#aoki usa

[placesyoucallhome]

Animated portrait of Aoki for @shadesofblades <3

[dogicrimsonofficial]

My friends made a demand that I post this separately / make it more public. Bullied me into it, more like- ANYWAYS, enjoy the Log 30 animatic. All the info is in the video description and all that.

[dogicrimsonofficial]

Howler Logs - #30, Haukke Manor 

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Full Travel Log Catalogue Here!

Featuring Aoki Usa by @shadesofblades

Haukke Manor. Of course it was the Haukke Manor. A blip in the notes, something no one had truly talked about in any sort of length. Something about a succubus… and a house of horrors, before they all became desensitised to the macabre – making the story only mildly disturbing to the most, a ghost story to scare the younglings.

Not that they needed much of that, thank you very much.

Of course when the original stories were talking about a woman turned wicked due to her unfortunate incident, there had been no mentions of the Voidsent. And the people around hadn’t really talked about Haukke Manor all that much… On the other hand, Howler hadn’t stayed around long enough to listen to idle gossip. 

They really needed to fix that.

There had been no hesitation, no slowing down once Howler had the location down – they had barely spoken a word, aside from when they finally slowed down by the doors and hopped off from their chocobo. Looking around, they tried to detect a specific grumpy emotion they had been picking up here and there – finally detecting it quite a few fulms away, but rapidly approaching. Okay, good, just had to give a warning now. 

“Cy, I need you to stay here,” Howler stated, holding their chocobos face firmly. Cy squawked in disbelief, kicking the ground once like an angry toddler. Howler however didn’t relent, keeping hands on the birds reigns, eyes locked to the brown ones. “I need you to stay out here and kill anything that comes out. The big problem you’ll leave for us, but the smaller ones shouldn’t be able to be a threat to you.”

The eyes narrow, as Howler’s fingers curled on the reigns. “Kill them. Don’t eat, but stomp as much as you want.”

If a chocobo could show glee, this was certainly it – wings fluffing up, leg stomping rapidly on the ground on the promise of a fight. 

Truly, a bloodthirsty little thing. Whoever thought this bird was for carriages had no real clue- 

With that, Howler pulled back. Eyes locked on to Igey, though they kept tabs on their little follower – talking just loud enough he could hear as well. 

“I don’t know how much your contact told you about these things-”

“Not much, admittedly.”

Howler ignored the interruption, and continued on. “-but here’s a rundown. It will get cold, the visuals will be low. Be careful not to let the thing touch your bare skin, or have prolonged touch on anything of yours – it should not be too bad, but better safe than sorry. Hit hard and hit fast.”

“Hm. Most of that shouldn’t pose a problem. Especially with the size of my weaponry.” Igey had full covering gear, was never cold no matter where or why, but this would test the woman’s resolve and ability. She had very little knowledge, and Howler could see the furrow of her brow. Skill would amount to nothing without knowledge. “What sort of ability do these Corrupted have, that enhance what is normally there? Anything in particular that stands out? Combat prowess, usual targets, predictability or un-predictability?”

“I don’t know,” Howler admitted, grimacing. “It depends on what kind of Voidsent was infected. With the imp, I was hit fast with claws, and flinging spells. I’ve also had an encounter with a soulflayer with powerful telepathic powers… So the power and abilities depend on who or what is infected.”

There were too many of those fights to list really, but Howler was trying their best here. 

She clicked her tongue in displeasure. Igey was not happy, her emotions may well be controlled but the expression gave away enough. It had them wishing they could offer more. “In that case, I shall enter combat with the utmost caution, and use the intimate knowledge of voidsent I possess, whatever may be applicable.”

With that out of the way, Howler gave a firm nod – jaw set, eyes hardened. Aged by a decade or two within an instant, compared to the Elezen that had spent the last week or so slowly opening up, slowly showing the youth that was hidden just beneath the scarred face and tired eyes. 

“That’s what made these things so dangerous,” they warned, before pushing the gates open. “You never know what to expect.”

The gates creaked, only sound within the courtyard. As if on cue, the fog seemed to rise from the very stones they walked upon, unnatural cold taking hold of the air. The stench of stale air made Howler wrinkle their nose, before they made a move with their arm – Pipsqueak taking flight from their hood, taking some much needed distance. Better to keep the little one out of danger.

