A writing commission for the lovely @niamhrunlaeth , of her character Niamh and Aymeric sitting down to dinner. Thank you for commissioning me! I feel like this ended up being super cute.
Characters: Niamh Runlaeth (belonging to @niamhrunlaeth ); Ser Aymeric de Borel (from FFXIV)
Word Count: 2054
Rating: E
Want to commission me? Find my commission post here!
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“Dinner, is served.”
These few words are called out by the head servant of House Borel, the family of noble bearing that the vaunted Ser Aymeric belonged to. A quaint place, not nearly as large nor prestigious as the High Houses of Ishgard, but most certainly pleasant enough. On the menu today: salads of vibrant greens; roasted dodo; a selection of side-dishes from buttery mashed popotoes to simple loaves of bread; and wine of only the highest quality.
It was this meal that Ser Aymeric de Borel and Niamh were to partake in this eve.
The nobleman himself stood behind one of the chairs, having pulled it out for his guest. “Come,” he calls to the pink-haired woman that would be his dining companion for the evening. “Make yourself comfortable. My home is yours, and this is the least I can do.”
“My chair pulled out by Ser Aymeric himself. Brought to dine in his home, such honeyed words- why, a woman might think you’re looking to court her, my good ser!” A lilting laugh slips past lightly-painted lips as she strides across the room, a hand grazing across his own as she comes to rest. “Thank you, darling.”
In response, Aymeric cannot seem to help but chuckle, himself. The sound he makes is distinctly lower, fitting his frame; subdued due to upbringing, but genuine nonetheless. “Yes, well- it would hardly be fitting to have such a guest and not accommodate for her, hm?” Once her seat is pushed in, he makes to round the table, sitting just across from her. The space between them was not overmuch, for the table itself did not take up a grand amount of space.
“Do you not have visitors often?” she asks, a minute gesture made with her fork towards the man. “I cannot imagine that you go to such lengths for every person that steps through your doors.”
One of Aymeric’s hands is brought up to sweep left and right dismissively. “Dignitaries, noblemen, people looking to curry my favour...it is a blessing that most are received in the public halls, and not in my private home, else my staff would never rest!”
Niamh’s brows raise in surprise, now, leaning forward with one elbow on the table. Even though it was not exactly the most proper of actions, she held it with a grace that (she silently hoped) would be overlooked. “Truly...I cannot even begin to imagine such a life. You are quite the busy man, Ser Aymeric...which pleases me all the more that you put time aside for me~.”
All earnesty, Aymeric gives a singular, solid nod. “But of course! I would be remiss to not extend an offer to some as-” Words come to a sudden pause, and Aymeric brings a gloved hand to his lips. Clearing his throat, he lets slip a small laugh, then drinks of his wine.
“As…?” she coos across the table, tilting her head to one side. The very picture of innocence (on the surface).
“Have your travels been fruitful of late?” he pipes up- apparently eager to change the topic.
A knowing grin takes to her lips, and she straightens her posture. Such teasing could wait, at least; the last thing she wished was to make the man uncomfortable. “They have been! Work has been acceptably tolerable- nothing too difficult, yet nothing too simple...the perfect level of engaging.”
“Excellent! Ah- but remind me. Exactly what was it that you do, these days?” Cutting off a piece of meat, Aymeric chews it- face alight with delight, if professionally muted, for it would be undignified if he were to suddenly come out and sing the praises of this food when he had a guest- before continuing. “I recall you once saying that your performing days are behind you…?”
One more, Niamh nods. “Indeed they are, darling- though I would be more than happy to perform for you, if you so wished~.” A jade-green eye winks over at him, teasing once more. “Ah, but now, I am a seamstress. Making cloth and clothing alike; it is surprisingly enjoyable, and profitable at that.”
“Truly?” Aymeric raises his chin, impressed and curious in equal measure. “I had no idea you were in the habit of making clothing. Ah! But I should not be surprised, with how lovely your outfits are; I simply thought you had a designer working for you!”
This prompts Niamh to lift a hand, bring slender fingers to her lips to cover them. A giggle slips past, eyes crinkling up in amusement. “Oh, I do! No seamstress works alone, don’t you know? But indeed- between working to stay atop of fashion and caring for the creatures of this realm, I am kept quite busy!”
“And caring for animals? Niamh, your talents never cease, do they?” He sends a wink across the table, before returning to his food for the moment.
Once more, a laugh- this one, more amused. Her pointed ears flick up, and red lights up her cheeks in pleased embarrassment. “Oh, you flatterer! These things are my passions, and it comes naturally for me to do such. After all, with so many of the realm’s problems mended, is it not wise to tend to the little things?” A brief pause to eat, before she refers to him again. “And in the same way...you have been keeping busy, I trust?”
Aymeric knew that such a question was forthcoming. When she asks it, he straightens up once more, giving a nod in the affirmative. “There is always much expected of me; the Houses of Commons and Lords oft come to debate, and it oftentimes falls to me to mediate...despite the intention of our new government being to solve such disputes amicably and with talks.” A sigh rolls from him now, posture slumping- if only a bit. “Would that they would not. I fear it is the circumstance of my birth that marks such...And why I rarely have time to rest.”
“Tut-tut!” Niamh wags a finger at the man, a mock-chiding look tugging at her visage. “All work and no play makes Aymeric a dull boy! And that besides, if you never took time to relax, I would not be sharing such a lovely dinner with you, would I not?” Any negativity in her gaze melts away then, replaced with the calm, even smile that she so often held.
