#solenna redashi

[just-the-mage]

2. Frustratingly attempting to read.

Worry

Solenna poked her head around the corner. Evangeline sat quietly in the small house on the outskirts of Fanow, her whole energy seemingly concentrated on the dusty tome that sat in front of her. This would be the perfect time to strike. Eva shifted in the chair, attempting to get more comfortable on the hard wooden seat. That was when Solenna made her move. She crept up quietly, putting to the test all of her skills she had come to learn and cherish as a young thief flitting through the streets of Limsa Lominsa. The shadows of the early evening played across her face as she stalked her prey, weaving a pattern of darkness that ran down her neck and along the sleeve of her embossed light leather jacket. She was so close...inches from scaring the absolute shit out of Eva. Just as she was on the verge of pouncing, though, she noticed something. Were those...tears? Gritted teeth? Evangeline’s shoulders were shaking...her muscles were tense...she looked so upset. Solenna could almost hear her teeth grinding she was so close.

“Why…” Solenna could barely pick up on the whisper that escaped the dark lips of the viera woman she knew so well. “WHY?!!?” The words burst from Evangeline’s mouth, and she sprung to her feet, so suddenly that Solenna almost stumbled backwards. She watched nervously as Eva hurled the book across the room, screaming; “WHY, GOD! FUCK, WHY ISN’T THERE ANYTHING? FUCK SHIT TWELVE DAMN THIS WHOLE SITUATION!!” With a near effortless motion she gripped the table in front of her in one hand and lifted it into the air, dashing it on the ground over and over again until it was little more than driftwood. Solenna stood there, staring, flinching each time the table hit the ground.

“Eva…” The sound escaped from her mouth before she even realized she was saying something. Evangeline looked up with a start, babbling.

“I’m so sorry, I’ll clean it up, really, I promise, I can’t apologize…enough.” she trailed off when she realized where the utterance had come from. “Sol...I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to see me like that.” She looked away, obviously embarrassed, a blush creeping to her cheeks. Her half-shut eyes continued to shine, the tears welling up despite her attempts to usher them away.

“Eva, what is it? What’s wrong? We won!” Solenna said with a half-laugh. “The sin eaters are gone, and more importantly...you...lived.” It was Solenna’s turn to look away. She knew the hurt in her eyes would be too obvious. She still hadn’t gotten over Eva’s recklessness, her almost suicidal desire to protect herself and Andy. She wrestled still with too many emotions over the situation-Happiness, that she was so deeply cared for. Rage, that Eva would so readily leave her all in the name of protecting her. Sadness, that she had almost lost her. But most of all, Fear. Fear that this would just happen again. That next time, they wouldn’t be so lucky. She felt a familiar painful pressure build across her face as her body tried to prevent her from tearing up as well. A habit so ingrained in her that she couldn’t stop it from happening, learned long ago as a child growing up in a dangerous world. Tears were a sign of weakness. And you can’t be weak growing up in the back alleys of Limsa Lominsa. Solenna rubbed at her arm, hesitant to look back to Evangeline, but eventually she managed to drag her eyes back to meet with the viera’s violet gaze. She couldn’t, though, because Evangeline’s eyes were fully closed now, tears pouring down her face, which was now twisted into a mask of frustrated sadness.

“Whoa! Hey! St-stop crying…’Berry...it’s okay, really! I’m...okay…” Solenna said, waving her hands and trying to pull the emotions from her face.

“I-I d-don’t know w-what to do...I kn-know we won...but th-they said the S-scions t-that are here are...their bodies...t-their bodies are d-dying...and I can’t find anything here to help…” Evangeline said between sobs. “A-and I hurt you so s-so badly...n-not trusting you to be st-strong enough to t-take care of your...yourself…” She burst into tears, falling to her knees and covering her face to try and hide herself. Solenna rushed to her, pulling her into an awkward hug and shushing her, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

“Eva...Eva it’s okay...I...I understand. I understand why you did it. And we’ll find something out for the others! They’ll be okay, they will! We just need to find more information. Maybe this isn’t the...right place to look. Maybe we need an expert!” Solenna was talking faster and faster, the words running like a river from her mouth, some before her brain could even realize what they were. “Whatabout thefairies? OohormaybesomeonebackonthesourceImeanwehaven’t evenconsideredsomeonewholivesonthesourcewe’vespentsomuchtime-” Solenna’s diatribe was cut short by the quiet sound of raspy giggling coming from the sad little pile of Evangeline that lay within her arms. Eva looked up to Sol, her eyes red and puffy, her face shining with tears that were still escaping from the corners of her eyes. But she wore a smile.

