Honestly, at some point, I should put these on AO3, but I am not sure if they are good enough to warrant it. >.< Well, definitely the one about how Xano and Mundus met, I feel like that is hands down one of the BEST pieces of stand alone writing I have ever done. Very proud of it. x3
Okay! The piece I promised a couple days ago I finally managed to wrangle from my brain. It's likely rough, gave it a good once over with spell check (and LibreOfiice now has some new words in its dictionary xD), but have not done any other thing, cause I needed to get this out of my head and into words. So I will place it under the cut. Mild Shadowbringers spoilers-ish? At least the set up for it. Would that be post-Stormblood...?
((This takes place a short while after Alisaie is called to the First.))
It was well into the night when Akagi made his way down from his quarters at the Rising Stones to Dawn’s Respite. A few small lamps remained lit, so the infirmary wasn’t entirely dark, though more for those providing care to the current patients than the patients themselves. The battle at the Ghimlyt Dark had reached a small lull after Akagi had returned with Alisaie. But despite the fatigue from the prolonged engagements he had assisted with, sleep continued to elude him. So, here he was.
Standing in the middle of the room, looking over the fallen Scions – no, not fallen, they aren’t dead, they’re NOT – one could almost believe them all merely to be taking a well-deserved rest themselves. But standing there, surrounded by the soft sounds of slumbering breaths, the room felt... impossibly empty. Because though his beloved friends bodies laid here, their souls were elsewhere, plucked away by some as yet unknown party. And he could… feel their absence, nearly as painful as if they had been -
No. Don’t even THINK that. They’re fine, they’ll be fine, we just need to find them and bring them home…
Though as much as he tried to reassure himself, Akagi could not fend off the gnawing ache in his chest. As he stood there, looking over his friends, his vision became blurry, his eyes stinging.
Godsdammit…
---
Krile was off in her corner of the Dawn’s Respite, finishing her notations of the other Scions under her care – All vitals normal, No change – when she heard a clatter from the area where the Scions slumbered. Startled – and not the least bit hopeful – she hopped down from her desk and hurried out to the curtained off sleeping area. There she saw, fallen to his knees, and slumped over in apparent sadness-
“Akagi?” The au ra’s head shot up, eyes wide in surprise. The limbal ring of his right eye stood out starkly in the dim light as he furiously wiped at his face – he’d been crying?
“Ah, my apologies, Krile. I did not know you were here, I did not mean to intrude…” The lalafell shook her head, walking over and giving him a sympathetic smile, and setting a reassuring hand on his arm.
“No apologies necessary. We all miss them, Akagi. And you said once that you consider us like family, yes? You’ve no need to hide your emotions from family,” she explained. The Warrior of Light let out a choked sob and pulled the smaller woman into a hug, doing his best to muffle his own sobs as she returned the embrace.
Once he had gotten his ragged emotions reined in once more – there were only so many tears one could shed before action was needed – he relinquished his hold on his fellow Scion with a sheepish smile, wiping at his face again. She returned his smile and patted his shoulder.
“There. Feeling a bit better now?” Akagi chuckled and nodded.
“Yes. Thank you, Krile. Truly.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I appreciate your understanding. I trust I have your discretion about this?” She giggled, a spark of mischief in
her eyes.
“Of course, though with one caveat – I will have to inform a certain pair of foreign dignitaries of your current well-being,” she said, causing the paladin to groan, though it ended with a short laugh and a shake of his head.
“I really wish you would not, as they both have enough on their plates. But I know if you do hold your peace, they will likely only worry more. Just,” he paused, searching for the right words, then gave up with a sigh and a shrug.
“Break it to them gently?” Krile offered, and Akagi nodded.
“Aye. Though I owe them much and more in the way of time and talk, the battlefield leaves little room for such,” he replied, though his words bled into a near jaw cracking yawn. “Ah, begging your pardon. It seems the day has finally caught up.” His companion merely chuckled.
“I would imagine so. I am glad to have been able to slow you down so that it could! You need rest. So! Off you go!” Krile made a shooing motion. “I’ll not be to blame for keeping the Warrior of Light from his duly earned respite!” Akagi chuckled as he stood, taking one last look over his slumbering comrades. His friends. His family.
“Don’t worry, Akagi. I know you’ll find them, and bring them home,” she spoke, patting his leg. The au ra nodded to her.