“Ha!” Grinning, Aymeric nods but once. “Indeed, indeed…” There is a pause, then, filling the air briefly.
“Forgive me so bold a question…” Aymeric begins after a moment, fork fiddling with the greenery on his plate. It was so undignified for one of his station- a noble, a leader of men, who must hold himself to such a high standard!- to appear so embarrassed...Yet, there was something about this woman that made it seem alright. His eyes, so bold and blue, flick from the table to the woman across from him.
While Niamh was yet in the process of recovering from that bout of laughter, a hand up at her lips to suppress the undignified laughter, the sudden quiet of the other man bringing a bout of confusion. She offers a quirk of her head to one side, locks displaced ever so slightly. “I’m certain it won’t be too invasive, darling,” she quips back, the softest of smiles upon her lips.
Once more, that small chuckle rolls from his lips. The fork is placed down, the gentle clatter of steel on ceramic ringing far louder in his mind than it did in reality. All his attention upon her, hands fold in front of him, and gloved hands twine his fingers together. “Of course, there are many reasons why you perform all your acts, for the realm and otherwise...But if I may ask- may there be someone that you…” A single brow raises, mutedly, no offense intended in the act. “Return to, when all is said and done?”
“Return to…?” A queer question, to be sure. A moment is spent in processing such, a singular slender finger raised to tap at her chin. “I am afraid I do not know that you mean, darling.”
Placing his fork down, now, Aymeric leans forward a slight. His voice dips down, as if whispering a secret to the woman across the way...curious, perhaps, considering there were no others watching, as his butler had long since quit the room. “When your day is complete, when you have finished all obligations…”
“Family?” she chimes, a singular finger raised in what she believes is understanding. “I do recall that we spoke of-”
“Not- family, Niamh. A bit more…” A wrist rolls in the air, searching for the word. The slightest of tinges of pink take to his cheekbones; such a topic was clearly unfamiliar to him. “Intimate.”
The same finger that Niamh raised comes to tap at her chin a few times. Lips purse, and those jade green eyes turn up towards the ceiling in thought. “Intimate…? My close friends, perhaps? Why, I do have a few friends that inspire such comfort…”
A breath drawn in through Aymeric’s nostrils almost evokes a sense of distress, of annoyance. Though Niamh was genuine, he could tell, the topic was missed again and again. Would he truly have to be so direct…? “Not friendship, either.” Reaching across the table, now, entirely ill-fitting for such a noble and refined scene, Aymeric comes to take Niamh’s unoccupied hand between his own. “A lover.”
Blink. Blinkblink. Niamh cannot help but do this, stunned into a short state of shock. He...was touching her hand? Holding it? Asking her if she had a lover? This was entirely out of character! Inconceivable!
...And yet, a blush takes to her cheeks. She certainly did not mind him holding her hand and being so close… “I- s-so direct, darling! I- ahem…” The other hand falls from her chin, brought down to rest atop his. How swift her heart was beating, that she felt it might tear from her chest at any moment! “I do not...but why do you ask?”
Relief washes over Aymeric’s features in an instant, though the redness on his own face rises when the soft hand of the woman comes to touch his own. “Because, Niamh…” Breath catches in his throat. Now, there was no escaping the conversation. He had brought this upon himself, and only had himself to blame for however it went.
Blessed Halone, grant me courage… come his silent thoughts, as his back straightens and he speaks direct and formal once more. “Because, through all our time together, I have...come to develop feelings for you.”
Green eyes widen in shock, in disbelief. He had feelings for her?! She thought it was only the other way around; her teasing was not without merit! “I- you- you do?” she replies, voice low and tinged with amazement. “I had thought…”
“Niamh, while I must maintain my noble bearing in public, I cannot deny that you have captured my heart. From the way you carry yourself to each word you speak, sparks of affection rise within me every time I lay eyes upon you!” His hands come around both once more, squeezing, as he looks to her with such devotion. “Pray, let me cast aside this noble mein and speak from my heart, for-”
His words are silenced, then. Silence, by the meeting of lips. Niamh had all but thrown herself up onto the table to bring their lips crashing against one another, a blatant display of affection. It was the last thing from dignified, but who cared in this moment? Not Niamh- and by the way that he does not push her away, Aymeric did not either.
It is only after a moment that she pulls back, her face red as can be. “I thought you would never say so, darling…” she says quietly, one hand slipped from his to fiddle with wavy pink hair that cascaded in front of her.
“...Perhaps we can finish this meal later?” he offers, a hand swept to the side. It was in the direction, of course, to the sitting room. “Now, we have much to speak of, do we not?”
A chuckle rolls from her lips, as lilting as one might expect from a performer. “That we do.”
Thank you @amahrigold, @niamhrunlaeth, @edrickthorn, @the-demon-and-the-rabbit, @fheythfully and @mother-muscles for letting me draw your characters! I hope I was able to do them justice!
Thank you everyone for sending references for me to practice with! I’ve currently got more than 30 of them so I won’t be able to accept any more for the time being.
Yesterday, as I was leaving the Thaumaturge’s guild in Ul'dah, I managed to run into a fellow adventurer @niamhrunlaeth ! I was so excited to finally meet another individual who documented their adventures, that in my excitement, I ended up embarrassing myself by unintentionally running in circles, and temporarily not having anything to say..
Ms. Runlaeth is quite an accomplished adventurer, and was thankfully, also very kind. She managed to stop my panicked running to say hello, and we were able to carry on a brief, but pleasant conversation! I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to take the best picture, but it was such a pleasure to meet you, Niamh Runlaeth! :)