“You’re somethig else, aren’t you...Soledda.” Evangeline sniffled, her nose now stuffy. “I’m so lucky to habe you by my side…” She said, leaning her forehead into Solenna’s shoulder. Her long red ears brushed up against Solenna’s cheek, caressing it with a velveteen softness that Solenna loved so dearly. “I do love you.”

Solenna looked to her companion, her lover, her partner, and couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t be mad at her like this. Maybe later, but not now. She just needed to find a way to get through the viera’s thick skull just how devastated she and Andy would have been if they had lost her. Drive the point home, truly, so that she would never try it again. They needed each other. All of them. Together.

“I love you, too.” She whispered quietly into Evangeline’s hair. “I know it seems desperate, but we will find a way. It’s just what we do!” Solenna chirped, taking Eva’s face in her hands and kissing her on the nose. Eva crossed her eyes as the kiss landed, the tears finally slowing, and giggled quietly.

“I want to kiss you back proberly, now.” Evangeline said, trying to wipe the tears from her face. “But I’m sure you don’t want to be adywhere near my runny dose right now.” She could barely finish the sentence before Solenna was kissing her full on the lips, reminding her in one fluid movement that she was wanted, and needed, and loved.

A huge thank you to @eremiss and @antihypnophobia for beta reading this for me! Much love ❤️❤️

[antihypnophobia]

Andreas Adeliger

Main Class: Dragoon

Height: 7′2

Weight: 200 lbs

Hair: Black

Eyes: Black with gold limbal rings

He prides himself on being the comedic relief and actively avoids taking anything seriously if he can help it. He lives with the assertive Viera Evangeline Cross and cinnamon roll Mi’quote Solenna Redashi. His complicated relationships with Estinien and Aymeric is nothing short of immensely entertaining for his two housemates. 

[just-the-mage]

Embracing Darkness

The cold winter air bit at Evangeline’s exposed cheeks, sending yet another shiver deep through her body. Her teeth were chattering such that she felt they might break. Long had she been used to warmer climes than these-growing up in Rabanastre’s sweltering heat hadn’t prepared her for the bone chilling winds that swept through the pale stone streets of Ishgard. Times like these made her miss Ul’Dah all the more, traitors and all.  Eva quickly tried to press the thought to the back of her mind. Thinking about this would only lead her to remembering everything in the little box she kept in the locked room in the darkest corner of her mind: the one that contained everything about the sacrifice and disappearance of her friends, the untimely death of Nanamo, and her exile.  The box had to stay locked. Shut tight. Inaccessible.  Evangeline was the Warrior of Light, the light in the darkness, the hope in everyone’s hearts when there was nothing else. She had to put on a brave face, despite how her thoughts would flit back to Y’shtola more than anything else. There was hope to find her, at least. Right? 

 Eva would be heartbroken if anything happened to any of her friends, but there was one among them she truly couldn’t bear losing.  Shtola had been there with her through so many of her trials, and they had grown close to the point at which Eva had developed some...confusing feelings about her. 

 Please let there be hope to find her. 

 Please. At least her. 

 Please. 

“Pull yourself together, Eva....” she muttered to herself, wiping half frozen tears from her cheeks, and frost from her eyelids. She breathed out an exasperated sigh, her breath forming into a visible vapour before her; a swirling mist of frustration that dissipated as soon as it had come into existence.  

 She still had Solenna.  She reminded herself of that almost constantly, ever since everything had gone to shit. They had propped each other up, barely weathering the storm of emotion brought on by the betrayal at Ul’Dah. It was as if they were two saplings caught in a maelstrom, only hanging on to the ground because their roots had grown so close together.  Even now, days after the incident, after speaking with Aymeric about the next step in their plan, the two had retired to their room to hold each other as if they were the only two left in the world. In a lot of ways, it felt like they were. 

 This, however, was when things had gone in a direction Evangeline hadn’t quite expected. 

“I can’t stop thinking about them. About what happened. We need to go back, do something.” Solenna whispered, her face buried in Eva’s shoulder.

Eva stroked Sol’s hair, gently holding the Mi’qote girl close to her. “I agree. We could be in the thick of this, trying to find everyone, fighting back. But instead we’re malms away, hiding like rats. It’s infuriating. But we have to abide by Aymeric’s plan for now-if only to keep him as an ally,” Eva said. Solenna huffed angrily into the soft cloth of Eva’s shirt. 

