for whom the flowers weep

Warrior of Light from FFXIV Portrayed by Castle

[songbite]

𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆,

Private and selective Warrior of Light (Nowi’a Aweri) from Final Fantasy XIV. As portrayed by Castle. /   Ask. Rules. About.   /  Please like / reblog if you’re interested in interacting! :) I’d love to check you all out!

𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏.

[songbite]

hm ...

[songbite]

𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 : 𝐆'𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚

━━━ starter for @songbite​​​     ⭐     from g’raha (exarch) !

it felt embarrassing ,     to share silence with someone you admired .     alone together ,     just the two of them ,     as the day had far grown late and all others had found their way to bed at last .     the exarch had found himself thoroughly absorbed in the books ,     picking and choosing which chronicles would be best suited for aweri’s training and the betterment of his understanding of the first .     he had been looking for a particular tome for quite some time and any semblance of conversation had grown quiet between them .

sure,     it felt embarrassing ,     but what embarrassed him more was when the exarch finally spied the tome he was looking for …     just out of his reach .     again he tries to reach for it ,     standing on the very tip of his toes and yet still found himself wanting .     “     ah …     ”     standing stock still for a moment ,     as if he were paused in time ,     he finds himself unable to stop the clear disappointment from escaping his lips .     what to do in such a situation ,     the exarch muses to himself ,     before pressing lips together in a hard line .     perhaps i could …

“     aweri ,     could you …     do you mind grabbing this book for me ?     ”

He’d long grown weary of unfolding leatherbacks and stitching together the black scrawls of ink. It all blended together at some point in the night — and words were just sound against his ears, nothing discernable and surely nothing he’d remember come this passing dusk. Were it not for the call of his name then he’d certainly fall under the sandman's spell and his cheek slicks off his leather glove, a heavy lidded stare lugging towards the Exarch. 

It’s wordless. Aweri’s heels click against the floors and he leans forward from behind the Exarch, chest pressing against his cloaked back, arm tipping the tome in question so it may fall into his own palm.

“ This one? ” Even in the comforting glow of the indoors, his eyes still fought for perfect vision, or maybe his dreariness was to blame, all things considered. He puts the tome into the Exarch’s hands — Aweri still curled behind him. “ And do promise me... Is this the last one of the night? I’m afraid one more tome is deathly close to being my bed time story. ” A dry laugh.

[antipyre]

@songbite   //  let’s dance until the sunrise.

[songbite]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 : 𝐙𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬

what passes as a heart ?     is it whatever thrums in the pit of his chest ,     a simple organ made to push lifeblood through darkened veins ?     or does one define it as something that makes you human ,     the capacity to feel emotion and touch the world around you so delicately ?     he doesn’t know and he doesn’t care to ,     whatever it was that beat in his chest felt like it was on fire .     could this be the moment ?     the one to finally push him over the edge he so desperately wished to consort with ?

it feels hot in his chest ,     and zenos does not know why .     so he is quiet ,     lingers in his mind until the words pass the other’s lips .     one thing is for sure ;     this is not the moment ,     he knows it .

then why does the creature in his chest ache and writhe beneath the flesh ?     why does his hand itch to claim the other as his own ,     to mark him unrecognizable ?     eyes are fixated ,     drinking in every drop of aweri like a thirsty man in the desert .     “     then fill me with your poison ,     t’would be a gift coming from you .     ”     he means those words ,     and he knows not else how to say it ,     for any blow would be welcomed if it were by the bard’s hand .

The beasts claws cup his heart and all he can do is huff. 

The point of his arrow prods the bottom of his lip — his instrument of war tapping, and tapping, meeting the curl of his grin. “ A man after my own heart. ”

Steel tings and clambers as his arrow nestled back into his quiver. “ So no dance tonight? And here I was looking forward to your blade unraveling me. ”  And how he longed for the thrill of its teeth baring his body. “ ‘Lest you have other plans... You’ve met me at a good hour, I can spare a performance. ”  He keeps his distance all the same — not out of mistrust, or fear, but to inflame temptation, to be just out of reach. Should he desire more, Aweri would not step back, he’d indulge, he’d stay, he’d welcome it; Aweri has many means to poison.

[songbite]

                                                         𝐉𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐪𝐚𝐢   /    @proveidence​​​​

“Be patient, I’m not going to fuck you dry, no matter how much you beg.”

