Also crossposted to AO3 if you prefer to read it there.
Minor 7.0 spoilers. Enjoy!
Whilst laying out her gems for her next craftymake, one tends to catch her eye. It is a dark fuchsia color found in what seems overmany in the area of Yyasulani and the rest of Heritage Found that Uplanders have started to call alexandrite. (Kwas tries to correct them saying its amethyst but her rants have fallen on blockears. Or maybe they don't understand gob/mobspeech.) Regardless, they remind her of his eyes.
Its enough to distract her from what she was initially attempting to do simply because she can't not think about him. It never goes in the same order but, she'll think about when she first saw him for instance, back in Earthenshire during the trials. She didn't pay him much mind, much more interested in finding goblins moblins, learning about the potpacts and potsworn and what she thought would be the best of both worlds for her - working with goblins as a shinyrocks craftymaker.
It was on her way to gather her materials and tools to officially move there that they officially met - her overhearing that his sister went missing potentially due to a local bandit group that targeted merchants and offering up that she could pose as one. He declined, immediately, citing that he would not put someone else in danger that he himself could do. But she reasoned they may not fall for his disguise given that many knew who he was and what he looked like as Second Promise.
Backthinking on it now, she's not sure what compelled her to offer and insist. She'd like to say that she could finally do something to physically help others as her capacity as a merchant rather than offering baubles or tidbits but in the moment? She just acted. And though her role ended after Wawkesa and his merry band of bandits were aphrended and she could walk away… she didn't. It felt, wrong to do so. She couldn't do much, but she could at least help look, yes yes?
Seeing Thancred here after so long was a jump and a half (she knows he didn't recognize her) but there wasn't much time to think about it when the man left them alone and the miqo'te wondered why it was his older brother wouldn't help him look when he felt quite strongly siblings should inspite of this contest that divided them. She thought of her own family, how, if things were different, she would, and she thinks that's what made her feel a sort of kinship with him.
After that well… Kwasei always found miqo'te to be interesting with their bright eyes and fuzzears. And she liked the sound of his voice. It's soft, deep but not too much and soothing. And she's not surprised he gives her heartthumps. Most miqo'te do that to her. But he was kind. After rescuing his sister he made sure she got back to Tuliyollal and Earthenshire safe.
And maybe that made it a bit too much for her to not heartthink and of course she had to tell Inxli and Thorne and they pushed her maybe a bit more than they should have… It was a crush. Like everygob else she'll get over it and pretend it never happened. He even said he didn't feel the same, she's ok with that and look! They're friends now. And she likes being his gobfriend.
Besides… she's just Peddlestox. Not Wawasei. And even then she doubt her family would really matter here. And he was… well Koana was Dawnservant - Vow of Reason to his sister's Resolve. She's pretty sure that the people here would want their… king for a lack of a better word, to be with someone who at the very least isn't a foreigner. There was no reason to believe anything could happen. She knew this. Had accepted it.
Then came Wawkesa and the Sneakytaker Incident and now… she can't stop thinking about it. That protective growl in his voice, how safe she felt, the warmth of being held battling the chill of fear. The seeds of her infatuation had sprouted and while they were managable before, being little more than wilted grass, these days they may as well be towering weeds, unable to be pruned and spreading like wild.
She sighs, because now that she's on this thought process she knows nothing is going to get done, and gets up from her workbench to flop on her bed. Stix and Stox look up confused, but she's not looking at either of them to see what they're pantomiming. Her creativity is gone for the day sapped away and not even for a speedybrain but due to heavyheart.
It will go away and she'll be fine for a while and then something sneakywalks into her line of sight and she backthinks, and it starts over again. She doesn't think she ever felt like this before, but then again she never satput long enough around a potential heartmate for this long either. But it will go away. Has to. There's no other choice.
now its just figuring out where to go from here...
divider by saradika-graphics (i love these buttons)
Nonowato: This is Chief Stickqix, the manufactory foreman!
Stickqix: Pshhh... Shkohhh... Would I be correct in assuming you are the miner the guild has sent? Splendid, splendid! 'Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Stickqix: I run this humble manufactory, leading my workers as we push the very boundaries of technology to their utmost limits!
...Would it be terribly rude if I inquired as to why you look quite so shocked?