“I understand. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”  

“I know,” Eva said, clasping Solenna to her chest. “It feels like I’m out of tears at this point. I’m so tired of crying...of thinking of them.” 

Solenna looked up at Eva. “Maybe we… You know, shouldn’t, then?” She touched Eva’s face, tracing her cheekbone up to her eyebrows, which turned up slightly in confusion. “Like, maybe we need to get our minds off it. Like a bit of a distraction?”  Solenna gently took Eva’s face in her hands and kissed her on the lips. At first, a peck, grazing softly, but quickly turning into their mouths melting together in a deep kiss; sloppy due mostly to Evangeline’s inexperience, but fiery and passionate nonetheless. Solenna gripped at Eva’s back, pulling her deeper into the kiss as her tongue explored the inside of Eva’s mouth, experimenting with her response.  Evangeline twined her fingers into Solenna’s hair, delicately pulling at it as she held Solenna’s waist; and she pulled back slightly, teasing Solenna and causing her to move and shift, straddling Evangeline and grasping at her, her hands moving from cloth to bare skin. 

 Evangeline had never been with a woman before. Her time had always been so consumed by her work, her parents, battle and training that she had barely put a thought towards a relationship outside of a few poorly thought out flings with one or two of the older teenage boys she had known living with her parents in Gridania.  Nothing she had even dreamed of could possibly even compare to this. Her thoughts of Y’shtola fled her mind, her anything and everything consumed with Solenna; her soft, delicate hands, her full lips, the heat that radiated from every pore of her being. Evangeline could feel her heartbeat thudding in her ears and-

 “Maybe we need a distraction.” 

 “-A distraction.”

 She pulled back. Ending the kiss felt like cutting off her own arm at this point. Cutting herself off from the stream of life force that kept her animated. Solenna rocked back and looked up at her, big beautiful cat eyes trained on Evangeline’s face, searching for understanding. 

“Eva?”

Evangeline shifted, moving Solenna off her lap easily with arms toned by years of combat. She stood up. 

“I don’t want us to just be a distraction.  I want to mean more than that to you.” Evangeline said, her eyes fixed on the floor. She knew that if she looked at Solenna right now she wouldn’t be able to stop from falling back into her arms. 

“I’m going to take a walk. I need to...process. I’m sorry.” She stood, moving to the door and pulling a coat from the rack. She couldn’t dare look back at Solenna as she heard her call, “No! That’s not what I meant! I just-“ her words were cut short as Evangeline walked out the door, shutting it behind her. 

 This was what had landed Evangeline out in the cold. Her own stupid pride, her own damnable desperation to be the most important figure in everyone else’s life.  So what if Solenna needed a distraction? So what if it took the form of Evangeline?  They didn’t have to be a real couple right now.  This wasn’t the time to force the start to a relationship.  Even so, what if she had misinterpreted? What if Solenna really wanted more than just meaningless sex right now? The intrusive thoughts grew so loud, so prevalent that Evangeline didn’t notice the unmoving form huddled at the foot of the stairs in the mouth of the Brume until she nearly tripped over it.  

“Ah-excuse me!” She said, looking down at the mass of Armor and rags beneath her feet.  She received no response.  It was a cold night...she should check on whoever this was. 

 Evangeline knelt down by the figure, shaking at their shoulder in an attempt to rouse them. Once again, no response...but from the figures pocket fell a small red gem. Evangeline leaned down to look at it, plucking it from the ground to study it closer. As her bare hand touched the crystal she immediately felt an outpouring of power twisting and writhing around her, permeating her skin and flowing through her. She started and moved to jump back, but dark fingers encompassed her wrist as the pile of rags and Armor seemed to animate, moving forward into a sitting position.  Evangeline let out a yelp of surprise. 

“Stay your fears and calm yourself.  I am no monster, and I will not harm you. My name is Fray.”  The figures voice was deep, but Evangeline couldn’t be sure of their gender. Upon closer inspection, their mannerisms and form appeared more feminine. Nothing more could be gleaned, however, thanks to the full helmet covering Fray’s entire face, the slit revealing only two eyes shrouded in darkness. 

 “Who are you, and what is this? What is this gem, and what manner of power resides within it?” Evangeline asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth faster than she expected.  

“Ah. I see you have found resonance with the soul of the Dark Knight.  ‘Tis a path that not many would wish to walk.” Fray tilted their head, looking about as if they noticed something. “But I see that we won’t have much time to discuss that now.”  They looked to the large greatsword laying by their feet. “Take up this sword. It may aid in giving you the answers you need.”  Fray stood, dusting themselves off. “And attend to your woman. You have wronged her, and misunderstood her intent . You need her just as she needs you. Weather the oncoming storm with her at your side.”  Fray turned to leave, moving up the steps towards the inn. “Meet me here in two days time. We have much to discuss.”  Evangeline moved towards him, intent to ask more questions, but a voice caught her ear before she could. 