                                                𝐢'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬  /  𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒘

Music thudded against the walls. Even in the privacy of a rented room (if you could technically refer to it as that, given how they both snuck in there) the clamor of people and speakers lived in the foundation of this building and even the hardest of hearing could feel it hum against the floors and wall panels. This room in particular was warm with the heat of former clients and seemingly untouched, all things considered, likely thanks to the apt staff that made sure every inch of this place was taken care of and made comfortable. After all, not many would lay in a bed knowing there were several others before them, and before them, and before them— and while Aweri wouldn’t necessarily mind, Jahliqai would, so the cleanliness plays into their favor.

Aweri was already slick with sweat from being on stage underneath the show lights for a few hours now. It wasn’t a rare sight to see him slip away every so often to chat up a few potential clients, to grab himself a drink, or to disappear behind closed doors with someone whose name he definitely won’t remember unless he were to beg it into the air wanting more, and more, and more. However, a particular bodyguard disappearing from the midst of things was a little peculiar had you not known of the relationship between him and one of the performers.

He was excited to feel the air brush against his skin as Jahliqai unraveled him; and Aweri was evil to even instigate this. On some nights he couldn’t help himself. As Jahliqai would lean against the wall and keep an attentive eye for any miscreants that dare disrupt the club, Aweri would try so desperately to snatch his gaze. It became a challenge for him. Would he look at me if I did this, or this, should I go to him, do I dare try and… And soon it became a matter of how desperately can I rile this man up to fuck me right now, how long can I keep his eye on me, I want him to touch me, please touch me, please fuck me, please, please, please— and he was pleading for his touch the moment the door behind them locked.

In that lull of lust Aweri just laughs at his words. “ Could you handle it if I told you… ” Aweri then kissed the underside of his jaw, and trailed to his neck where he met his pulse, “I like it a little rough… ” His smile presses against his skin. “ I caught you staring. Couldn’t keep your eye off of me, huh? You want me—don’t hide it, I know. You want me on that bed right now, or would you have me against this wall? Oh, do tell me what you were thinking when you saw me on stage…” His claws grip into Jahliqai’s hair and cranes his head so he may indulge in his neck a little more. He wants everyone to see what happened here. “ Did you want to fuck me right there? No…” His other hand slips to unbuckle and undress Jahliqai from the waist down. “ You want me all to yourself, huh… Then have me.”  

Having done this before he slips his hand beneath their unbuckled belt and palms his cock, gripping it into his hand and jerking it within the confines of his clothes. It was uncoordinated, it was rough, it was desperate. ” Please, fuck me. I don’t care where— please, I’ll be so good for you—Jahliqai, Jahli, Jahli—”  He grinds himself against him like a dog in heat. “I can’t wait anymore—”

[songbite]

; ___; ......... him .................................

[songbite]

anyways awlys shb verse is probably one of my favs bc as a co-wol to his sister, no matter if he were the ‘ main ‘ wol or just the wol that stepped to the sidelines in favor of his sister taking the spotlight, no matter what, he still blacks out first (soon after thancred) and ends up on the first for a couple of years

AND i’ve noticed (and i could be wrong??) i never saw any keeper miqo’te on the first so i took some creative liberty in that since their eyes are more susceptible to light.. he’s like. blind. the never ending light of the sky just blinds him. its all too much and he just writhes the moment he opens his eyes there LMAO

so he has to wear a blindfold just to navigate the outside and has to relearn archery with a blindfold on so he could have a fighting chance. indoors hes fine! any area where the light doesn’t touch, he can see relatively fine but until the night is restored this dudes just relying on his keen sense of hearing and . well. trusting his senses 

[songbite]

𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐞𝐩𝐭 : 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐬​

There’s a moment while Hermes processes it all – and then his face flushes deeply. It’s lucky he’s wearing a mask to disguise the embarrassment, but his body betrays him, fingers rising to touch his cheek to confirm its warmth. He’s not used to this sort of talk. And while he knows it’s just harmless flirting on Aweri’s part, having seen enough of it during the other’s stay here in Elpis, Hermes is still unadjusted to it, still half-enjoying the attention half-wishing he could stick his head in a hole and scream and maybe feel a little less embarrassed afterwards.

Instead he just coughs awkwardly. His hands move to fidget in front of him, thumb rubbing overtop thumb – a habit Meteion had picked up on and utilized more often than him at this point.  “There’s no need for that,”  he finally wrestles out, voice choked. Do I say I appreciate the offer now? Oh, god.  “Warm words and smiles more than suffice. I have been feeling enough out of my element as of late.” 

