#leon robinaux

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

Character Roster

Solenne Lagarde: the scion of a founding family of Gridania, born to wealth and privilege. But instead of embracing the life of an aristocrat, she has trained in umbral spellcraft and the shinobi arts, and now runs an information brokerage and discreet jobs service known as Black Dove Ventures.

Michaux Vidal: the last in a long line of Gelmorran lore keepers, forced to leave his decaying homeland behind when a cave-in killed most of his family. He continues to work as a Gelmorran historian, explorer, cartographer, and amateur archaeologist. He is also an employee of Black Dove Ventures.

Mirette Lavoie: a voidsent in Spoken guise, attempting to turn over a new leaf. Born a citizen of Mhach in its latter years, she was struck by a powerful curse in her teens and was twisted into a voidsent. After allowing hunger and revenge to drive her for centuries, she met someone who reminded her of the Elezen girl she once was. Now she has embraced that version of herself again. 

Leon Robinaux: a former Gridanian in search of a purpose and in denial about his mixed-clan heritage. After committing a heinous crime as a young man which necessitated flight from his homeland, Leon drifted until he was hired on as a Hingan crime boss’s right-hand man. Now he’s been captured by his enemies and disowned by his boss, so his future is full of uncertainty.

Ariane Dallaire: the firstborn child of an Ishgardian viscount and niece to the current Count Haillenarte. Her position in Ishgardian society comes with many expectations, not all of which are quite palatable to her. In fact, she deliberately created a scandal to undermine her own marriage prospects, just so that she could focus on her passion: Sharlayan astrology.

Svala Ljanta: the Rabanastre-born daughter of a banished Rava. Despite her traditional Viera name, Svala considers herself Dalmascan through and through. But if she mourns the fall of her homeland, she never shows it. A dancer by trade and a party girl by choice, she is virtually never serious.

Yves Severin: a Duskwight cursed to share his body with a second soul and feed upon the negative emotions of others. By some reckonings, Yves has lived since the last days of Gelmorra, and by others, since the War of the Magi. But the passing centuries have not taken away his interest in life, and he fills his days with reading, writing, travel, occult investigations, and solo expeditions to the ruins of Mhach.

Emilien Revardaux: the disowned eldest son of a wealthy and respected Gridanian family. After a frightening childhood incident resulted in his parents’ separation and divorce, he made it his goal in life to spite his father by bringing as much disgrace upon his family name as possible. And hells, has he had fun doing it.

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

how easily would your muse get over a bad breakup?

Imean, you’ve seen how Solenne and Michaux handle break-ups. Solenne getsextremely focused on work, tells everyone she’s fine, and forgets how to smile.Michaux has a complete meltdown, drinks his weight in rum, and makes even worselife choices than usual. I haven’t RPed a break-up for any of my othercharacters, although I imagine that Leon would handle it graciously and cry inprivate, while Yves would calmly accept it as a natural part of existence - allthings end, after all. I’m not sure about how Mirette or Ariane would take it,although things might get violent in Mirette’s case. Hell has no fury, and allthat. Kjartan would not get over a break-up easily and he knowsit, which is why he’s never been in a committed romantic relationship before.Svala would laugh, party hard, and never let anyone see her pain.

Askme about character ships 

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

what is your muse’s love language?

I love this question so much, I’m answering for all my characters. 

Solenne: Quality time and gifts in equal measure. Because of her wealth, giving tends to be one of her favorite ways to express love rather than to receive it, although a unique gift, especially one that took effort to make or procure, can make her day. In general, quality time is how she likes to receive love, and it’s her usual mode of expressing her love for Idristan.

Michaux: Quality time! If he cares for you, he’s going to force you to put up with having him around. And surprising him with visits tends to a great way to improve his day, even if he pretends to fuss about having his work interrupted.

Mirette: Acts of service. She feeds and cares for a group of street kids in Limsa, for example, and she devotes her time and skill to teaching Idristan techniques that will help him manage his... issues. When people do thoughtful things for her, she gets so touched that she can barely contain herself.