“Eva!” She turned her head to see Solenna running towards her, still in her nightclothes. Gasping for breath, she could barely get words out. “Ran all over looking… You’re not...a distraction...you’re more than that...to me. I’ve been...I’ve wanted, you know,” she gestured between them “this, for...for a long time.”

 Without a word, Evangeline drew her into a hug. She looked down to the Mi’qote girl, her cheeks flushed red from the cold, and smiled. “I’m so sorry, Sol. You didn’t deserve what I said.  I care for you so deeply, and I know you care for me. I shouldn’t have made any assumptions.”  

Solenna looked up to her, a grin spreading across her face. She squeezed Evangeline once, her eyes sparkling. “Should we pick up where we left off?” 

 Evangeline flushed heavily, most certainly not because of the cold. “Perhaps we should get inside first.” And removed her coat, draping it around Solenna. She shivered as the cold air blasted across her skin. “Sooner rather than later, if you don’t mind.”  

 Solenna pulled at her arm, walking quickly towards the room they shared at House Fortemps. “Sooner sounds like an excellent idea.” She said, as the two of them disappeared into the dark Ishgardian night. 

[just-the-mage]

Ala Mhigo

The heat of battle nearly overwhelmed her.  The resistance had been discovered...but they just needed to hold out for a little while longer.  Just long enough for the women and children to escape.  

Evangeline reached out with a hand covered in a gauntlet of black steel, easily bypassing the guard of the Garlean soldier.  Her hand gripped to his fully masked face, clinging to it as if it was magnetically attracted.  Darkness swelled from her palm, enhancing her strength once more as she closed her hand, crushing the man's helmet and face in one swift motion.  She tossed his corpse to the side and scanned the battlefield, moving her now bloody gauntlet to the hilt of her sword.  She drew it forth-a massive sword of black steel with edges lined with glowing yellow runes.  

The others seemed to be holding out well enough-Solenna was only a few yalms to her left, flitting across the lake that lay in the center of Rhalger's Reach, firing off flashes of elemental spells in all directions.  Her feet barely touched the water, the air beneath her carrying her gracefully towards another group of Garlean soldiers.  Evangeline couldn't help but smile at the sight.  Solenna was unparalelled in her talent for red magic.  She made every fight look like a dance, weaving the delicate balance between darkness and light into her movements, her magic, and the swift piercing death her rapier brought.  

Evangeline casually cleaved another Garlean soldier nearly in half, sending his body tumbling into the dirt at her feet.  His blood decorated her armor now.  She moved to look for the others, but a yelp caught her attention. Her eyes barely caught a glimpse of Solenna as she flipped backwards, soaring through the air away from...Zenos Yae Galvus.

"Solenna!!" Eva cried out, making to run in her direction.  Her path, however, was blocked.  There were more Garlean soldiers here than she had expected-more than just a scouting party.  This had been fully premeditated.  A wall of dark garlean armor hemmed her in, soldiers approaching from all sides, carefully holding their blades towards her poised to strike at once...and they did.  But each and every blade stopped short.  A wall of shadows rose to meet them, surrounding Evangeline, encasing her in darkness, runes of red and black spiraling across the bubble that protected her from the Garleans. 

"Get out...OF MY WAY." She screamed, the darkness around her roiling with her fury.  The soldiers stumbled back, directly into the blades of darkness that punched up through their armor from the black pool swirling underneath Evangeline's feet.  The platoon collapsed around her, impaled by seething darkness, their empty eyes staring up at the sky.  The sky over Ala Mhigo.  The sky they tried to take from Ala Mhigans.  Evangeline immediately broke into a run, moving towards Solenna as she danced with Zenos.  

 Solenna dodged effortlessly around Zenos's wildly slashing blades, the winds carrying her well clear of his reach.  Electricity lit up upon her fingertips, and she threw her armo forward, emitting a bright red bolt of crackling power that struck Zenos directly in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards, spasming.  He righted himself, only to find his armor exploding out from his chest, fire consuming the entire front of his body and blackening his skin in the blaze.  With that, Solenna was upon him.  A blur of motion that Evangeline could barely make out at the distance she was from the two of them.  Her rapier pierced his arm, his side, gouts of blood spouting from his open wounds.  