He laughs—and perhaps it was to his mercy that he relents on words of romance. In fact, this may be precisely why Aweri finds such joy in tugging heart strings with sheer promises and a honeyed tongue — to bask in the warmth that’d ensue afterwards, but that’s a conversation for another day for he is far too busy bathing in this newly kindled sunlight. “ Warm words and smiles it shall remain, then. That is, until you’re ready. ” Ah-ah-ah! “ A jest! Simply! Simply a jest... I’ve no further quarter in teasing you, truly. ” For now, at least. 

“ Needless to say I’ve grown rather fond of you. My time here is but a squandering juncture, but to have had the pleasure of meeting you is a gift enough and I duly hope the feeling may some day be mutual. ”

[songbite]

𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢'𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐈

(more info here.)

While previously stated that he does have immense strength, there’s that wonder that, despite specializing in ranged combat even from the start, how was he necessarily utilizing it? And to put it simply, he’d use it to defend himself/when that gap is closed between him and the enemy he’d act instinctively and use his hands/etc. It’s worth noting that he was so reckless that he never dodged certain attacks, and instead would cross his arms in front of him to shield himself. In matters against steel he was more evasive, surely, but were there an opening for him to have his hands on you (lol) you were going to likely die.

However, there’s a huge draw back to his strength. It works similarly to an adrenaline high where you can channel in that strength and not feel a thing in the heat of it all. The moment he has time to take a step back, he almost immediately needs to patch himself up or go to the infirmary or he will die. The feeling of immense pain and his entire body draining of energy overwhelms him and almost every time he’d collapse and hardly be able to move his arms. He has broken many bones, several times over, and once he was patched up, he’d do it again. Honestly sometimes he’d use so much of this strength that he’d faint afterwards. So while Aweri is insanely strong, it comes at a great cost, and if he’s not tended to quickly he could die if not remain seriously injured.

He used to be very reckless, very careless, and there had been many times where he nearly died for good had no one intervened and saved him. In pre-ARR and early ARR he would patch himself up, but only just enough to keep himself going. With his primary goal being to reunite with his sister he only pushed onward to see her again and thankfully in that time period he was surrounded by people who wouldn’t let his ass die.

[songbite]

                                                         𝐆'𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚    /    @aleport​​​

[palm] - to rub a palm against my muse’s clothed groin. now what if awly was feeling up the exarch 🤨                  

                                                 𝐢'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬  /  𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒘

There had been many nights where the Exarch had lingered outside of Aweri’s pendants’ door. There had been many nights where Aweri would try to invite him in, and the Exarch had always declined, sending Aweri off with well wishes and hopeful remarks. There had been nights too, where Aweri had wondered to himself if the Exarch were ever watching him in his room. The thought alone would leave his imagination to wander, to wonder, to lead a curious hand beneath his clothes and to pant heavily into the open air, getting off to the thought of his watchful gaze and he’d wonder if the Exarch would ever look away or if he’d indulge himself. If that were the case he’d play into it every step of the way, and he’d never undress, teasing just the thought of his want for him, burying his face into his pillow, often writhing under the blankets so nothing could be seen — and he wondered again, is he enjoying this?

One night there came that same knock on his door. It was quiet this time. Maybe the Exarch had hoped Aweri wouldn’t hear him. Maybe he wanted an excuse for him to not answer so he may fumble his way into the night back into the Tower. Though Aweri was a natural born hunter with a keen ear for the slight of sound; and as he always did, as relentless as he were, he’d invite him inside — and this time the answer was yes.

Aweri loved to drag his imagination out. He’s forward, but not too forward, not quick to lead him to the bed and instead kept the conversation as civil as he could. He’d notice the fidget of his hands, the twitch of his ears, the incessant swish of his tail. Not once did the Exarch look him in the eyes and it’s then he knew he had him. 

He lured him to the bed. All he had to do after was give the Exarch one deep kiss and he was quick to melt into Aweri’s mattress, and he in turn was quick to climb onto him.

With the want of him to beg he kept things at a slow pace. It was just kisses with Aweri feeling his body over his clothes until he met the damp heat between their legs. His fingers pressed against him, feeling how hard his clit was and rolling a firm rub against him. “ Exarch, do tell… ” He kisses along the blue fissure in his neck. “ Were you watching me? ” His fingers slid up and down and from against the cloth alone they were getting soaked.  

