - we'll have these lights up and running in no time."

Wiping her hands on the thighs of her jeans, Sarah let out an annoyed sigh and made a mental note to get Kaleb or Nyx to wrench the fence post loose from its spot. Twenty minutes of her trying was enough to realise she wasn't moving it. Stupid fence.

'I'll get one of the fellers on that next, ma'am.' Face already flushed from her defeat to the fence post, Sarah hadn't realised some of the hunters had noticed her one-woman battle. Offering a grateful smile, she faltered for the man's name and thanked him. He had come to Galahd many years ago, when he had been a younger man.

Blinking when a hand was thrust in front of her, Sarah took a beleagured moment to snap into politeness and return the friendly lady's handshake. Jeanne. A close friend of Kaleb's. Take a ticket, take a number. The more weeks that rolled by, the more Sarah realised she was in her husband's world now. People knew him, were long-term friends with him, and there were routines and bonds she knew nothing about. This wasn't Galahd.

"Pleased to meet you, I really appreciate all this help." It was all she could say again and again as trucks rolled in with materials and resources; Dave had always been someone who exceleld in helping others. "It'll make a world of difference to be able to move around here in the evening."

"- are you from Meldacio?" She coudlnt' remember seeing the young lady with short blonde hair at HQ, but there had been so many people and new faces. Since moving to the mainland, it had been a non-stop roster of new people one after the other.

@galahdanblade

[00323z]

Warriors of Galahd - KINGSGLAIVE Final Fantasy XV movie (2016)

imagined from old photos Nyx has. Papa Ulric and little Nyx.

[alyciadebnamcareys]

Wow…tough room. 

[heartxandxhome]

@galahdanblade

[where-our-stories-start]

[meldacio]

ffxv aes | cape caem

[galahdanblade]

kaleb didn’t answer right away. he just looked at her — the way her lips barely quirked into that small smile, the way she held onto his hand like she was anchoring herself there, not clinging but grounding. the ghost of her lips on his cheek hurt more than a clean break would’ve, because she still cared. still hoped, but it was tentative and cautious.

' okay.' he dipped his head in a shallow nod, his thumb brushing over the back of her hand, rough and calloused from too many years gripping blades and gear instead of holding her, ' — one step at a time. '

he let out a breath, more a release of tension than a sigh, before he quickly continued, afraid that if he waited or paused, he might lost his nerve again, ' i never meant for the space to get so wide between us, sarah. i thought … i thought that if i could bring back enough, it’d make up for being gone. '

blinking, a low breath left him and the hunter looked over his shoulder to where the sun danced on the water of the hidden harbour, ' so long as i’ve got a roof, and a chance at hearing you laugh like you used to, i'll call any place home. '

[heartxandxhome]

"I know," The words stole away on a breath before Sarah could even think about them. Because she did know. Galahd had never needed hunters before the Wall was pulled back by King Mors. After that, they had been left wide open to new beasts and daemons and no clue how to counteract the threats. "By the time I saw the distance, we were too far apart."

Adapt or die.

And the islands had done just that. Kaleb had been thrust into a role of an unofficial leader than neither of them had seen coming. The other farmers and locals followed his lead when the strangers had come from from the mainland to teach them how to hunt. He was charismatic and charming, talented in fishing and farming. It was almost expected he would have a natural talent for hunting too.

A talent which had led to him spending more and more time on the mainland for more dangerous hunts as he climbed the ranks far faster than most hunters. Of course, it hadn't been Kaleb to tell her that. No. He had been on hunts. It was other hunters passing through Galahd who told of her own husband's feats and awe among their community.

"- but being gone became the normality before anyone realised." She had been guilty of that too; working away in the diner and not wanting to point out how many days he had been gone, until they bled into weeks and months. His hand didn't feel familiar in her grip; new callouses and the skin was rough where hunts had weathered him against the environment. Not the same lines and dexterity as the fisherman who had charmed her as a teenager.

"I didn't mind the risk ... until we didn't take it together." But Sarah couldn't let go of that hand either; for hear she might not recognise his touch after.

It had been when he stopped coming home and discussing the hunt choices with her that the drift had begun in earnest. When she heard of terrible hunts after the fact. When she couldn't account for the scars on his body when he came home. Sarah didn't want to drag up old fights; they had enough tense moments since he decided to come home and broach the subject of moving to the mainland. But his words made her look up into those blue eyes, expression melancholy. " ... nothing made up for you being gone, Kaleb. It was never about gil."