And that's when he started laughing.  

Evangeline could hear it even from yalms away, a haunting, horrible laugh that chilled her, spurred her forward.  

Solenna pressed the attack, blasting him backwards once again with a gust of air.  

Evangeline was almost upon them now-she was so close, just a few more yalms and she would bring her wrath to bear upon Zenos.  She noticed something though...out of the corner of her eye.  A flash, a glimmer on Zenos’ body.  Something so subtle Solenna had missed it in her eagerness to end the threat to Ala Mhigo.  

Evangeline stopped, shadows pooling towards her, and outstretched her hand.  A thin thread of darkness emitted from her fingers, hurtling towards the battle, until it wrapped around Solenna, a barrier of deep darkness that thrummed and hummed and stopped Zenos’s hidden sword as he pulled it from his side, slashing towards Solenna’s stomach.  

Zenos struggled, attempting to break the barrier, but couldn’t seem to find the strength.  He drew back his sword, bashing and slashing at the barrier, a petulant child in his rage.  His laughter turned to screams of fury, echoing through the reach, almost overpowering the roar of battle.  Evangeline drew back her hand, stepping forward to join her ally...but she felt a hand on her shoulder.  A whisper in her ear.

 “Time to get some sleep, Evangeline.” 

 No...Evangeline looked down.  A blade protruded from her stomach.  It had pierced cleanly through her armor, utterly destroying it and sending blood spattering across her torso and the ground in front of her.  She knew that sword....that voice…

“Fordola...you bitch…” She could feel herself getting weaker.  The lifeblood seeping from her body onto the ground.  She fell to her knees as the traitor pulled her sword from Evangeline.  

“I will end the resistance.  Now.  And I will start with your girlfriend.  You just sit back...and watch.”  

Tears began to flow, mixing with the blood pouring from her mouth.  “Stop…” she said weakly, as Fordola approached the dark barrier.  

Or she would have, if a pair of heavily armored feet hadn’t collided directly with her skull.  A pair of feet followed by a full 7 fulms and 2 ilms of Au Ra fury that drove Fordola directly into the ground. 

Andreas Adeliger leapt backwards, executing yet another perfect backflip and landing cleanly a handful of fulms from Fordola, who was now clearly unconscious.  He stepped forward to finish her, his spear raised in the air.

“Solenna…” Evangeline was able to utter, her vision fading.  

Andy turned to her.  “What?” 

“HELP SOLENNA!” She yelled, reeling.  

He turned, his eyes set on Zenos as he continued to batter away at the shield.  “I’ll be right back.”  He growled.  “And don’t you dare die on me.”  He seemed to yell something else, but she couldn’t be sure what.  She couldn’t really hear anymore.  For that matter, she couldn’t really see anymore either.  Evangeline’s vision faded to black and she felt her body slump to the ground.  Maybe it really was time for some sleep.  

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This was so much fun to write! Hope everyone enjoyed :) The characters in question are mine (Evangeline) @eremiss (Solenna) and @antihypnophobia (Andreas).

[just-the-mage]

Guilty or Innocent-Evangeline Cross

Has your muse ever...

Asked someone to marry you?

“I’d love to.  But unfortunately, marriage in Eorzea is between two parties.  My partners plan to be wed fairly soon, which I admit makes me feel a bit left out, but I have learned to bear the brunt of my own emotional reaction to that situation.  I admit that I wish the three of us could be together in a more...legal sense, but I cede to the customs of this land.”

Kissed one of your friends?

"I have! Well...she kissed me.  And then I kissed her back.  It worked out rather well, all things considered.  I never expected us to be anything more than friends, at first.  But now I can’t really imagine life without her.  Solenna was a bit of a light in the darkness for me through our time in Ishgarde, when I believed all of the Scions lost.  I suppose Andy kissed me first as well...I seem to have a habit of being kissed by my friends.”  

Danced on a table in a bar / tavern?

“The fact that you even insinuated that I would consider this is testament to the fact that you don’t know me.  Something so uncouth would be much more suited to Andy.”

Ever told a lie?

“White lies, here and there.  Nothing...major.  One time when Andy was half asleep, Solenna and I managed to convince him everything in the house was upside down; does that count?”

Had feelings for someone you can’t have?

“There was one...a girl in Gridania.  She...didn’t want me.  Not in the way I wanted her.  I was young. And grossly misinterpreted signals that were made by someone that I considered to be a very close friend that I was very much interested in.     

Ever kissed someone of the same sex?