Taking in a deeper breath, Howler kept an eye on the court, slowly creeping closer as they pulled the spear out – every shadow, every shift of movement in the low visibility making their skin crawl. Yet they did not flinch, focused on trying to sense their target. 

Deathly quiet, the unnatural cold of the grave creeping up their limbs. All the signs were here, and yet…

“It knows we’re here,” Howler suddenly said, with a low voice, blue eyes scanning the fog. “Just trying to catch us unaware.”

“Is it intelligent enough to devise a plan or a trap?”

As if on cue, they both flinched – a whistle in the air, a pressure in aether, a shift in the battlefield as conjured stones were launched at them amidst the fog.

Howler did not stop, did not hesitate – their body went into an autopilot, ducking into a roll for a dodge before using the very same roll to plant their feet on the weathered cobblestone for a proper kickoff. 

Stone nearly cracked under their boots, and just like that Howler was soaring – they had said to hit hard, and to hit fast, and they bloody meant it. The world turned into a blurry mess of greys and greens, as Howler's focus was laid purely on a singular, bulging eyeball of white and blue, along with the rest of the body of the said eyeball. 

There was no shout, snarl, yell or roar – just gritted teeth as Howler allowed gravity to do its job, aiming directly at the widely grinning ahriman. 

Pale and blueish skin with darkened, mottled skin, bloodshot eye, the tongue swollen and colored in ugly blacks and purples. ‘Still in the first stages’, Howler noted – ‘Still resembling what it was before infection took hold.’

Howler’s spear sunk in – not into the eye, as they had hoped. Into the wing that was thrown between the two for protection, through the membrane and into the bone of an arm. Tutting tongue, Howler kicked off – pulling the polearm along before it could get stuck, or worse yet, yanked by the ahriman. 

Skidding across the rocks, Howler let out a small huff – eyes not leaving the target now that it had been properly spotted. Not even Igey, who stepped next to them, could break that focus. 

“Rather swift of you.” It was a passing comment, perhaps mildly worried. But the woman still stepped forwards calmly, great sword materializing in hand. A rush of chill flowered off her coat, as frost climbed the glove- the immediate aura of intimidation and determination wafting in pulsing tides. “I’ll take your example to heart, then.”

The rush of aether sent Igey into a blur, her smaller figure giving a mighty impact upon the tainted voidsent, swinging without hesitation. Drawing attention onto her unrelenting form with a large cleaving swing after alternating swing.

That was all the details Howler could pay attention to, before going back into their task – circling around the beastie, mindful of the thrashing tail and rotting aether creating spells with a concerning ease and speed. It was good at keeping Howler and Igey further away, which was an even bigger cause for worry – even now, Howler could see the membrane of the wing they had sliced through closing itself. 

Dark tendrils poured out of the wound, intertwining together, pulling the opened up flesh back together, knitting and fusing it… healing it. 

Bloody regenerative powers…

Guess Howler would have to step up the damage then. Maybe slice off a whole wing? That would cripple the creature, and give them time to get in more damage- yes, that was the plan now. 

Howler hopped backwards, and focused – before aiming another jump-attack at the ahriman, this time hoping to get the wing and- 

-for the first time, they made a sound in this fight as a rock hit their stomach, knocking the air out of their lungs and the body out of the air. 

Howler managed to twist their body in the air, trying to recover, ending up on their feet at the very least. Sadly, one of those very feet was quickly taken hostage by the prehensile tail that had been lashing about. 

Howler managed to get only one look – the malicious glee of the ahriman, wet eye staring right at Howler, and Igey wiping her eyes behind it, stunned – the world slowing just for a moment, before turning into a whirlwind of muted colors once again, only to come to an abrupt stop as their body hit the ground with a velocity Howler was not all too happy about. 

Nor were their goggles, considering how the lenses cracked from the impact. The glass had held for years before now, but now the shards of glass were littering the ground.

Howler would have to figure out a counter-attack and quick- No, up they went again, pulled along from their leg that was already screaming in protest of this unfair treatment. The clone was already getting motion sickness, and quickly squeezed their eyes shut, pushing chin against their chest – bracing for impact that came once again.

It was on the third impact that Howler felt it. The angle had been slightly different, if because the ahriman had decided to try something else or because Igey had intervened, Howler didn’t know. What they did know was that they were going to be bruised and battered, with at least one broken bone – considering they had just landed on top of their arm. 