[foughtforthefuture]

his head shook on reflex - not to cut her off and not to shut a topic, no, and he tried to make sure that she knew that, a quick smile darting across his lips when he shook his head again. there was no point in calling them to cut a supply run short or rush it. and given how remote this place was, putting them on a time constraint might have them forgetting some stuff and bypassing other places to pick a shorter route back to caem.

that and he knew exactly how to joke and tease selena when she got back ... but what did he say to their father? long time no see - yeah, no thanks. that might get him a steely glare from their mother, but well ... it was unsteady ground, alright? he didn't know how to feel about him anymore and it wasn't exactly easy to just skip on past lost chances.

' nah - it's alright, i'll surprise her when she gets back. ' dropping his bag by the weather-beaten porch, nyx flashed a wider smile, hands in his pockets as he turned on the spot to take in the homestead that was slowly emerging from the neglected outpost.

' give me the grand tour? how do you feel about this place? '

[heartxandxhome]

Surprise her, not them. It was a small thing, but she noticed, and Sarah felt a tiny tinge of disappointment that confused her. She had no right to expect Nyx to just up and forget all that had been missed between him and Kaleb.

But the past number of weeks trying to get this place back to its earlier glory, she had found laughing a bit easier. Laughing, joking, chatting and airing out what unsaid things that had remained. They weren't back to what they had been, but far better than before.

"I don't know if a grand tour is in order, but I'll try." Truth be told Caem didn't need much of a tour - the slope meant the outpost was completely visible from the top. "first of all, my favourite part-"

Sarah held onto Nyx's wrist and led him up the slope towards the lighthouse; to where the waves crashed against the cliffs and sent salty spray into the air, and everything smelled and tasted like home. "This is why I like here, it feels like home."

Glancing up at Nyx, she couldn't keep the happy smile at bay. Was it wrong to feel so whole at having their entire family in one place once Kaleb and Selena got back? The very fact her boy had made the effort of coming all this way. "- you should have told me you were coming, I could have had something nice cooked, or made sure everyone was here, Nyx."

[foughtforthefuture]

the wind tugged at the edge of his jacket as he surveyed the small patch of land his mother stood by. the smell of salt from the sea and earth in the air hit him, pulling him back to simpler days, memories of galahd.

he hadn’t intended to surprise her like this—not really. he’d figured he’d give her a heads-up when he had the chance, maybe send a message, but a part of him had told him to wait - to see what this place was. to see the true bones of the place where his father had settled them.

a soft chuckle left nyx's mouth when she wrapped her arms around him in a hug, but he didn't pull away. his shoulders relaxed and a nervousness he hadn't even noticed slowly slid away. he hugged her back, squeezing for a moment longer than he probably should have. she had a way of making you forget the weight of the world when she wrapped you in her arms and it felt like time paused for just a moment.

' couldn't resist," he said, stepping back, scanning her face, her eyes a mix of joy and disbelief, ' i'm good, ' nyx winked, a grin on his face as he looked around the place, taking in the newly mended fence posts and the patches of dead grass and barren earth that told him the areas had been covered shortly before hand.

' so is libertus - he's still getting into tight spots, i'm still saving his ass, so not much has changed. where's selena? '

[heartxandxhome]

He was fit and healthy and in on piece; that was all she asked for in her hopes and prayers. Taking another small step back to appreciate her boy in full, Sarah placed her hands on her hips and took in the differences.

He had a few new small scars here and there. He was leaner muscle-wise and his head was constantly on a swivel. It was a habit that reminded her of Kaleb after he came back from hunts to the mainland.

"She's gone with your dad." Sarah measured her words, pausing to try to gauge whatever reaction Nyx had towards Kaleb. He was too like his father, but that father had been missing for the formative years and there was a lot of resentment about that. She had been there for their boy as he grew up, filling in the gaps Kaleb left. It was easy to look back on that time and judge him, and to defend him too ... which left her in an odd middle place.

"They're gone on a run to Meldacio, and might not be back until another two or three days ... but I can call them and tell them to come back early?" Was there a part of Sarah that wanted to mend what was broken between Kaleb and Nyx? Guiltily, yes. She had been the one to badmouth Kaleb in those years, so her boy had picked up on her emotions during that time.

[whereisdiomedes]

🎶 Whoever can string my husband's old bow And shoot through twelve axes cleanly Will be the new king, sit down at the throne And rule with me as his queen 🎶

[heartxandxhome]

Continued from Here.

