#kar'azem

[karoiseka]

Mayqo'te Day 12: Mirror

[karoiseka]

Goodbye...

Day 4 of Hearts Ablaze: Heartache/breakup: Goodbye.

Original blurb-story written Here, these shots ones I wanted to get then and wasn't as good at gpose at the time. Not written, this passionate last kiss before Kar'a--Ikarus--runs, unwilling to watch as Hyth disappears, a sacrifice for Zodiark.

[karoiseka]

4) Self-Editing

((A little Kar'azem/Ikarus on this one! Vague spoilers through 6.0 I suppose!))

"You need to keep your mask up!" the chiding voice once again was directed at the young girl, blue eyes burning in defiance at the edict. The white and silver mask—identical to everyone who wasn't on the convocation—hung loosely around her neck as she played in a tide-pool. The required robes were also nowhere to be found, discarded for more practical shorts and sleeveless tunic. This was only slightly more acceptable due to the robes being a hazard in the water where she now played. The mask was unavoidable in public, however much she railed against it. Holding it loosely she delayed the inevitable.

"You need to keep your mask up!" the words were hissed close to her ear as her best friend and neighbor passed her in the education center's halls. Though they were close outside of those walls, he usually kept to a different circle of friends and acquaintances while there, distancing himself from the troublemaker. The different one. She didn't blame him for the act—he was brilliant and held himself to the highest of standards. The seats of the Convocation were where he deserved to be eventually, and with steadfast stubbornness she believed he would make it there one day. Tugging the mask into place, hood pulled down, she blended in with all the others besides the thin green ribbon that peeked out tied in her hair.

"You need to keep your mask up!" she had only taken it off for a moment, wanting to see the fresh blooms with uncovered eyes, but a moment was all it took for someone to notice and snap at her taboo behavior. Scowling at the man she adjusted her hood so it wasn't as obvious that her mask was pushed up on her forehead. She missed the forests and the freedom outside the city. It was about time for another excursion—and maybe she'd answer that weird missive from Azem. It hadn't given a time or place, just a "meet me" scrawled on a piece of parchment, the symbol of the office blazed on the envelope. It was most likely a test, but it was at least interesting sounding after the stagnant city.

"You need to keep your mask up!" she glared at the speaker as she threw another shield up. They were concerned about her mask now? In the middle of this storm while trying to keep people safe? Her white hair blew across her uncovered face, traveling cloak caught in the wind. He was no consequence—only keeping the people of this town safe, as was her edict from Azem. Being a Word of Azem gave her certain freedoms and leniency that the more conservative of the people still balked at. Nonetheless it was allowing her to break free and recreate herself in her own image, allowing her differences to be a strength instead of weakness.

"You need to keep your mask up!" the voice came from the side, and quickly cut off as she turned. Her mask lay at her chest where it usually did, her blue eyes shining. Stammering an apology as they saw instead of white and silver, a shimmering bird upon a sea of stars. A smile broke out upon her face, smirking as she introduced herself.

"I am Ikarus, of the Seat of Azem—and I don't think I shall."

[karoiseka]

Day 7 of OC x Canon Week: Kiss within a cityscape!

So it's not *quite* pure city, but I figured these are prob long-range teleporters that Kar'a sometimes uses when leaving Amaurot or other locals. Hyth was seeing her off with one last quick taboo kiss w/o masks in public!

[karoiseka]

25) Perpetuity

((Okay, I know, posting *very* late, though submitted on time. Screenshots are the death of me. Anyways, had some energy to get logged in and a few shots for tonight! Have some Kar'a/Ikarus musings with... Endwalker spoilers... in ARR))

The waking consciousness without being able to affect her surroundings grated on Ikarus’ nerves, but she could not refute the joy of exploration and seeing the world anew with her summoner.  Well, for lack of a better word that’s what she was.  The young lady, Karoiseka, had somehow inadvertently summoned her spirit while praying, looking for someone to watch over her and guide her.  The connection had been tenuous at first, fading in and out–Ikarus completely fading whenever the girl slept or had been knocked unconscious.  As the bond strengthened, so too did the amount of control Kar’a had over herself.