The mechanical arm. 

That made a very concerning cracking sound, so loud it echoed across the courtyard. 

Oh they were going to need a medic and mechanic both afterwards-

“Howler…!” There was emotion there, true, unbridled emotion from Igey in that moment. Worry, panic- and then, anger. Flaring hot, despite the icy after taste her aether always carried. Her hand flew outwards, conjuring a giant ice spike, to fling at the Ahriman’s open jaws and pierce the swollen tongue of rot and bile. “You pay attention to ME, anaseisíphallos!” The combination of shout, aether, and cast drew the giant eye’s attention for the moment-

-while Howler felt a mix of very reasonable panic as the tail pulled taut, almost bringing them with it, ready to slam them again against Igey most likely-

-when a blur of black and blue struck. 

The tail that had been holding Howler's leg went slack, and the ahriman suddenly jerked – pulling back, letting out a startled screech. Whirling around for a brief moment to stare what the hell had hit it. 

Howler ripped off their goggles first before looking up, confused for a brief moment, before both relief and guilt washed over them. Relief, knowing they had a better chance now. Guilt, for they had to be saved during a mission meant for them. 

But beggars could not be choosers, and Howler was going to be the last person to complain about help, even if it came from their more stand-offish, black and blue Viera stalker.

“Careful!”

Their sudden helper had turned to take a brief look at Howler, assessing the situation. Howler in turn gave a thankful nod as they discarded the now broken goggles, forcing themselves up from the ground – at least to get into a kneeling position. 

Their left side was in agony, making every breath a task, every slight movement or twist into a painful ordeal. It was no wonder, it had taken the full brunt from being slammed right on top of the mechanic arm – Howler would have not been surprised if they had broken a rib or two, or at the very least bruised their side.

Slowly, they exhaled, looking at the battle – the Viera, satisfied that Howler wasn’t at least dying yet, had taken Howler's spot, using hit and run tactics to cause as much damage as possible, while Igey kept the bloody thing’s attention with a combination of intimidating aura and powerful attacks. 

And yet, the corrupted ahriman kept pulling itself back together. It was getting faster at reading incoming attacks, too, now dodging or blocking with less vital parts of its body – clearly its intelligence hadn’t gone yet. Dangerous. Its tail had already grown back as well – that regenerative power was something to be truly feared here.

What they needed was one powerful attack. One that could take it out in single go, something strong enough to outpace that healing. 

Howler shut their eyes for a moment, hand on their spear. 

They really didn’t want to result in this tactic but… what was a spear but a staff with a very sharp end?

“Are you alright?”

Igey’s worry was palpable, and Howler could only grimace in return – hanging there limply, between the two, before lifting their head just a little bit. 

“Not really. You better not stand right in front of me for a bit. Vertigo got me bad.”

There was a hiss, as a hand passed over their side – an attempt to steady the clone. Howler instinctively flinched away from that touch, grimacing at the sudden twist inside their guts.

“We better move you back to Gridania,” Igey commented, all the earlier emotion locked tightly under the lid. She turned towards the Viera, eyes narrowing a little, suspicious but… not as much as before. “Will you help? Howler’s chocobo is just outside the gates.”

The Viera nodded in response, starting to drag Howler along – the Elezen making a tiny sound at the back of their throat. An apology, most likely, hard to tell, the clone was too afraid of making too much noise now. 

They really did not want to throw up on their stalker-friend-ally. That was bound to leave a really bad impression. 

“... I broke my arm.” Howler finally admitted, with a soft and quiet voice, suddenly feeling very small. 

“I heard,” Igey responded, voice uncharacteristically soft as she kept her hand on Howler’s back. “We’ll get it fixed.”

Howler let out a hum in response… and merely closed their eyes.

Time for some rest.

[dogicrimsonofficial]

Howler Logs - #24, The Bannock 💞

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Full Travel Log Catalogue Here! Co-written as a full fledged RP with @shadesofblades - the Viera is theirs!

Eyes closed, hair getting soaked. Once again, Howler did what they always seemed to do when it rained – let it wash over them, thoroughly. It never calmed them, it never comforted them in the true sense of the word. Pacified, might’ve been the right word. 