“ How badly did you want to see me? ” The kisses trail up to his jaw now, “ Did you…,” to his ear, “ fuck yourself to me? Did you wish I…” And he himself is getting too into it, too hot, and he breathes, shaken, to recompose himself. “Showed you how I…” Then he rolls his fingers back over his clit, never dipping into the fabric of it, never meeting their flesh. “ Touched myself? You know I…. Thought of you, too.. When I…,” he swallows, “ would ride against my fingers. Like this, ” and he kept going, panting heavily against the warmth of the Exarch’s neck, “Did you want a taste of me?” 

Aweri searched for his eyes and he still won’t look at him. He smiles. “ Tell me how bad you want me. ”

[songbite]

                                                      𝐙𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬    /    @theswell​​

“Would you let me take you here? Where anyone might see?”

                                                   𝐢'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬  /  𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒘

The wind was cool but his skin was hot. His saving grace was his clothes smoothing off of his body, loosely hanging on by either his shoulder, his hip, the palm that held him close and slipped underneath the fabric to feel the flush of Aweri’s skin against his hands. With every kiss against his neck, he sighed, with every curious trail of their wandering fingers, he leaned into it in want, and with every hot piece of clothing falling off and revealing the heat of his skin, he couldn’t help but laugh a little. There’s risk. You could hear the sound of his belt thudding into the soil, a scarf pillowing against the fallen leaves, his heels slipped off and lost to sticks and grass. His back had grown used to the feeling of bark scraping against his spine, and he finds it to be a good idea to keep his shirt on only to save him the splinters.

Zenos hardly had tact. When he spoke it lacked consideration for any walking passerby should there be any this deep into the wilderness. He didn’t care. Truth be told, Aweri would scarcely deny an audience. “ Oh, please. ” Aweri was ravaged. He feels dwarfed against their towering stature curled over his body, and his fingers feel so big idling over the warmth pooling between his legs and he spreads his thighs open a little more. He swallows. “ Fuck me. ” A hand tangles into Zenos’s hair. He presses his body closer to him. He grabs Zenos’s wrist and guides their fingers so they slip into his wet heat and pry into him, fucking himself with their hand. “ Bend me over. ” And every time he spoke it was a hushed, heated pant, nails digging into the bone of his wrist as he let him feel how wet he was getting. “ Fuck me here. Please, please - ”

There’s a dry laugh somewhere in his moans in how he begged him and begged him to fuck him against something, anything, anywhere, now, here, right now, here. There’s no guilt in his smile and he continued to fuck Zenos’s fingers into his pussy, letting him feel his want, letting every slick sound and vulgarity speak louder than him. “ I need you - please, Zenos, I want you.. so bad - oh please - fuck, aah, here, here, right here - ” He swallows again, he’s shaking, “ In me... ” And he laughs something excited and you could hear his smile in the hot whisper against his ear. “ I want you in me. ”

[rp-memes-atyourservice]

Smut Starters & Symbols

rp-memes-atyourservice‌:

TW: explicit sexual content, some slight humiliation. Feel free to change wording, pronouns, genitalia, etc, to better fit your muse.

Send one of the following SENTENCES for my muse’s reaction:

“You’re so pretty like this.” “You’re beautiful when you’re all flushed and wanting.” “Do you want me to take you like this?” “Easy, I don’t want to hurt you.” “Slow down, slow down.” “You can be rough with me, I won’t break.” “I want to suck you off.” “I want to eat you out.” “Did you touch yourself, thinking of me?” “Please, please, touch me.” “I want to bury my face between your thighs.” “I want to touch you all night.” “Please. Please, I’ll beg, I’ll do anything you want.” “You can beg better than that, I think.” “Harder, harder–” “Fuck me until I can’t think.” “I want you to bend me over and fuck me.” “Would you let me take you here? Where anyone might see?” “I don’t usually do this - but for you, anything.” “You have such beautiful thighs.” “Be patient, I’m not going to fuck you dry, no matter how much you beg.” “Beg me for it.” “You were made for this, weren’t you?” “I think you’d stay on your knees all night if I’d let you.” “Ride me. Slowly, that’s it.” “Don’t you dare come until I give you permission.” “Ah-ah. Don’t touch me.” “Touch yourself, go on.” “I want to make you feel good.” “I love it when you moan for me.” “Come on, darling, come for me.” “Come on my fingers, that’s it.” “God, your mouth, please–” “I need you, I need your (mouth/cock/pussy/ass/fingers)–” “Shh, do you want someone to walk in on us with your cock in me?” “I’ll let you have me any way you want.” “I’ve wanted to fuck you all night.” “You’re so fucking tight.” “You feel so good.” “Kiss me, I want–please–” “Oh, fuck, I’m gonna come–!” “Please let me come.” “I think I could go again, if you wanted.”