She still couldn’t touch her magic–which stung the most.  It had been a part of her, as easy as breathing, to summon what she needed with nary more than a thought and a little bit of aether.  Everything from a simple hat to shade her eyes, to companions from near and far to aid her, gathering stars to her side.  Shielding and healing was another facet of her magic that wouldn’t work, helpless in the face of the adversary Karo faced to help her most.

The world as it was fascinated Ikarus though, as she attempted to learn as much as she could through conversations and reading over Karo's shoulder whatever book she had out.  She at first wasn't sure if she was still on Etheirys, without the aid of aether sight, but there were enough similarities to assume she was.   There were controversialy enough differences to say she was not as well. 

For the side saying it was not the same as her home, there were so many more intelligent races.  From the Miqo'te that Karo was, to the small Lalafells, the towering Roegadyn, the lithe Elezan, and so many more besides.  The differences were vast, cultures creating a divide, but that didn’t deter them from making alliances and learning to live together.  It wasn’t all goodwill and happiness to all by any means, but it worked for the most part, and with the help of Hydaelyn’s Champion, was getting better all the time.

Figuring out that Hydaelyn was the name of the star–or at least what they called it–was what convinced Ikarus that this was Etheirys, though drastically changed.  Memories of the Final Days blurred and were fuzzy at best, a haze of pain, suffering, and doing everything possible and still failing again and again.  What wasn’t a blur was Venat telling her the grand plan–how to oppose Zodiark and the Convocation that had brought him into being.  

The pain of that betrayal–first from her beloved stars–her brothers and sisters of the Convocation with the summoning of a “God” that would save them.  One that demanded half–HALF–of the people of the Etheirys to sacrifice themselves to bring him into being to stop the Final Days.  Then, while the world still reeled from that crushing blow, they asked for another half again to bring the world back to the way it was–the animals, the grass, the wind and water.  People still came forward to volunteer, but as with the first time–some didn’t have a choice and were randomly taken to feed the monster they had created.

The second betrayal was that of Venat and her followers.  Their answer? To summon yet another “God” to oppose and bind Zodiark.  For what good would that do?  The people were still gone, and sacrifice after sacrifice was not the answer.  The name of this new “god” though, Ikarus remembered, was Hydaelyn.  To have it be the name of this Star–well, she wasn’t sure what to think of that.  

She had been following Karo for barely a couple moons when the next big revelation came to pass.  The small group of the girl, the young cocky boy, and the man with the memory issues had come to a frozen wasteland to get an airship.  Those at least were something she had learned about, but she supposed this one was special for some reason.  They had finally worked their way through the stronghold where it had landed, a sleeping dragon guarding.  Karo was left to watch, her companions creeping along the edge of the room to reach the frozen airship perched on the wall above.

When the voice had first started, Ikarus thought she was hearing things.  It sounded like him, but hollow, gruffer, tainted.  Things the indomitable Speaker of the Convocation would never allow himself to be.  Stern, yes, but never this cruel voice.  It couldn’t be him.  Until she looked up and saw the red mask.  Yet, it couldn’t be the Lahabrea she knew.  Could it?  The world was so drastically different, there was no way he had lasted in perpetuity this long in the seat.  And where were his robes?  The black robes with the spikes was a dark mockery of the robes the people of Amaurot wore to show solidarity and equality. 

Ikarus missed the fight with the dragon.  If it wasn’t for the link that tugged her along to not be far from Karo she would have missed what happened with the strange aqua crystal that had remained floating in the air after the dragon had been vanquished.  Karo was there and not, and as Ikarus closed her eyes, she could see the aetherial sea where her soul had been transported to.  Brilliant blue lines formed in the star-filled darkness as Ikarus felt as if she still had a beating heart it would stop in that moment.