Nonowato: I would imagine this is our miner friend's first time meeting a goblin quite as eloquent as you, sir.
Stickqix: Pshhh... Shkohhh...
Sharp as ever, my dear Nonowato!
Stickqix: This line of work frequently requires me to interact with other races, such as yourself, and I frankly found gobbiespeak a ghastly hindrance to busydeals─sorry, business. This spurred me on to work tirelessly to master the common tongue.
Stickqix: After all, when you have chosen to devote your life to pushing the very boundaries of tech─wait, I have already told you this, haven't I? Simply put, we aim to further technology in Eorzea by harnessing the knowledge and expertise of both man and goblin alike.
(I am seriously disconcerted talking to this guy. Goblins are s’posed to sound a certain way, man, you can’t just change this up on me!)
@vaynglory here’s what i have so far re: gobbiespeak! it’s more a list and a couple notes right now but i plan to add to it and spruce it up eventually lol
(due to the knowledge left behind by sharlayans, the idyllshire gobbieflock potentially speaks better "common" than other gobbiekin, since they have been reading the books, papers, etc they found in the city. this is a pretty handy post on the official forums about the basics of gobbiespeak.)
sunupses = breakfast (eating x for sunupses)
deathpit = Hell/FFXIV Hell analogue? (find source in cs)
tongueflaps = words (trading tongueflaps = talking/conversing)
eyecatch = see (long time no eyecatch)
longstop = permanent settlement, such as a town or city (brayflox's longstop. is this commonly used due to the great pilgrimage)
barebottoms = empty? (used only in a certain context? "gobbie mindfruit plucked to barebottoms")
uplander = non-gobbie (only applies to spoken races?)
gobbiebond = deep friendship/relationship between gobbies (slowfix and brayflox are connected by unseverable gobbiebond)
gobwatch = the gobbie guards in idyllshire
with fastness = quickly
quillwords = written words, such as in a book
shutport = locked or guarded door
braincase = head
airy-self = aether?
fighty-tool = weapon
joiny-skill = materia melding
stonyshine = materia
brainfruit = ideas (creative thoughts?)
backstrike = strike back
crafty-made = crafted (crafty-maker = crafter)
blastyboom = explosion? (probably explosions not made by gobbie bombs. How different from firebloom?)
creaturebits = monster parts
knowings = knowledge (have knowings)
lustyeyes = envy/jealousy (have lustyeyes for junk of brayflox)
busydeal = agreement (can likely be used for all agreements even outside of business deals, given how much of gobbie lifestyle is built around business)
watercross = bridge
jinglyshine = gil/money
humsing = sing? particularly in relation to gears and technology? (wheels humsing uplander doom)
dizzyheels = running? ( Stop dizzyheels of the wicked, from Metal )
neckbreaks = kill? (gobbie-neckbreaks)
bluehands = the illuminati (only called this in the music for Alexander raid? Illuminati are called "Blue Hands" in JP.)
* "Pshh.... Shkohh..." is the noise made by breathing through the gobbie mask, usually marks a pause or begins a sentence. Probably wouldnt be made by a character who speaks gobbie but doesnt wear the mouthpiece/visor of the mask.
* Always speak in 3rd person, without possession. Ex. jinglyshine of Gillyfix, not "my jinglyshine" or "gillyfix's jinglyshine". This goes for all parties in a sentence. (What's x of Gillyfix is also x of Bob)
Logstin! Manylips need flap but Peddlestox is much fulljoy!
Peddlestox fargo on the farsea to what Brightfolk call Tural! Will talk about Smallfolk at soontime (tallfluffies so cute!), but Peddlestox saw greatthing:
MOBBIES! Gobfolk live here! Though called Mobfolk. And Peddlestox can live at the longstop! As Potsworn!
...Peddlestox too see Uplander... ...Quickneed send note to Inxli for manythoughts!!!!
for @mimble-sparklepudding to brighten their day
who is this uplander I wonder...
also I want these houses to live in pls; you have no idea how happy I was to see Moblins and this village when I was going through on Xyn
(i'm not sorry about title
i'm tired of seeing this in my wips
dt spoilers, enjoy)
She was no stranger to the dangers on the road.
She was a traveling merchant and a lalafell besides. If it wasn't bandits and mercenaries or tempered men to take her to a primal, then it was the fauna and flora seeing something small and easy to eat.