Send one of the following PROMPTS for my muse’s reaction. Feel free to combine prompts.

[tug] - to pull my muse’s head back by the hair [throat] - to grip my muse gently but firmly by the throat [chin] - to tilt my muse’s chin up to make them look at your muse [kneel] - to kneel in front of my muse [wall] - to pin my muse to a wall [wrists] - to hold my muse down by the wrists [flip] - to flip my muse onto their stomach and hold them down [drag] - to drag my muse into yours’ lap [palm] - to rub a palm against my muse’s clothed groin [rut] - to push a knee between my muse’s thighs, against their groin [mouth] - to mouth at my muse’s groin through their pants or underwear [taste] - to have my muse taste themselves on your muse’s fingers [tongue] - to kiss my muse with tongue  [thighs] - to kiss and suck at my muse’s inner thighs [lick] - to go down on my muse  [finger] - to finger my muse [breasts] - to fondle my muse’s breasts [booty] - to fondle my muse’s ass [spank] - to spank my muse [restrain] - to tie my muse’s hands to prevent them from moving them [dressup] - to dress my muse in sexy/appealing clothing (specify) [vibrator] - to use a vibrator on my muse [penetrate] - to fuck my muse with a cock, dildo or strap [behind] - to fuck my muse from behind [facing] - to fuck my muse face to face [tenderly] - to tenderly make love to my muse

[pants] - to make my muse come in their pants [facial] - to come on my muse’s face [inside] - to come inside my muse [risky] - to make my muse come where there’s a risk of being heard/discovered [early] - to make my muse come earlier than expected [edge] - to edge my muse/deny them orgasm [beg] - to beg my muse to let yours come

Add ‘reverse’ to any prompt for my muse to perform the action on yours instead! Alternatively, feel free to make up your own prompt even if it’s not on the list!

[songbite]

its my holiday guys

aweri is an ultimate switch he is happy to be anywhere (power bottoming is his favorite though)

if u cant already tell he doesn’t mind sleeping around.. no feelings attached <3 (if he gets feelings he turns into a wreck hes such a hopeless romantic but this aint about that)

he likes to dirty talk sorry but if you want him to shut up you’ll have to gag him. put your fingers in his mouth. press his face into the pillow. anyth

masochist! doesn’t necessarily like to hurt his partners but if you’re into it then so is he<3 he does have claws/fangs so it works out

he also doesn’t mind having sex w multiple people at once! spitroasting party lesgo. dp extravaganza lesgo 

I refuse to let anyone forget he has like inhumane strength so expect broken headboards if hes really into it (it will take A Lot for him to break stuff but its possible. deep tears into the mattress. the springs break. the wall has a hole in it. dont worry about it.)

hates facials im sorry. he hates getting anything on his face/in his hair. if it happens it happens but :\ he’ll be grumpy 

on that note he swallows hes not a quitter 

he’ll purr w yr cock in his mouth sorry :\

insane stamina. can go on for a while. definitely not a One and Done kinda guy

hes typical he loves hair pulling and spanking and getting bruised and bitten. 

uhh. likes to be watched? likes to watch? hes used to an audience. not opposed to outdoor sex? (in consenting matters hes not a freak)

hes a bard hes loud. hes a dancer as well he’s flexible. he’s a whore end sentence 

honestly sometimes he can be entirely satisfied just satisfying you. hes a people pleaser what can i say

i’ll end this with that he’ll try almost anything (thats not absolutely insane/gross) at least once. At least once.