Leon: Words of affirmation. He is quick to remind the person he loves of their best qualities, and will even go so far as to acknowledge the merits of his favorite enemies. But unfortunately, the reverse is also true - he has a very sharp tongue toward those he hates. Even more unfortunately, since he also longs for praise and affirmation himself, this has been a way in which his employer has manipulated him in the past.

Ariane: Acts of service are how she likes to express love. She is the helper in her family. She does clerical work for her father, helps her mother in her charitable projects, assists her youngest siblings in their studies, advises her sister Emilie on matters of fashion, and puts together care packages for her brother Jeremie, a knight stationed in the Sea of Clouds. Her favorite ways to receive love are words of affirmation and quality time.

Kjartan: Physical touch. Kjartan does not trust in words, possibly because he’s so adept at using words to obscure the truth himself. But touch is more straight-forward. He often touches people he feels comfortable with, and is happy to accept the same in return. This has not always been true. There was a time when he trusted touch even less than words, but his brother has had a profound influence on him in this regard.

Svala: I haven’t yet had the opportunity to RP on Svala, and so I’m not confident about her love language. Quality time would be my best guess for her, both when giving and receiving love.

Yves: As usual, Yves is the complicated one. Not surprising for someone whose personality is actually two diametrically opposed personalities awkwardly fused together. One side of him prefers to give and receive acts of service, particularly when those acts require bravery and sacrifice. The other side is not good at love in general. This is the side of him that actively chooses loneliness as a lifestyle, despite secretly abhorring it. Quality time is the best way to reach out to this part of him, and on a good day, he might return in kind. 

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

Faultlines

The subterranean archives of the Conservators of Hingan Culture and Welfare smell like dusty old books and cold stone. The lanterns hang at intervals throughout each cavernous chamber create long, eerie shadows as a tall, lean figure drifts from one pool of light to another. He moves quickly - not running, but close - and his long tunic ripples and billows with each stride. His footsteps echo ominously, announcing his presence long before he throws open a sliding paper door.

He enters a smaller room that looks like a cross between an office and a parlor. There are shelves full of books and scrolls and various objects of interest along the walls, and a neat little writing desk in a corner. But in the center of the room is a low, ornately carved table set atop a tatami mat. An elderly Hyur is seated on the mat facing the door, calmly drinking green tea out of a beautiful cast iron cup.

Upon the entrance of his uninvited guest, the Hyur lowers his cup. "Good morning, Leon. Something told me I would receive a visit from you this morning."

"No doubt that's why you sent Suregiin's report by courier," Leon replies, not quite able to keep the notes of fury and betrayal out of his tone or expression. "To make sure I found out soon, but not /too/ soon, is that right? Doesn't Surengiin have enough to do without encroaching on my assignments?"

"Surengiin has never given me cause to doubt her skill or loyalty." "And I have?"

His boss lifts his head and gives him a calm, level look.

Leon feels some of his wrath give way to fear, but he doesn't allow it to show. Allowing the boss to see weakness is never a good policy. "You ordered her to kill Atlan. Atlan. What has he done to be singled out for assassination? Would not Idristan, or Michaux, or literally anyone else be a more useful target? Atlan is scarcely more than a boy."

The elderly gentleman sips his tea in silence. He formulating his response at his own leisure, as is his prerogative.

Nervous and irritated, Leon begins to pace in front of him. But he stops in his tracks when his boss finally speaks.

"You knew." The words are uttered calmly, but there is something about them that sends a sudden chill down Leon's spine. He knows exactly what those two simple words mean, but he feigns confusion.

"Sir?"

His boss resolutely sets his cup on the table, and the small sound echoes around the room until it sounds almost like a gong that has been rung in Leon's head.

"A man of your abilities and resources could not have failed to discover what kind of demon that 'boy' is harboring," the elderly man says. As always, his tone is perfectly calm. Almost serene. But there is something deeply disturbing in that serenity at the moment. "And you didn't tell me. You are my eyes, but you left me blind, and two of my most elite shinobi are dead. One has been working for me for twenty years. A trusted old friend, and I have not even a body to return to his family."

Gods.