While she was more than aware of the dangers, there wasn't anything she took with her for defense. True, if possible she never traveled alone, always with a caravan headed her way, and she did make it a point that someone would know where she was going and how long she would be gone roughly, but she had no knife on her, no gun. Nothing more than tools, which did include hammers and mallets, but not a weapon proper.
And for the most part, that was fine. She had her trusty 'bo Lapis, a rather fiery pink bird who did not tolerate anyone threatening her. She could run (let her small stature and legs not belie how fast). And now she had a magic brush she could fling paint in the face with.
She doesn't think it assuaged anyone's fears, but it was enough for her.
Until... it wasn't.
She's not quite sure how it happened. One moment she was on her way home and the next, she hears a wark and before she knows it she's up in the air - being carried - and Stix and Lapis were left behind.
Its not until she's thrown unceremoniously to the ground that she gets a good look past the colorful blur of Kozama'uka. Because the colors are all blot out and gone, replaced with browns and grey.
Several things come to Kwas:
First, she's alive. A horrible thought to have, but it means they want her alive.
Second, she's in a cave. Some sort of hideout.
Three, her chocobo wasn't with her, and neither were the parcels and valuables on the chocobo.
Which reinforces point one with four, they wanted her specifically and she needs to be alive to accomplish... whatevers.
She huffs, not happy to be gobnapped.
"Are y'sure this is wise boss?"
She looks up and sees... oh... him. She remembers when she saw him... moons ago? When the trials were still going. She was afraid then, though not as much as she could have been. After all she wasn't alone. She was being watched. And they put a stop to everything before anything could have been done. Now though...
Now Kwas looks at Wawkesa a mixture of fear and anger going through her. "O' course," the pink haired man answered. "They're just a person from across the salt with a moblin mask. Nothin' to be scared o'."
"I am curious though... what lies beyond the mask..." With no finesse he ripped it off of her. "Kind of'a cute thing if you're into Pelu Pelu. If no one comes for her... there are... other ways to make her useful."
Oh how she wants her paint brush... She must've dropped it in the struggle.
"What do you say, sweet thing?" Well since she doesn't have the filter in the way... she spits in his face, not unlike the alpacas here. He wipes the spit away. She's not sure where she got the bravery from... except maybe her anger at having lost her mask. "Don' test me, sweet thing." But he backs away and he takes the gobbie mask with him.
For the most part she's left alone after that, with the only other time she was approached was to be tied up. She didn't bother to struggle. One threat of a dagger to her neck was enough for compliance.
From the light coming through the cave she knows its now night. Too soon she believes for someone to have notice her missing. The moblins would not worry until after the next day, and what friends she has would not be visiting Tural any time soon. Worse, the ones that know she is missing would be her wind-up gobbie Stix and Lapis... who for all she knows...
It's enough to make her cry and curl in on herself. She hears laughter from the other side of the cave, perhaps at her, perhaps not, but it makes her cry a bit more. She's reminded of the time her parents did this - holed her up awaiting the next step. She feels as useless and hopeless now as she was then. Perhaps more so as she can't think of a way to escape.
It's with those thoughts churning in her head she falls asleep.
She's not sure how long she was asleep, but the horrid dreams wake her to a quiet cave. It's dark, no fire light or moonlight, but to her knowledge no one else is awake. True she's tied up to where she couldn't walk off, but it seems odd to her that no one is on watch.
Kwas frowns and wonders if she could use this to her advantage. She tests the ropes on her wrists first. Very tight and behind her. Then the ones on her ankles. Not as tight, but she can't wiggle out and she doesn't think she can bend enough... no she can't. Too difficult to raise her legs or lower her head.
...But she could inches. She looks around the room. No one is awake. A few are asleep in bed rolls or against the cave wall...
Kwawasei shifts so she's on her knees to.. not quite crawl. She has to hold her upper half awkwardly but she can sort of shuffle her knees and move.
It's slow going. Not just because of how little she's able to move but also because she's trying to be quiet. It feels like bells, and she's tired and scared and looking over her shoulder, but she makes it outside to fresh air.
Now what?
She could keep going, needs to, does. But it's not safe. Predators, animal ones, are still awake, and she's vulnerable. She doesn't have her bearings, but even so she knows the nearest camp or settlement or smallstop is very far when she can't walk.