The Blessing of Light, of Hydaelyn.  The magic, though she couldn’t sense it, was clearly, and without a doubt, Venat’s.  And Karo was her Champion–not just of the star.  She opened her eyes to Karo passing out at her feet, Alphinaud and Cid hurrying over.  Letting the magic pull her along, she didn’t remember the airship ride, or much after, her mind a blur.

How much had passed?  What exactly happened?  The details of her own death were unclear, unsure of even how she had left the mortal coil, only knowing that she had–and had drifted for so long.  Had Venat sacrificed herself to become this Hydaelyn?  Was her mentor really still out there, somewhere?  Answers were not to be had in this moment, questions coming faster than could be answered, leaving Ikarus in turmoil.  Hopefully the answers would come to her at Karo’s side, so she would keep her ears open, suddenly more concerned about why she had been summoned to witness these events.

[karoiseka]

6) Halcyon

((Some ShB/End Angst in the form of my "yearly" "poem". heh.))

Fire burned in the sky

Silver spires burnt–turned black with ash

Chaos among a peaceful people

Destruction no matter where one roamed

Neither home safe from harm

A traveler returns

To say goodbye

Dreaming of halcyon days

Happiness believed to last forever

Torn from her grasp

Turning to fight till the last

[karoiseka]

Day 6 of #8DaysofXIVLove ! Philautia: Self Love. I... got a little silly with this one, but, well. How could I not with the low-hanging carrot right there? The last pair of pics was done verrry quickly right before maint. lol But I like it anyways. ^_^ (and reused a couple of pics at first from something else, but I love them)

[karoiseka]

4) Off the Hook

((this is a direct continuation of yesterday's, so enjoy! ^_^ I'm trying not to worry about word count this time around and just write till I run out of time/am happy with where I am with what I have down. Seems to be working so far!))

The pack of predators had been subdued–either fled, or unfortunately returned to the Star. Ikarus breathed deep of the air, her weapons finally settling on her back, unneeded at last.  Hades–Emet-Selch–was cleaning his own sword magically, before banishing it to wherever he kept it with a snap of his fingers–dramatic movement ingrained even with an audience of one.

“Well, now that that unpleasantness is done, it’s time to get back,” his eyes narrowed as he looked her over, new wounds gracing her frame, and the ones garnered before he had been summoned reopened with her exertions.

“And you’re coming with me,” before she could protest, his magic and woven itself around her, binding her in place before being whisked through the aether alongside him.  They unsurprisingly landed back in Amaurot, though in her own apartment, which did startle her.  It had been some time since he had last been there, and his accuracy was frightening.

“Don’t move.”  The order was almost growled, as she stood in the middle of her quarters, purple aether swirling where he had disappeared once more.  It seemed she wasn’t as off the hook for dragging him a quarter way around the Star to rescue her as she thought.  Ikarus–Azem–contemplated moving to one of her chairs, but before the thought was even completed, Emet was back, their shared lover beside him.

“Take care of her,” a gentle push to Hythlodaeus’ back had him stumbling towards her, as Emet smirked, and with a snap of his fingers, was gone once more.  The sequence had stunned her into silence, the beat of the clock the only sound besides their breathing for several long moments.  Hyth finally shook himself out of his shock, looking at her with understanding.

“Oh little bird, what did you do to yourself!” he was already singing under his breath when he reached her, hands hovering over the nicks and scratches that he could see.  The gentle touch of his magic washed over her, wounds and clothing alike mending under his ministrations.  He liked to say that he didn’t bring enough to their little lopsided trio in terms of might, but she felt it was more potent than anything either Hades or herself did.

“Nothing a little aether won’t heal,” she smiled up at him, feeling much better, and pulling him down into a kiss.  

“Now, I guess I have an evening to recuperate on orders.  Shall we make the most of it before I head back out?”  Kar’a received her answer in actions, not words, as Hythlodaeus pulled her closer with a smile, embracing her once more with vigor.