Tonight, he was Nicholas Covington. One final reprise of the charade. Tomorrow, he would be extracted, finally to return home. Two decades away had felt like an eternity. But his mission had been an important one, as he had reminded himself every time he wondered what he was doing wasting away in Eorzea. All for the glory of Garlemald. He had long dreamed of the day his work would be complete and he could return. He was, admittedly, not looking forward to the bitter cold after he had spent so long in the Black Shroud’s milder clime. But he longed to see his nation, his family, his people. His wife. His son. Aelius was just a boy when he had left, but he would be a grown man now.
Selene was no comparison to his Caecilia awaiting him back home, but she made for a decent enough spouse on paper–good looks, a decent family lineage but just disgraced enough she did not think twice about accepting his proposal, enough gil attached to her family name for them to live comfortably before his own pay in this land had been worth anything, and she had even born him a daughter. Sure, she was vain and preoccupied with herself, but that lended itself to a sort of naivety he found convenient. She rarely asked any questions of him or his past, and never paid much mind to anything he did.
Faye was every bit her opposite, despite their surface-level similarities, and the two were ever at odds because of it. She’d grown into a strong-headed and sensible young woman who he was convinced took far more after him than her mother, but that savage blood in her veins was undeniable. He would be a fool not to make the most of it, however. Her innate skills with healing and magic were a boon not bestowed upon his own people, and he saw to it that her talents blossomed. She was the link to the aether he could never manipulate himself, and his only legacy in Eorzea.
A legacy soon to be cut short. He was quiet through dinner. That wasn’t unusual, though. Selene was busy fussing over Faye picking at her food. She had seemed a bit gloomy ever since Zularti had left, though he couldn’t be certain if she missed the boy, or just envied the independence he had found. After dessert, he excused himself to his study where he spent most of his time within the manor. But tonight was different. Tonight, he poured himself an extra drink before he settled into his armchair.
Tomorrow, everything would be up in flames. He knew exactly what he must do, and the plans were already in motion. No loose ends, no strings left attached, no evidence. The house, the family, every trace of his life in Eorzea would be razed to the ground, and as far as anyone would know, Nicholas along with it. He couldn’t dwell on it. It was simply what must be done. Factual. Inevitable. Inescapable.
He had downed half of his glass when he heard the door creak, cracking open just enough for a familiar face to peek through, pale and delicate. “Father?” She pushed the door open fully, standing in the threshold. “Is everything all right?”
Of course she had noticed. She was a clever girl. She had a way with reading people, even though he didn’t believe she had realized it yet herself.“Of course.” He mustered a small smile for her. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, my dear.”
She lingered a moment, doubt and concern weighing a frown on her features despite herself. She didn’t respond to him, only turned to leave and shut the door behind herself. He wasn’t certain what possessed him, but before she could close to the door, he found himself calling out to her before he could think better of it.
“Faye.” The sound of her name was enough to halt her in her tracks, and she turned back around to face him, the question clear in her expression. “My daughter. Do you know you are my proudest accomplishment?”
She gawked at him, puzzled, but she ultimately accepted those words. “I love you, too, Father.” Awkward, amused, embarrassed, confused. The words were restrained, but the emotions behind them were obvious enough. She quietly shut the door.
Tonight, he was Nicholas Covington. Tomorrow, not even Stanislas van Corinthius would be enough. Tomorrow, he would be the Blue Viper once again.
I think there is an unspoken agreement in the Dreaming that every time Dream has had library sex, Lucienne gets to fuck Gault on his throne when he’s away
A former Garlean soldier and eldest son of a respected Legatus, Aelius sas Corinthius had a promising life ahead of him, until he accompanied his father on a mission to Eorzea. Following its failure for which he holds himself accountable and a series of regrettable decisions, Aelius was left stranded, barely alive, and bedridden in Eorzea, presumed dead. Now somewhat recovered from his injuries, he struggles to hide his identity from Eorzea and the Empire alike and reconcile his conflicted feelings for both nations. He is perhaps seeking redemption of some sort while he tries to understand where his loyalties lie and find direction in a life now devoid of meaning.
The Basics ––– –
Age: 34
Race: Pureblooded Garlean
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Marital Status: In a relationship
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Physical Appearance ––– –
Hair: Silvery white, a hint of platinum blond
Eyes: Light blue-violet, left eye is hidden beneath bandages or an eyepatch
Height: 6′3″
Build: Tall, toned, broad, muscled, slender
Distinguishing Features: Fair skin and hair, bandages across much of his face, a scar running diagonally from his jaw to the bridge of his nose
Common Accessories: Armor, bandages or eyepatch, Magitek axe
Odd Jobs - Aelius works as a freelance mercenary, doing odd jobs. While he won’t do anything morally depraved and cannot take extremely demanding jobs due to injuries from which he is still recovering, he is not otherwise too picky about the work he takes, should your character need a hand (or, rather, an axe).
Garlemald - Aelius is a former Garlean soldier who quickly rose up the ranks, and the eldest son of a respected, late Legatus, now MIA and presumed dead to Garlemald. Fellow former or current soldiers may have known him in the past. Those who hadn’t crossed paths with him may still recognize his face or name. Even to those he’s a total stranger, characters with ties to Garlemald may have a reason to find interest in the somewhat-reluctant Imperial deserter, or can perhaps simply aid him in resolving his conflicted feelings toward his homeland and Eorzea alike.
Random encounters or anything you can think of! Acquaintances, friends, allies, business parties, past connections, distant relatives, enemies, rivals! Some things will require some communication and my approval, but I am willing to consider anything except for romantic or sexual connections.
Click here for Aelius’s carrd for his full bio and more information!