Pipsqueak was scuttling about the ground, whapping at a puddle with his wing – the little bat was seemingly having fun in the water for once. Then again, this rain did feel warmer. Be it because Howler had finally connected to the elementals properly and they decided to show mercy this once, or because Shroud’s thicker forests soaked in the cold from it all first, Howler did not know. 

It wasn’t enough to chase away the eternal chill they had been accustomed with for several years now. 

“Don’t wander too far off, Pipsqueak,” Howler called for the little bat, a small smile tugging at their lips – before they let it fade, eyes focused on the little flying critter. “You get colder than me far more easily.”

It would’ve been smarter to go to the Bentbranch when the first droplets appeared. It really would’ve. But both Howler and Igey had thought they could outrun the rain, especially after Howler jumped on Cy… considering Howler was now sitting by the edges of Bannock instead, with Igey couple stone-throws away negotiating them some tent-space for the night, it was rather clear they had failed. 

Should’ve just teleported, but Howler was rather stingy about their gil still. Fixing this arm was going to cost a fortune. Just refueling the arm was going to cost a fortune.

Not that Howler regretted it, much. The rain and Howler, they had a complex relationship going on. Like an jilted ex that kept calling every once in a while, it was not good for Howler, but the discomfort was familiar in a grounding way. 

But, the rain had an added benefit Howler hadn’t expected until now. 

It made it easier to sense. 

“... You can come out now.” Howler called out softly, eyes still on Pipsqueak. This whole time, there had been eyes on them – which Howler had attributed to the forest being alive, up until now. The cold anger and nervousness that had followed the clone for a while now, that was not one of the critters, nor an enemy they recognized – it was too human. In a time when everything else was either hiding or asleep, this close to a camp full of armed people?

No, Howler had been followed by someone. 

It was embarrassing that Howler hadn’t even noticed until now. Their teachers in the future were probably shaking their heads, what a novice mistake… Well, at least Howler hadn’t lost their head for it yet.

Slowly, Howler lifted their gaze from the bat, scanning the tree-lines and bushes.

Spotting the stranger would have been an impossible task in the downpour around them. Light footsteps crushing grass were silenced by the cascade of raindrops. Shifting leaves by the stranger’s hand were no different from the other disturbed shrubbery. Watchful eyes pierced through the shadows of the woods around them, near unblinking.

So when the stalking creature was addressed directly, he froze. Unmoving to the point that he did not dare to even breathe. Spotting him would have been an impossible task.

A moment passed on with no reply, but it was undeniable that he was caught. Even through the near opaque glass of the traveler’s goggles, the stalker knew they had locked eyes. He couldn’t escape so easily now.

There were too many things to consider. Even after watching the newcomer for some time, there were a lot of mysteries surrounding them. Questions began to cloud his mind. For example, how could they spot him? But now wasn’t the time for all of that. Curiosity and concern came hand in hand.

It only took the better half of a few minutes, but eventually the stalker allowed himself to be seen. One step, then two, until a hooded figure emerged through the dampened brush. Rain fell heavy atop his cloak, but he was seemingly unbothered by it. At first glance, he might have been mistaken for a Duskwight. The cloth covering the lower half of his face hid all his features but his blue hued skin and mismatched eyes.

Yet something about the way the other spoke, the softness in their tone, brought a gloved hand to his face and pulled the mask down. Then it was clear that this was no Elezen.

Howler was, by all accounts, a patient young lad. So they really had no problem waiting for this mystery person to step out into the light – or at the very least, to the edge of it. For all of Howler's abilities, complete night-vision was not one of them. Other means of detection in the dark, sure, but nightvision had sadly eluded them. 

But, the stranger was kind enough to come within visible light finally. 

It was a silent ordeal, Howler waiting for any kind of word. Instead, they were rewarded with the said stranger pulling down the mask, revealing the face of their mystery visitor. 

Howler's eyes widened behind the goggles for a brief moment. Viera. They hadn’t seen one since… they relaxed again, and gave a small nod in return – before reaching up, and pushing the goggles off of their eyes. 

Pure, piercing blue eyes peered finally back, meeting the mitch-matched ones. Howler’s expression was subtle, but friendly – a small smile at the corners of their mouth, and their gaze soft. 

“Hello,” they started, head tilting ever so slightly. “Would it be rude of me to ask how long you were following me? I really only became aware of you when the rain really started to pour.”

Maybe they should’ve told their name first, but… well, this was an easier icebreaker, so to speak.