[songbite]

𝐔𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 : 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐥​

“      heheh,  you’d change your plans for me?      ”   for some reason, aweri mentioning the topic of burning piqued tatl’s interest even more.        “        and what if i was the one to burn you?  what then?     ”     his words danced.  it was a jest,  but not only that.     “      so you’re interested then?  even if i was to be that dangerous flame.  don’t tell me you like things like that, aweri?     ”       unlike usual,  tatl’s tone was bordering a more softer approach,  but the hint of playfulness was still there.      “      maybe if you changed your plans,  then we can find out.     ”

“ I love the risk of dancing beside an open flame. ”  So his steps begin and he gets close enough to ghost his touch against their cheek. Aweri tilts his head up to look at him.  “ To feel the flames wisp around my skin. ”  He never touches him—Tatl wasn’t quite ready for that. “ To feel the smoke envelop me; to have its blaze illuminate my body. ” His eyes lid, he’s not looking away.  “ Do you think you could burn me? ”

[songbite]

𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐲𝐫𝐞​ : 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧

          valerian does not often hesitate to speak to her companions. the scions are meant to be rather tightknit  —  she knows this, she knows they’re friends… yet there’s an anxiety that she bubbles forth. there is little which she understands about how she works, but there’s more curiosity in how aweri has changed. it’d began since nidhogg’s defeat, since the group’s reunion.  she admires it, almost, the way in which he’d grown from someone as hollow as her to an overflowing warmth. she wonders, truly, why it seems so easy.

         “  you’ve lightened up more.  ”  a soft tone which she’s had since they’d met. valerian gives aweri her best attempt at a bright smile, appearing more melancholy than cheerful, taking her seat beside him at the forgotten knight. how nice it is now that they have an opportunity to chat.  “  i almost couldn’t recognize you.  ”

He’d gotten used to the cold and how it bit his ears—how it nipped at his chest and ate his heart. Long had it been has he felt the warmth of the Gridania sun filtering through the leaves, and long had it been since he felt that very warmth in his breast. It was the smiles of the people, the victory they’ve sought so long for, the wave of relief that showered the nation—and it wasn’t the thanks that made him feel something, the buffet, the celebratory clink of glass, it was him knowing that a family may sleep peacefully at night and knowing that he made that difference — just like his parents would.

It was a hard feeling to stomach. It was hard to see the world with the same eyes he did as a child. Would he call it a relief? He can’t quite put it into words, but perhaps the smile that resurfaced upon his face after a decade and a half spoke more than he ever could.

“ ... It’s not just me. ”  A cup was idle in the clasp of his hands. “ Everyone... It’s everyone. ” His claws scratch at the mug, prying for thought. “ How long do you think the people have waited for a day like this? How many winters have they spent hoping for change? ” His face twitches, trying to discern what emotion he should express, who he was in the grand scheme of things, and he shuts his eyes and shies away from her stare. “ And is it really over...? Some things are irreversible .. Could there really be a happy ending to that? For the lives lost, the damage that has been done... Does that... ” He trails off. “ .... Sorry.. This is all so much, and I’ve almost no right to.... My words are... Everything is so... ” A sigh, “ There really is hope, isn’t there? ” 

[theswell-deactivated20231007]

@songbite​ asked: *puts a flower in his hair* :] ━━━ unprompted .

quietly eyes watch the miqo’te ,     studying each movement that he makes .     the way his hands caressed the greenery ,     how they plucked the flora from the home it had made in the earth .     hands that were strong ,     more powerful than he would allow them to be ,     and yet they were delicate .     to touch something alive ,     feel its life spark between fingertips ,     hold it’s world in the palm of your hand ,     and to choose to be soft ?     zenos couldn’t understand it ,     didn’t see a point in it .     he knew if it were him ,     he would crush them all .

eyes lull closed ,     he can feel the warmth of the sun against his skin .     spring in eorzea was something unusual for him ,     accustomed to the frigid climate of the empire .     to him ,     spring never looked like this .     he could sleep here ,     maybe ,     find a place amongst the flowers and lose himself .     maybe it’s kind of a nice thought .

but it’s shattered ,     all too soon by the feeling of a presence approaching .     even without his eyes open he can feel aweri’s movement ,     how he comes closer and how he kneels down beside zenos .     a hand fast approaching is met with resistance ,     calloused fingers grabbing the bard’s wrist and forcing it to stop in place .     and he opens his eyes .     what he finds surprises him ;     in the other’s hand is a flower ,     a singular white bloom that blossomed between gentle fingers .     he can’t keep his brow from raising ,     and zenos finds himself confused .     without sight he could not discern the intention of the action ,     and yet with it he could not discern the meaning behind it .     

yet he lets go ,     slipping his hand away and returning it to his own lap .     there was no threat behind it ,     that was plain for anyone to see ,     and so zenos saw no reason to hold him back from it .     if aweri wished to regale him with a flower ,     then he would accept .     but the action still puzzled him all the same .     something soft ,     something so permissive did not suit their relationship     -     and he did not understand why .