OOC Information –––
My timezone is EST/EDT. I am typically free in the evenings/night.
I am looking for something other than casual/social/tavern/slice-of-life RP. I do enjoy these, and I’m sure they’ll still happen frequently in our RP. I just have no trouble finding this sort of RP, so I’d like to shoot for the things I find less often. Give me intrigue, drama, mystery, horror, action, adventure! I will consider anything aside from romance and ERP (Aelius is not interested, nor am I).
I am looking for long-term connections. I want our characters to play a recurring role in each other’s lives and stories. I want a payoff we can both enjoy for the time we invest RPing together and relationships that develop and last. We don’t have to RP daily (I don’t have that kind of free time even if I wanted to!) or even weekly, just semi-regularly and multiple times. I’m not looking for one-and-done RP’s.
I like para-RP. I tend to write a paragraph or two, but I do write more or less as appropriate to the situation, and also have some flexibility to better match my RP partner. I love detail and description without getting into purple prose. I’d love to write with folks who have similar styles.
I’m not into very lore-breaking stuff, but as you can probably tell, I don’t really RP super vanilla by-the-book stuff, either. I’m somewhere in the middleground. I like to respect the game’s canon and lore, but I’m okay with stretching things for the sake of more intriguing story and RP.
I am only looking for in-game RP right now, no Discord or tumblr RP. I am on the Balmung server, but I’m happy to visit any server of the Crystal Data Center for RP!
I’m an awkward and reserved mess of anxiety and I apologize in advance.
Contact ––– –
Send me an IM here or contact me on Discord! Destiny (Faye)#8463
@balmungrp, @mooglemeet, @crystalxivrp
The Imperial legions once boasted such numbers and strength that their soldiers stretched on and on as far as the eye could see in perfect rows, stiff and at attention. Not a word uttered. Not a wrinkle in uniform. Not a toe out of line. Step out of line, get punished. That was the way of things in the Garlean Empire, and Garlemald's punishments were harsh.
Aelius had always thought himself a diligent and dutiful soldier, but that wasn't exactly true. He was aware of the position his family held, that he held because of them, and the pros of cons. If he had no choice but take the bad, why reject the good? Wasn't that his right to maintain the balance? Some part of him had always felt that he was superior to others, untouchable--that the rules did not apply to him. That notion fell apart once he came to Eorzea, however. No one knew or cared who he was, they only cared that he was an enemy. But his arrogance had long since been bred in him. He learned the reality of things the hard way. Step out of line, get punished.
For so long, he had struggled with where to place the blame for their failed mission–on himself, or Faye and the savage Eorzeans. However, there was another player involved. Aelius was not the only one who had been lost in his ego. Even his father was not infallible, as much as he pretended, as much as Ael had once believed it. Stanislas had his own hubris with which to contend, and in the end, it had burned them all. Step out of line, get punished. No one was above that law.
FFxivWrite 2020
Prompt #29: Paternal
Masterpost
“Master Corinthius, thank goodness you’re here!” the nursemaid poked her head out from the kitchen and exclaimed the moment Aelius passed through the hallway, halting him in tracks. She stepped out into the hall, Valerius balanced upon her hip and her uniform coated in a white powder, looking frazzled with a cleaning rag clutched in her hand. “Can you watch him for me? He’s made a dreadful mess and I’ve only just got him clean. Oh, I’ve got to clean everything up before the Lord and Lady see…”
Ael wasn’t afforded the chance to answer before his much younger brother was thrust into his arms and he stared at the child quizzically before stealing a peek into the kitchen. A bag of flour carelessly left within the boy’s reach was torn asunder and spread all over the kitchen, tiny white handprints everywhere. He struggled to stifle a laugh before he realized he should probably offer some sort of acknowledgement and returned his attention to the exasperated nursemaid. “Oh, uh. I can look after him for a bit, I suppose.”
“Thank goodness! I--”
“Ba-bah! Ba-bah!” the toddler shouted, frantically flailing his chubby arms.
“Right… where’s Ba-bah?”
“Um, in the nursery, I think!” the maid called out, already hurrying back into the kitchen.
“Come on, Val. Let’s go find Ba-bah,” Ael cooed as he headed off to the nursery. However, it was a long walk through the sprawling Garlean mansion, and Valerius was growing impatient, beginning to choke and sob, tiny hands balling into fists as he continued to swing them about. He was shrieking by the time they reached the nursery, but there, at last, was Ba-bah in all his glory, the well-loved sheep plushie sitting atop a mound of other stuffed toys. Ael cradled the child in one arm as he bent to pick up the sheep, offering it to Valerius as he straightened back up.
The boy tentatively reached for the plushie before he hugged both arms around it, squeezing it to his chest. His cries quieted to sniffles, and Ael set him carefully upon the floor, watching the child crawl about and play with his toys for some time until he remembered why he’d been heading for the door to begin with.
“Shit!” He suddenly scooped Valerius and Ba-bah up into his arms and rushed out of the nursery, hurrying through the house and slowing only to hone in on the first house servant he passed.
“Here--watch him,” he bade, passing off the child to the bewildered looking servant as abruptly as he’d been put on babysitting duty himself.
He was breathing heavy by the time he met his father outside, the white-haired man regarding him with a scowl, both hands clasped behind his back.
“You’re late.”
“I know, Father, I apologize. I had to help find Ba-bah and--”
“What is a Ba-bah?” his father’s words cut him off, Stanislas’s icy blue eyes narrowing upon Ael’s face, slipping down to that scar that ran down his cheek to his jaw. “No, never mind. It doesn’t matter. Just another excuse for your incompetence.”
@aelius-ffxiv