"Definitely.  A lot.  In fact, aside from Solenna, there’s a certain Mi’qote I have my eyes on right now...”

Kissed a picture?

“Who would even do something like that?  Crude.”

Slept until 5pm?

“Absolutely not.  I couldn’t bring myself to waste that much of a day.  I’m generally up by around 6AM.  7 on the weekends.  If you want a treatise on sleeping late, ask Andy.  Someday I’ll get his lazy ass out of bed before noon, so he can clean the damn house.”

Worked at a fast food chain / restaurant?

"I am ashamed to admit that I can’t cook particularly well.  And I have been instructed by people that are more familiar with the customs of this land than I am that I can’t call a food service position ‘low class’ any longer.  Needless to say, the work does not suit me.”

Stolen something?

"No.  I have never needed to.  It’s not particularly a question of a strong moral compass, I have just been lucky enough to have supportive parents who raised me in an environment where I did not go hungry.”

Been fired from a job?

“I’m rather competent, so....no.  Also, it’s hard to get ‘fired’ from being an adventurer.”

Done something you regret?

“There are many things I regret.  But something that I’ve done specifically?  I will probably always regret letting Fordola live.  I don’t care that she has the echo.  I don’t care that she saved a few people from Lakshmi.  She belongs six feet under and nobody can convince me otherwise.  The only reason she is still alive is because Solenna is more merciful than I am and Andy held me back from crushing her with my bare hands.  Mark my words-she will become a thorn in our side again.  She will not find redemption, she will find the tip of my sword.  Zenos will go with her.” 

Laughed until something you were drinking came out of your nose?

“Not so hard that drink came out of my nose, but only because I wasn’t drinking at the time.  I won’t go into the details, but Andy chugged a whole bottle of wine about a year ago.  He promptly threw it all up.  Me and Solenna were in tears.”

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?

“I think it’s cute when Solenna does it.  But I haven’t indulged myself in that particular experience myself.” 

Sat on a roof top?

“I prefer to stay inside.  I enjoy the warmth of a nice hearth over the ability to brood in high up places like a certain couple of dragoons I know.”

Kissed someone you shouldn’t have?

“I spent much of my life prior to becoming an adventurer as an apprentice to my mother, who works as a blacksmith.  During that time, I went to school in Gridania, and found a great many friends among the people of Gridania, one of whom was a close friend of mine-a hyur woman named Rina.  I found her beautiful, and felt a real connection between the two of us.  As it happens, that connection was friendship, something that I had not really experienced as of yet.  I lost a good friend when I tried to kiss her.“  

Sang in the shower?

“Every once in a while.  Solenna always yells at me when I do though.”

Been pushed into a body of water with all your clothes on?

“I would like to cite our battle with Leviathan for this one.  I never thought something could make me hate the ocean, but Leviathan managed it.  I’m still recovering from that fight.”  

Shaved your head?

“All of my hair will remain on my head indefinitely.”

Made a boyfriend / girlfriend cry?

“Andy is much too prideful to cry in front of me.  In fact he may be much too prideful to cry at all.  I think it would be healthy for him to cry every once in a while-he needs to stop bottling up his emotions.  I have made Solenna cry.  During the events that transpired on the first, I brought myself to the brink of death by consuming the lion’s share of the light exuded by the lightwardens we fought to purge the light from the first.  I accomplished two things doing that-the thing I wanted most, which was to keep Solenna and Andy safe.  And the thing I wanted least, scaring them.  Solenna did cry.  And she hit me.  It was the first time she ever had.  And it broke my heart.  I’ll never hide something from them again.” 

Shot a gun?

“If you knew how hopeless I was aiming a bow, you would be pleased to know that I have never laid hands on a gun.  I am loath to admit it, but I seem to lack the particular type of manual dexterity required to handle a firearm.” 

Still loved someone you shouldn’t?

“No...not anymore, I don’t think.”

Have / had a tattoo?

“I have considered it, but no.  I think eventually Andy will convince me to get one, however.”

Liked someone, but will never tell who?

“Yes.  But I won’t tell who.”

Been too honest?

“I rather like my little white lies.”

Ruined a surprise?

“I haven’t ever been surprised so...no? Yes?  I don’t know for sure.”

Been told that you’re beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said?

“I would hope they meant it.  Andy and Solenna have both told me as much but with very different meanings behind them.  It’s rather funny how different the two of them are.  Solenna is so sweet, kind...she told me the first time we were really ‘together’ and many times sense.  She says it out of love.  Andy says it out of lust.  He loves me too, I think, but in a different way, maybe.”  

Thought about murder?