Leon doesn't know how to answer that. He isn't - can't be - sad that Altan killed rather than allowing himself to be killed. Indeed, his relief in the knowledge that his young friend still lives is great enough to leave him shaken. But the boss doesn't refer to many people as his 'friend.' This is not a loss he will soon forgive or forget.

"Do you understand, Leon?"

He understands all too well. There are only two questions left. "If you didn't know what he was before sending Surengiin's team to kill him, what was your reasoning? Was this my punishment for losing Lebeaux?"

The elderly gentleman's smile is subtle and unnerving. "Let us say instead that in light of your recent missteps, I was attempting to remove a source of distraction from your life."

A source of distraction.

Not a person. A distraction.

For the first time in over a decade, a tiny seed of hatred toward his boss finds fertile ground in Leon's mind.

So now for his second question. "What now?"

"Now?" the elderly Hingan repeats, raising a brow at him. "You will stand by and await further instructions."

"And Surengiin?"

"No longer any concern of yours. She is your fellow commander now, not your subordinate."

Ah. The attack on Atlan might not have been a punishment, but this certainly is. Surengiin's promotion is, by necessity, a demotion for him. He is no longer sole second-in-command. His authority has been cut in half.

Yesterday, his greatest rival was a fellow Gridanian. Now, a savage from the Steppe has taken her place, and his best hope for Atlan's safety is the Gridanian herself. Funny, how the world can shift in the blink of an eye.

"You are quiet," his boss observes. "If you have no further business here, I've no doubt you have things to attend to elsewhere."

Leon grits his teeth, but he bows his head respectfully. "Of course. Thank you, sir." And he departs.

None of the rage-fueled energy which guided his steps to his master's study has abated. He retraces his steps through the vast archive, a dangerous figure in sweeping robes, with lantern light reflecting from cold eyes and glinting off a sheathed katana.

And in the little office, the Hingan Gentleman sips his tea while gazing thoughtfully at a new tear in one corner of the paper door, created in Leon's haste to be gone.

Sometimes, it only takes one small fault to compromise the whole. He will have to get that fixed before it spreads.

Mentions: @sedatayuun, @roses-and-grimoires, @blackrose-ffxiv​

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

7!

7. What is their fondest memory? Their worst?

I’m going to answer this one for Leon.

His fondest memory is of the day he was accepted into the Wood Wailers. It was the realization of a boyhood dream, and he was immensely proud of his achievement. His worst memory is of the day when everything he’d worked for fell apart, thanks to his mother’s sordid secret, Gridanians’ ingrained prejudices, and his own blind rage.

Ask me a question about my characters’ backstories.

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

4. Are there any ethical/moral lines your muse will not cross? 

Yes, and it’s one of the reasons his boss began training a replacement for Leon early on. Just in case. Leon still values innocence and goodness. He has a very strong protective streak toward people whom he deems worth protecting. There are some lives he simply won’t take, and some sins he won’t commit. That’s why his boss knew better than to send Leon to kill Atlan. He would have refused. And not only would be have refused, he would have tried to undermine the assassination if he’d known about it beforehand. In his mind, Atlan deserves to live. He deserves protection. Because he’s truly a good person.You will note that Leon’s perception of a person’s innate goodness or lack thereof can be questionable. He truly believes that Michaux is scum and deserves to be tortured and killed, for instance.

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

6. If questioned about their evil behavior, what excuse would your muse give to justify it?

Leon doesn’t consider any of his behavior evil, per se. Sure, he knows some of it is petty, and he knows when he’s enjoying being an asshole a little too much. But everything he does is for a cause he truly believes in. He is, in many ways, Solenne’s perfect counterpoint. They are both ruthless, they both believe in acceptable losses, and yet in spite of that, they’re both trying to make the world a better place. They just have completely different notions of how to accomplish that goal.And Leon serves a master, while Sol serves no one.So Leon’s excuse tends to be, “The boss knows what he’s doing. He’s going to fix the world.” But it’s not going to hold up forever.