Pipsqueak, meanwhile, looked over to the stranger… and quickly scuttled over to Howler, up their leg and under the jacket to stare at the newcomer.

Just as long as it took for the stranger to reveal himself from the shadows, his silence persisted on after Howler asked their question. The small gestures of relief were not left unnoticed as those odd eyes shifted from one part of Howler to the next. The lowering of shoulders, the calm of their voice, the smile in their now revealed eyes. He observed now much like he had been whilst hidden.

“No,” was the first word the Viera spoke. His voice was quiet, carrying on the rain only to the Elezen’s ears. But it was a cold first word that might have been understood to be dismissive. Before it could be considered too long of a pause, he spoke once more. 

“Long enough.”

His eyes blinked over to the bat called ‘Pipsqueak’ who had just emerged from Howler’s jacket. And though his expression was blank- almost mean- there was a curiosity in the shine of his blue eyes. 

Eyes that looked back to Howler, then around them. Eyes that were always moving, always twitching from one thing to the next. Every movement accounted for. And under that soaked hood, more twitching movements. The twitches of long fur lined ears that were forced to be tucked away under cloth. The stalker hid them well amongst his wild and sharp hair. 

The stalker went on longer without another word. However, he did begin to move. He did not seem to get closer to Howler, but rather began to circle around them with careful steps. Slowly, slowly he made his way to the other side of them. 

It could have been the overlay of the rain, but everything about this man was a tint of blue. His unmatching eyes, his paint adorned skin, his unruly hair, his hidden ears. As he walked, the cloak fluttered out to occasionally reveal leather armor and glints of metal. And though the Viera could be compared to a beast hunting its prey, he showed no signs of aggression towards Howler and Pipsqueak.

Howler didn’t move from their spot, just sitting and keeping an eye on the stranger – moving head slightly when needed, but otherwise staying still… well, aside from a hand gently petting Pipsqueak, who was now taking cover from the rain. 

“Since I arrived?” Howler hazarded a guess – though they did hope that wasn’t it. “Then again I’ve been traveling between Shroud, Thanalan and La Noscea… I would’ve noticed it by now, had you been following me around through all those areas. So surely not?”

That and Howler was relatively certain that if this stranger had followed Howler all the way to the Invisible City and had seen that fight they had gone through… Then again. People were different here, Howler had learned that much. Humming to themself, Howler placed hand on their chin, thoughtful – eyes closed. 

A sign of trust, in a sense. They trusted the blue-tinged Viera not to attack while Howler's guard was down, at the very least. Soon enough however, they looked back. 

Howler was now just as curious about this stranger, evident from their eyes – the cloned Elezen was not exactly trying to hide their emotions, even if they were always shrouded in the ever present melancholy and weariness. 

Maybe since the Sylphs? Or perhaps once Igey joined Howler’s adventures in Gridania? So many theories, and only one way to really confirm it… well not really, it seemed like the Viera wasn’t exactly keen on too many questions. 

If anything it seemed like there were going to be questions from him, instead. 

Slowly, Howler placed their hand back on their knee, eyes focused on the stalker. “To get the obvious out of the way; My name is Howler. The little one is Pipsqueak.”

Upon hearing his name, Pipsqueak let out a series of clicks and squeaks, before snuggling closer to Howler's side. The clone chuckled ever so softly, before taking a slightly more serious look again. 

“... I’m sorry, I’m not very good at the whole… conversation thing, so apologies if I come off blunt. Was there any particular reason why you were following me?”

The stalker stopped walking, body faced slightly away from the other as they spoke and asked questions. No sign of his expression changing, but he did look at the odd Elezen up and down.

“I know not of your journeys elsewhere. Only since you have stepped foot in this land… Howler.”

Their name sounded so foreign on his tongue. Though his voice was clear and every sound pronounced, it was obvious he had never spoken their name before.

Another step and the stalker started walking again. This time the circle seemed to close a little tighter on Howler, and thus Pipsqueak. The Viera was nearly silent in his movements, but he began to finally speak again.

“You are curious.” A gloved hand lifted to point a finger to Howler’s arm that he clearly knew to be the prosthetic one. “I am cautious of curious newcomers.”

Since Howler had stepped into these lands… Howler let out a hum, turning their gaze from the stranger – looking towards the edge of the forest.