“Yes, on occasion the darker side of myself makes it out.  ‘Murder’ has such a negative connotation to it...I would think of my actions as ‘editing the general populace.’  Sometimes people are bad.  Sometimes because of that, they need to be cleaned up, as it were.”

How about mass murder?

“Absolutely.  Garlemald comes to mind.  I have dealt with a great many of their soldiers on the battlefield, and I am likely to deal with many more.  I suppose you could consider that mass murder.  But for now I will consider it the systematic extermination of a blight on society.”

Cheated on someone?

“My relationship with Andy and Solenna is open, so no.  Generally if Solenna is with someone else, I would rather like to meet and get to know them, but Andy is a bit more of a free spirit.  For the time being I am satisfied with just the two of them, so I feel no need to explore outside of our relationship.”

Gotten so angry that you cried?

“The first time Zenos beat me brought me to tears.  I don’t think I’ve ever been that angry before in my life.  I can’t wait to fight him again, though.  I relish the thought of crushing his skull with my bare hands.”

Tried to stay away from someone for their own good?

“Yes, on several occasions.  I have tried to distance myself from my friends, my parents, and more for the sake of their safety at times.  But every time they have come to show me that I may need them more than they need me.  Staying away from the ones you love is not productive and will only serve to cause the both of you pain.”

Thoughts about suicide?

“I would rather not say.”

Had a girlfriend / boyfriend?

“I have one of each, thank you for asking.”

Gotten totally drunk during a holiday?

“I am not much one for drinking heavily, but yes.  I will not elaborate as there were things that were said and done that should not be mentioned in polite company.”

[just-the-mage]

Giving Up

(Previous Story: Jealousy)

It was finally done. Eva sat back, quietly appreciating her work. It had taken her almost a full day to draw up all of the paperwork, but it was worth it. She had a contact-an old friend in Ishgard who was able to ensure that she could get her hands on a good sized house once their housing market had opened up again. Under her breath, she thanked Aymeric for all he had done for her. A true friend, he had come through every time she had needed him without fail. She had almost mistaken it for feelings stronger than friendship...until she saw how he looked at Estinien. That was true love. And she couldn’t get in the way of it. Just like she couldn’t get in the way now. Her echo flared and pulled her back into last week.

“Our house.” Solenna said, looking pointedly at Eva. “I know me and Andy got married, but that doesn’t change how either of us feel about you! There’s no way we’re leaving you out of this.”

“I know, I do. But...you all getting married, being together like that, I can’t help but feel like I’m just getting in the way. The third wheel. Marriage is a big deal.” Eva responded, shifting herself to face Sol and placing her book on the bedside table. “I want us all to be together, but you all will be happier without me.”

“Now wait a minute, Eva. We won’t be happier without-“Andy piped up from the corner.

“How can you possibly suggest that??” Solenna shot to her feet, her tail poofing out in anger. “We have been together from the start. Not just as friends but as more than that. You can’t walk away from that.” She turned away, pouting.

Eva stood up. “I’m not walking away. I just want to give the two of you some space. But I’ll relent. You may not feel like it now, but someday, I think you’ll want that. Just...tell me when you do.” She turned towards the door. “Our house.” Solenna said.

“Our house.” Eva replied, giving the most convincing smile she could. She walked out of the room, quietly descending the stairs out of sight.

Her vision cleared, bringing Eva back to the present. She looked down at the paperwork, and signed the deed for them. They would thank her, eventually.

This house is the sole property of:

SOLENNA REDASHI

and

ANDREAS ADELIGER

[just-the-mage]

Evangeline Cross

Height: 6′2″ (7′2″ including her ears)

Weight: 189 lbs

Hair: Red w/ pink highlights

Eyes: Purple

She’s a bit of a princess, but loves nothing more than her friends.  Her main classes are Dark Knight (for when she’s feeling protective) and Black Mage (for when she’s feeling grumpy).  She is currently in a relationship with Solenna Redashi (cinnamon roll Mi’qote female) and Andreas Adeliger (incredibly tall Au Ra male). 

[just-the-mage]

What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Evangeline:

“When we are apart...hmm. I do like my alone time-that’s certainly true. Usually when the others are off gallivanting about, I find myself reading. Much more lately, to be honest. I like the quiet, so I generally find myself spending time in the stacks in the Crystarium. I’ve been brushing up on the history of the First lately-there is so much lore and civilisation there, and so much of it has been devastated or wiped out by the onset of the light. So much left forgotten…” Evangeline stares up into a corner of the ceiling, one of her legs bouncing up and down absentmindedly. “If I don’t remember it, then who will? Who will know these kingdoms lost to time? Will they simply fade to dust? And so I read. Maybe they will live on with me.” She sits, still staring for a moment, as if held in a stupor. Some time passes, and she seems to tear herself away from the point in space she is fixated on, righting herself and looking back to you.