“You can be sure of it, dear Krile. But not before some rest, ya?” He bid her good night, and made his way to his quarters, as she made her last rounds before doing the same.
Writing the snippet, and trying to pin down writing Krile. Which is tough, because in my experience and opinion, she is a carefully balanced mix of "mom friend" and "tea spilling gremlin", with a dash of whimsy.
Reading a blog post about someone's FFXIV OC and was reminded of the fact that there is an NPC thar shares Akagi's family name/surname.
But she's a hyur. XD
Now there is some rambling about the SAM questline below, so I'm gonna put a cut so if you wish to avoid spoilers for the questline, feel free to scroll onward! Otherwise, press on below!
I remember her from the SAM questline (after a brief search), and now I kind of want to figure out if I can tie her and Akagi together somehow. Not romantically, of course (still rolling my ideas for Akagi's love life around in my head like marbles), but maybe something like his parents taking her in or something. Dunno.
Akagi DID want to be Sekiseigumi once upon a time! Which is why he learned swordsmanship (and then learned a different type as a Gladiator into Paladin xD), and he also looked up to Kogarashi as a lad (and was floored when he found out about Musosai). I also wanted to rewrite some bits of the SAM questline because, while the quest assumes an Eorzean WoL, Akagi is Hingan, born and raised in (or around, still mulling on this) Kugane. His parents are merchants of some stripe or other, and they are descended from a line of samurai - somewhere along the line, the head of the family at the time retired and became a merchant, and so the family contined on as such (I need to look up some stuff and see of this is viable, I believe it is but I like to be as certain as possible. ^_^;). Was also debating having one of Akagi's folks be a smith, but we'll see. But I digress. He would have mentioned that to Musosai, and possible surprised the old man, finding one of his countrymen abroad as an advneturer. X3
It would be neat if Makoto knew Akagi from perhaps growing up together or something (perhaps not from choldhood, but whatever time she was looked after by the Obinata household, possibly after he had met his as-yet-unnamed merchant sailor crush/first love xD). Though, depending on when she joined the Sekiseigumi versus when Akagi caught his case of wanderlust, it might not line up. Or maybe his folks took her in after he had left and she decided to join. Hm. I'm still not 100% on WHEN Akagi left and how old he was when he did, so... (he's within a year or two of Lyse's age in either direction is my rough estimate for that, at least).
Oh. Oh no. He had planned on accompanying his sweetheart on their next voyage back to Eorzea, so they could travel together and see the star... and then the Calamity happened... oh that just popped into my head... >.< To be fair, I still don't know if she "dies offscreen", as it were, but for some reason, she does not return with the ship, so after a year of waiting, our boy decides to take matters into his own hands and go looking. X3
Aaand... I went off a bit there. XD So yea, maybe I'll wriggle Makoto into a connection with Akagi, or maybe it won't work. But the idea is THERE now, so..
Hmm... I think I need to write the scene that's been kicking sround in my head the last week and a half.
The fact that my writer's block is more akin to a clogged spigot, as opposed to some other wall or obstruction is frustrating, but also an amusing bit of irony that the thing keeping me from progressing in brainstorming some story/lore/writing, is ANOTHER bit of writing that clogs my mental pipes until I get it written, and clear the plumbing so ideas can flow again. >.<
I mean, it's not an awful issue to have, but sometimes I find myself glaring at my brain like, "Really? THIS is what's holding up the works? *sigh* FINE..." And even if it's rough, it's usually kind of fun. Anyroad, incoming sad dragonboi feels in the near future...
So not sure if I can wrangle the OT3 I was originally planning to. All I have is a single scene, and not really sure how to write this set up at all (wibbly wobbly game timeline notwithstanding >.<).
I DO want to give it a shot, but I guess I need to rustle up the brain power to see how these three all slot together. And how the heck it's gonna work with DT. >.<
Dammit, Akagi, why did you have to fall for a pair of women who end being highly-positioned political advisors? XD
It is all so very annoying when you are asking your brain to help finish a prompt, and then it goes, "Yes, but also this" and plops a set of scenes in the ol' mental film reel and then...well, fuck. >_<
So while I continue my work on one of the most recent prompts, I also might have to scribble out Akagi's breakdown after returning to the Sands after the Garleans showed up. Because who doesn't love traumatizing their OCs, huh? /s (I mean we might not all enjoy it, but it is a thing that happens, and allows for flexing writing muscles, so...)