“… my entry was rather unusual, I'll give you that,” Howler's voice was gentle, if not solemn. Quieter, if only slightly.

A flashing light in the middle of a thunderstorm, in the deeper parts of the forest. Howler had thought they had been alone at the time, grief still fresh and raw and oh so painful, ripping a scream from the depths of their soul along with its seams.

Had they known they had been watched at the time, maybe they would’ve tried to control it.

At least Howler hadn’t screamed what they had thought at the time. Of the unfairness. Begging for their friends and family back. To bargain with whoever was in charge to let them have something, anything, from their old life aside from the clothes on their back and arm full of memories.

Clothes and an arm that had to be hidden from people now.

Howler wasn’t even allowed to show who they had been.

Taking a deeper breath, and forcing those thoughts away, they turned their head again to look at the stranger – just in time to hear their comment.

“Curious is one word for it,” the cloned Elezen chuckled – this man had no idea just how different the clone truly was. “And you’re right to be wary of things you know nothing of yet.”

Howler's other hand was placed on where the flesh became warped, connected to the metal, as eyes were downcast towards it. Was it the stones he was sensing? Or the ceruleum?

Either case, he knew the arm was not normal.

“… Lost my arm when I was at the edge of my second growth spurt,” Howler admitted, eyes still where they knew the stones to be. “This was a gift to replace it. Though it does weigh heavy on me at times… I am still not sure if I deserved that kindness. But my family needed me to be ready for anything – so I shall not complain.”

With that, with slow and deliberate moves, they reached down to the sleeve to pull it back – revealing the metal and soft, dim cyan light that trailed across the wrist. Not much more was revealed – Howler only pulled the fabric half-way up the lower arm.

The sheets and plates seemed to slot in perfectly – but there were clear signs of distress. Scratches and burns, old discoloration here and there. At least Howler had tried to keep the arm clean, but even from a small distance it was clear this arm had been worn down by time and combat.

Martha would roll in her grave if she saw the condition the arm was in, but spare parts had been hard to come by.

Howler waited for a brief moment, before pulling the sleeve back down. “If you have questions, ask. I’ll try to be as truthful as I can, though some things I’ll have to keep for myself,” there was an apologetic look from the Elezen at that. “Some rules I don’t agree with, but I have to follow them.”

The blue tinted Viera let the Elezen explain themself. Some might have even described it as rambling on. They so easily divulged parts of their history that seemed quite personal. The stalker didn’t complain.

Mismatched eyes blinked down to the exposed arm, what little daylight there was through the rainstorm clouds glinted off of it. Truly a curious thing.

When Howler prompted him for questions, the walking paused again. Boots slowly turned in the muddy ground to face them.

“What do you plan to do here and how long will you be in these woods?” 

The question was compound but simple and straightforward. It was clear that he did not bother with formalities, nor fluff. No need to learn about histories or backgrounds. He was only focused on the present, this moment. Whether or not he should continue to be cautious, to leave this person alone, or to cut them down in this instant. 

Silence. Oh how it reminded Howler of their mentors – their silence often tinted with either awkwardness, or indifference. Why waste energy on idle brattle, why waste words that would not heal the scars or mangled flesh that had been left behind. 

This silence was different, if only slightly. 

If only enough. 

The questions were simple, the clone giving an apologetic look, before looking up. Thoughtful. Howler wasn’t exactly certain on how long, per say – but they were in a hurry, that much they knew. Three moons was barely enough for Shroud, Thanalan and La Noscea, but with every nest of corruption Howler could find and eliminate… 

Maybe they’d make it to the Far East in time. 

Satisfied with the answer they had come up with finally, Howler looked down again.

“I’m trying to prevent a great disaster from hitting all of Eorzea, and further beyond,” they said, even and confident. “It’s making its roots in places not many dare to go, places not many care about. The effects right now seem beneficial for some, but if it keeps going on…”

There was a look in Howler's eyes – unwavering, almost unblinking. There was a burn behind those blue eyes, determination born from loss since birth, a haunting that made Howler suddenly seem twice their age despite their look.

“I cannot tell how long it will take me to fix things. Ideally, a week when it comes to Shroud, realistically two, but between investigations and chasing leads, I’ll be in and out for a bit.”

That and the Sylphs had demanded Howler would visit the little hamlet as often as possible. 