“I also enjoy blacksmithing. A pastime for me, and a career for many others. It was, in fact, the type of work my mother performer for many years, and indeed what led her to meet my stepmother in the Royal City of Rabanastre all those years ago.” She looks tired now, the weight of the memory laying quietly across her shoulders. “I find it relaxing. The rhythm of it all. The clanging of the metal and the roaring of the furnace. It makes me feel as if I am part of the earth...and it makes me feel like I am close to my mother. Wherever I am. Not alone. Never alone.” She relaxes, the weight seeming to lift slightly, and she shifts her weight in the chair, opening her stance. “I do miss her. I’ll need to visit her and Natalia the next time I’m in the Beds.” She smiles softly.

“One of the other things I used to do was practice my cello...but I haven’t really found a good space for it these days. I used to play at home every once in a while, but Solenna told me her ears are particularly sensitive to baritone music. Urianger needs his quiet, of course, which I completely understand. Y’shtola said that she has the same sensitivity that Solenna does, which makes me wonder if it is a condition that is common among Miqo'te. I hope to start practicing again, if I can ever find somewhere to play…”

Solenna:

“In my spare time? Like...spare spare time or spare time?” The Miqo'te girl twitches her ears quizzically, twirling a lock of her shoulder length brown hair around her index finger. “Ahhh like me time stuff! Sure! Yeah! Sooo...I really like decorating and redecorating our house. A while back me and Eva managed to scrape together enough to buy a house just for us. And now Andy lives there too. And one of my faaaavorite things is to make our house look awesome!” She throws her arms into the air joyfully, a charming smile blooming on her face. “I love buying stuff...like...cabinets and chest of drawers and shelving and plants and just about anything you can use to make a place pretty! Then I shanghai Thancred or Urianger or someone and get them to help me lug it across town and install it. Where do you think Urianger got all that muscle from?” She giggles, waving her hand. “I know, I know, I could just move it with VerAero...but where’s the fun in that? Alphinaud will grow up big and strong if I can keep him carting window panes up and down the stairs like I have for the past few days.” She demonstrates by rolling back the sleeve of her white blouse and flexing, revealing an arm toned by years of practice with a rapier.

I also loveee to cook! Well, bake really. Cooking is fine and all, and I do that for dinner and stuff, but baking is way more fun! So sometimes when it’s just me around the house I’ll make myself some rolanberry tarts...or a pie…” She gazes off into the distance, licking her lips. “I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”

“Oh! Yes. So I also like to train. It takes a lot of discipline and balance to do what I do.” She tosses a crystalline object up in the air and it catches in midair well before it would start falling back towards her outstretched hand. “I train like you would on a mountain under a waterfall, but without the mountain or the waterfall. It’s all in my head.” She smirks, and the object begins to glow, colourful lights emitting from the edges, binding together in the centre to form one dominant colour: red.

Andreas:

“You mean like when Eva and Sol aren’t around? Well...I tend to keep myself busy. I talk to people... sometimes I sleep with them, sometimes I fight with them. Sometimes I do chores for them, or get drunk with them. It’s a big world out there, and sometimes I just kind of...go. Experience it. The past few months I’ve been spending some time with Estinien, but he’s been a bit broody even for me lately, so I’m off on my own a lot more. And sure, I miss the girls, but it’s nice to let loose every once in a while.” The massive Au Ra man winks, and chuckles to himself. From his tunic he pulls an ornately carved pipe, made of a dark wood you can only assume originated in Yanxia somewhere. He lights the pipe with an effortless snap of his gauntleted fingers. He looks to you and laughs, wiggling his fingers in your direction. “You like it? I put flint in the thumb to see if it would work one time...and it did!” He takes a long drag on the pipe, and releases a thick ring of dark smoke from between pursed lips.

“Duelling is also a passion of mine. There is nothing quite like a good fight, and the easiest way to find one is to look for other people who fight professionally. I take all comers, large or small. The Dotharl do not discriminate.” He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head and crossing his legs. He looks to you, his golden eyes glowing; and for a moment he very very much looks like the draconic beings from which his bloodline stems. He places a hand on his dark scaled chin, smirking. “What about you, stranger? Will you give me the gift of a worthy opponent?”