She feels the hopelessness come back but shuffles onward, wishing all the while she wasn't wearing bright pink. She still tries to hide behind bushes, just incase someone or something is hunting her. Maybe it will help? It makes so much noise though...
She isn't sure how long and far she's been going. As ilm-y as she has been going it couldn't have been too long. Her heart still sinks when she hears the pounding of footsteps. And she's not all surprised when she's plucked up off the ground.
But there's no taunting. No horrible nickname she never wants to hear again. And when she looks, even in the dead of night, there is pink. A familiar fuzzy pink.
"Did you find her?" And a muffled wark answers above her. Lapis! And he got help! And then she recognizes the voice as Koana comes from around a corner. She doesn't have time to think much else as her bo practically shoves her into the hhetsarro's, mystel's, miqo’te's - whatever's! - arms. The Vow of Reason only takes a moment to catch his breath before untying her, and she takes her time rubbing feeling into her once bound limbs.
The silence between them was awkward. At least on her end, it was. This was the first time he'd seen her without the mask. She knows she's strange, even without it. She couldn't bring herself to look at him and attempt to read his thoughts. There's not even a moment to themselves before:
"Spread out, an' find 'er!"
Kwawasei cringes, panicking. She can't go back there. She doesn't even know, doesn't even want to know, what they will do to her, with her. She is smart enough to know it would not be kind, isn't naive enough to think she'd be a mere captive and nothing else.
Kwas comes out of her spiraling thoughts with this:
A low wark from Lapis that sounds akin to a growl, her chocobo fluffed up and posturing as if he will kick and claw with his talons, the metalic click of a gun that leaves her cold and breathless, even with an arm gently pulling her close to a warm body and -
"I dare you to come any closer."
Oh, she thinks. They found them. Oh, she remembers. Koana has a gun, not them. Oh, she breathes, as despite the shock and fear she's warm... and ultimately safe.
"Y'can't take on all o' us."
"I faced down Valigarmanda and the previous Dawnservant as apart of the trial. You will be nothing by comparison." He sounds less like the Vow of Reason and more the one of Resolve. Not unlike how he sounded when they went to rescue his sister...
She doesn't look up from his shoulder. Too afraid at what she'd see. The quiet seriousness of it all was telling though, she thinks. She never met the man's father and she knows nothing of this Valigarmanda but it has to be impressive that they haven't said a word and done as he says.
Either way, he picks her up as he stands, slowly, and practically stalks towards her vibrant bird. He sets her down on the saddle and out of the corner of her eye she sees them staring, dumbfounded. The man in front of her keeps his gun pointed in their direction all the while, finger on the trigger as he grabs the bird's reigns and leads them away.
He does not put his gun down nor keep his eye off of them until they are well out of sight.
Its only when she sees the small village of Many Fires does she break the tense silence with "...Not Earthenshire?"
He falters slightly, ears flattening she notes, before looking at her. "Forgive me but I... would feel better with having you in Tuliyolal for now. If... you do not mind." She thinks about it for not even a breath. She'd feel better in the LongStop herself...
The rest of the way was made in silence and Kwas was thankful when they made it to the city there were few people to see them due to the bell. What few there were she kept her face down and prayed her hair would hide her as they stabled Lapis (who seemed to not mind nor bother the alpacas) and walked towards For'ard Cabins.
Stix greeted her with happy flops as he runs over. And she can't help but hug him in relief, mindful she doesn't crush him and the parts that allow him to move.
"Will you be alright here until I have prepared a room for you?"
Kwawasei looks up at him, eyes wide. "Peddlestox no need!" she says on instinct. "ShortStay fine!"
"If you are sure..." She nods. "Then I will leave you to your rest," he says softly.
As he turns to leave she grabs the end of his coat, causing him to turn. She hopes her hair is hiding how thick her blush is (she's doubtful of that) without the mask. "Manythanks for quicksave..." she says softly before letting go.
"I was glad to help," he says just as soft before he bows and goes on his way.
i am so mad at this thing
sat in drafts for forever
finally got to a breakthrough
wrote it down
and then it had the AUDACITY to delete itself
this should be on AO3 but screw it
#done
this is now on AO3