It was starting to come together ... kind of. Very slowly.

Maybe she was kidding herself as the days and weeks began to slip by, with tiny steps being the only way to mark their progress. The house being made weather-proof again. Clearing the junk from the hidden harbour. Clearing the undergrowth and brush from where the fields used to be.

It was hard work, but it was getting there. Little by little.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sarah eyed the tilled ground before her and gave a silent thanks that the field was only small. The lay of the land here at Caem meant small patches or workable ground were squeezed in at different points along the slope, unlike Galahd with its level ground of pastures for crops before the steep mountains and canyons took hold.

The ground was broken up and turned over, so next came planting. If the field was any bigger, Sarah knew she wouldn't have managed it on her own, and getting machinery all the way down south to Caem, and then up the steep slope just wasn't feasible. Closing her eyes as the salty wind blew around her, she checked her phone; no messages yet. From Caem to Meldacio was a five-ish hour drive with no traffic and no stops, but Kaleb and Selena had planned to make a few pitstops along the way to collect some supplies for Meldacio. A two-day round trip.

That had seemed daunting a few weeks ago, bust she had come to like the quiet solitude of Caem. The stronger floodlights at the road had been extended up the slope on the edge of he land, lights strung up along the pathway they had reclaimed. Lights meant safety.

' could you have picked a place any further south? the captain's given me a week, so i'm at your disposal.'

The voice made her freeze, knowing in a split-second who it belonged to, but afraid to turn around in case it was her emotions playing games with her. But Sarah did slowly turn around and lost her breath when she saw Nyx standing beyond the repaired fencing. She had crossed the ploughed earth before she knew it, pulling her boy into a needy hug.

"Nyx! I can't believe you came all the way here." She had asked him to swing by if he could, but it had been a hopeful dream; he had his job and life in the Crown City. Taking a step back to look Nyx up and down, Sarah couldn't keep the huge smile from her face; she hadn't seen him since he left Galahd.

"Tell me everything! How have you been? Libertus too!"

@foughtforthefuture

[meldacio]

ffxv aes | cape caem

[galahdanblade]

it wouldn't be the same. of that he was adamant because he had skirted so close to losing them for good, he couldn't run that risk again. sure, things were still a bit rocky now, and they were still tip-toing around each other at times, but the very real risk of not having sarah in his life - not having selena or nxy - well, it put everything in perspective because if he didn't have his family, then none of this was worth it.

leaving galahd had been bittersweet because it was final and it was acknowledging that they could never go back to how things had been, but more than that - it had been a realisation that he'd left galahd a long time ago and he had been clinging to an idealised memory all this time, not the reality of what their lives had become.

standing up from the threadbare couch, kaleb move around the upturned cable spool that was being used as a makeshift table, making his way to where sarah stood, tentatively taking hold of her hand, fingers entwining with hers. dipping his head to make sure she held his gaze - he needed her to know that this was an earnest promise; a new start.

' home is wherever you and selena are - i'll be here, i promise. wherever you two feel safe and choose to call home, i'll be there ... i can't you lose you sarah, i've come too close to it already and i don't like it. '

[heartxandxhome]

She wanted to believe those words so much, but she had heard them before. Way back when the hunts around Galahd hadn't been enough. When the mainland had been calling to him and the hunts took him away for longer and longer. Looking back on that, it was easy to see the red flags now, but she hadn't seen them back then. Sarah had been took busy trying to keep their little farm running, helping out at the diner and keeping tabs on two children.

The space had slid between them without either of them noticing until they didn't know each other. Even now, looking up into those blue eyes, there was that feeling of being past acquaintances. "I know,"

She didn't pull her hand from his, but she didn't lean into a kiss that would have once naturally followed those words. Instead she nodded and offered a small smile; Kaleb did mean those words. He had always meant his words. It had never bene intentional to drift apart.

"Small steps, Kaleb. We'll take it one at a time." Leaning up onto her tip-toes, she kissed his cheek and nodded again. This was a chance at a new life here on the mainland, but Sarah didn't want to rush headlong into something too big for them either. And that went for their relationship too, or what was left of it. That would need slow repair work, almost as much as this outpost.

This mainland was his home more than Galahd had been over the years, but it was alien to her and felt all-too-big if she was being honest. But this place, there was something of their islands about it. "First step is figuring out where to call home, so let's focus on that first, okay?"