[secrets-and-aetherlight]

Pertaining to the Punishment of an Insolent Duskwight

There's a stillness in the air, as if the whole of Shirogane is waiting breathlessly for the first rays of dawn to break over the horizon. As Michaux steps off the ferry and onto the pier, he finds himself holding his breath too. It's later than he'd realized when he'd impulsively decided to teleport across the world. So late that the night is fleeing from him and the person he's come to see has almost certainly been asleep for hours. There is little chance he wishes to be awakened now. But that's fine, because the cool wind against Michaux's cheeks feels perfect, and the hush that surrounds him feels like a kind of freedom. He'll have a stroll through the neighborhood and watch it come to life as its inhabitants greet the dawn.

He starts by wandering amidst the shuttered shops at the end of the pier. They look different without their vendors and patrons. More mysterious. Michaux half expects to see a spectral face in a window, and soon finds himself writing a ghost story in his head to pass the time.

Then he steps into a narrow alley, and for a moment, the sight of a dark shape dropping from a rooftop makes him wonder if he's seeing a real ghost after all. But the hand that grasps his shoulder and shoves him back against a wall feels corporeal enough. And the Hingan small sword that is thrust so violently through his gut that it sinks ilms deep into the wooden surface behind him looks quite genuine.

He's pinned, dazed, bleeding, and stunned into silence. He can't even feel any pain yet, but he feels enough horror to make up for it.

A figure dressed all in black stands before him, and a pair of vivid green eyes seem to be laughing down at him. It's Leon Robinaux. He must know everything, then.

This is bad.

"Odd time of morning for you to be skulking about Shirogane," Leon comments in an irritatingly calm, friendly voice, "but very convenient. I admit I was surprised when I received the news that you had been seen in Kugane. Surely even you are clever enough to stay away from my territory after stealing from me and humiliating me. Except here you are."

Michaux ignores him, opting instead to lift his shaking hands to the hilt of the wakizashi embedded in his gut.

"Do you think that's wise?" Leon asks with feigned concern. "You'll bleed much faster once that blade is out."

Michaux's breathing is unsteady. Even though the pain still hasn't arrived, he's making soft whimpering sounds deep in his throat with each inhale. He can't move, there's a weapon lodged in his abdomen, and a man who loathes him is standing right before him, gloating. If he can't pull himself together enough to drop a few lightning bolts on Leon's head, he's unlikely to live long enough to see another dawn.

"Don't even think of drawing upon your aether," Leon advises as if he can read Michaux's thoughts. "You don't have much of it, and you're going to need every bit if you want to survive. Oh yes, I'm giving you a chance to survive. So listen closely."

He leans down enough so that his eyes are level with Michaux's. "This is my last warning to you, Vidal. You'll involve yourself in my business only at my request, or I'll slay you like the filthy beast you are. I hope I've demonstrated how easily I can carry out that threat."

Michaux lets out a harsh breath. He's growing nearly as angry now as he is frightened. "There is no way I'm going to let you kill me without taking you with me."

Leon actually laughs at that, the bastard. "We'll see how well you do that once you're out of this predicament. Oh, and I nearly forgot.."

He frees the wakizashi's scabbard from his sash and drops it at Michaux's feet. "I hope you like it. I had it made especially for you. Please treasure it."

And with another low chuckle, Leon walks away.

Michaux watches him disappear around a corner. Then he drops his head to stare at the wakizashi.

His body is slowly starting to catch on to the fact that it has been badly injured. If he doesn't find a way to free himself soon, he might become too weak with shock and pain to do so at all. But he can't pull the blade from his body. Leon was right about that. Instead, he has to find a way to pull it out of the wall behind him without carving up his body any further. He's all too aware of the major blood vessels and organs located just ilms away from that length of steel. If he doesn't get this right, death is a certainty.

Dawn is just beginning to break. Before long, various shopkeeps will arrive to open for the day, but he can't afford to wait. The likelihood that there are any skilled healers among them is slim. He needs a professional. Fortunately, he knows of one less than a malm away. He just has to make it that far.

Michaux's fingers close around the blade's hilt. On the count of three, he'll take a step forward and attempt to pull the sword free from the wall in the process. One… Two…

Here goes nothing.

Three.

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