What Howler needed was time, resources… allies. But who could they really trust with this kind of weight? Telling anyone about the time traveling and impending doom was a coin-toss at best, and it could seriously hinder their efforts. 

The steel and old ache washed away as Howler let out a small sigh, lopsided smile forming – tired, calm, still gentle in understanding yet carrying weight they really shouldn’t have. 

“If you’re worried about me harming the forest, there’s no need. I’d rather not witness the Greenwrath myself.”

Whether they intended it or not, it was plain as day that Howler was worried. Anxious, maybe, there was something to their words that gave a sense of urgency. A sense of fear, even. The stalker listened in silence, daring not to interrupt.

What great disaster this odd one was talking about, the Viera did not know. And part of him didn't wish to care. But the amount of danger this foreigner could cause was not to be taken lightly. It didn't matter how genuine they seemed, or how calm they let off to be. The stalker did not- could not fully trust them. And it seemed like that was a treatment he gave often.

A quiet sigh escaped through the nose of the Viera as he peered back into Howler's eyes. Something was truly honest about the tiredness from them. Truly honest.

“Okay.”

The Viera began to walk again, but not around the Elezen like before. He was stepping away. Leaving.

Before he could get too far, he stopped and turned to Howler one last time.

“Know that I will be watching. For better or for worse.”

A gloved hand raised up to fix cloth back onto his face. Twitchy eyes blinked around his company and beyond them, cautious of the world around. He turned from Howler and Pipsqueak then, stepping back into the forest around, near melding with it once more. Perhaps this would be the first and last time he would be seen by them.

Or perhaps this was just the beginning.

An acceptance – that was as much as Howler was going to get, and honestly, Howler was alright with that. An uneasy alliance was a familiar set up for them, something they knew how to navigate to a certain degree. 

Howler lowered their head, a nod to say goodbye and acknowledgement that the chat was done. That the Viera would be ever present, for a while at least. Hopefully Igey would understand to keep her distance from their silent stalker.

“Maybe next time you’ll grace me with your name, if you get curious enough to approach again,” they replied – amused, not expecting an answer. Howler should’ve asked that, much earlier on… But the Viera had been so suspicious and cautious, and the clone did not want to push it too much. 

Getting even this far was good enough. 

There were footsteps behind Howler – heavy boots against the now wet ground, and a clink of armor Howler had come accustomed to over the past couple of days. 

“Howler, they’re letting us borrow a tent… Who were you with?” 

Howler wasn’t sure if Igey had seen the Viera, and just waited until he was gone – the woman was wrapped in far more many mysteries than the clone. Then again, Howler yearned to talk after spending so much time alone. Maybe that was why they shared so freely? 

“Our blue-tinged shadow that’s been trailing us,” Howler replied, a small smile on their face as they got up. “He’s no danger to us, as long as we don’t cause trouble. A little blunt and short on words, but I think his heart is in the right place.”

Igey stared at the clone for a while, expression unreadable, blue hair getting soaked in the rain, before she finally commented; “... You trust easily.”

“To a degree,” Howler admitted, rubbing their eyes before starting to walk towards the camp. “You said they had a tent we could borrow?”

“On the far end of the left,” Igey motioned, eyes sweeping over the tree-edge where the Viera had disappeared to, before turning back to Howler, eyes narrowing suspiciously. 

Howler was not making this whole bodyguarding duty easy for her.  

[placesyoucallhome]

i want to see a bloody kiss, but idk with who.........

Of course it's Gridania's worst disaster gays

I'd like to think it's after them fighting like, woodwailers or something but honestly not sure with those two...

[placesyoucallhome]

Baatu is 7'2" and Aoki is 5'11"!

He just needs a stepladder in general. Otherwise his neck will sprain, or he'll just have to resort to talking to bellybuttons.

[speckledwing]

commission for @shadesofblades

aoki + forget-me-nots & lilies of the valley

forget-me-nots are known to symbolize true love, respect, and remembrance. they can be given to show faithful and enduring love, but are also used to honor the dead. in the victorian language of flowers, it was common for forget-me-nots to symbolize true love and devotion.

the lily of the valley has a diverse set of meanings and symbolism associated with it. for some, the lily of the valley can symbolize good luck and prosperity. in the victorian language of flowers, the lily of the valley is associated with finding happiness and serenity after a long spell of sadness.

commission info