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driftward · 8 months

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Title: FFXIV Write 2023 - 3. Soulmate Characters: Liana kir Vaux, Papanan kir Sosonan, Datum lux Lorimus Rating: Teen Summary: The Nyx Project has run into some problems, but its newest member may have found a solution. This happens approximately twenty years before ARR. Notes: Thanks to @yzeltia for the word prompt for today. CW: Mild gore, frank discussion of an autopsy-like activity

The dead body of another hybrid Allagan creation lay on the bench in the Garlean laboratory. It looked for all the world like a Miqo'te, a Keeper of the Moon, with rounded pupils and skin a shade of deep blue so dark it almost appeared black. Giving away its artificial nature was the pulling back of the flesh as rot had set in, and in those places where the flesh had pulled back far enough, one could see the dark goldish hue of what was presumably Allagan technology. Flesh wrapped around what had previously been an ambulatory metal skeleton, an automaton of some sort.

It had lasted for three days after activation. The rot had started at thin black lines on the creature's skin, initially too thin to be seen, but those lines were where the flesh had first pulled away from the skeleton as the thing degraded. And as its flesh rotted, so too seemed its mind. While it had initially been able to follow simple orders, it rapidly grew to misinterpret them, or to seem to not hear them at all. And then, at last, it had collapsed, twitching and flailing in violent seizure, as its body collapsed to the floor, and some hours later, stopped moving.

Three days, and those three days represented a new record for for how long those scientists working on the Nyx Project had managed to keep one of the creatures running. The project, overall, was an attempt by the Garlean empire to capitalize on their ownership of certain Allagan ruins to bring new technology to life for the empire.

It was not going well.

Liana kir Vaux and Papanan kir Sosonan were now looking the construct over, to see if they could determine what had gone wrong this time. Liana's hands traced over its body, her eyes half-lidded as she attempted to find any thread of aether that might still be coursing through the thing. Papanan in the meanwhile had peeled back layers of polymat skin and artificial muscle to now examine the fine lines of fibers and tiny workings of machinery and circuitry that existed deep within.

Neither of them looked up when the door to the area opened. The only people who came this far into the Castrum, who were even permitted into the space, were those working on the project. And neither of them paused in their work when the swearing started, followed by the exclamation of their fellow scientist.

"Emperor preserve, that smells awful. Find out why it failed yet?" Said Datum lux Lorimus.

Papanan just glanced up at Liana, who nodded and stood with a sigh, stretching her back out as she did so.

"Same as number six. Everything appears to be in order, but the organic components refuse to maintain their vitality. And I believe Papanan has found that the fiber harness is all intact, but with no signals, there's no motion."

Papanan harrumphed. "Going to have to crack this one open too, I suspect."

Liana looked over to Datum. "I thought you would still be working on translation."

Datum went over to the nearby console. "Not anymore. We're fortunate. There's been a breakthrough. Some original tomestones have been found that I believe are related to whatever work was being done here, and I came here to review them in the original Allagan. Whatever work it was that E'lan jen Tia did is practically a waste. He was translating a translation of a translation - others' interpretations of what they found when they came across these ruins over the eons."

"Too many layers removed, then, I take it?" asked Liana mildly. Papanan barked a laugh.

"Well, unless you want to try to wake up the next unit and find it a soulmate using a spiritual fishing hook. All we have to do is dangle it in the deep blue sea and wait, apparently, according to what E'lan had translated. Ah, if it was only that easy. Maybe I'd have stayed in dear sweet Thanalan and found myself a wife instead of a calling," said Papanan.

"Careful," warned Datum.

"Please. If the Frumentarium wants me gone, they know where to find me, and I'll hand them the noose."

"I just would rather not have anything happen to either of you," said Datum quietly, as he sat down at the console and connected the tomestone to its interface.

"Come around on us savages then?" asked Papanan.

"Don't antagonise him, Papanan," said Liana, to Papanan's shrug.

"...whatever happened to that E'lan fellow, anyroad?" asked Datum, gently shifting the topic as the tomestone loaded in.

"I rather suspect he found he could not stomach what we were doing to what looked rather uncomfortably like kin to him. This work is rather gruesome. Macabre, even. Morbid, if you will. Ghastly. Downright ghoulish."

Liana just sighed and Pananan chuckled to himself.

"You know," he continued, "It's interesting. Every single one of these we've dug up has looked like quite the fetching young Miqo'te woman. It's weird. It's like how, you know, most Spoken undead seem to be Hyurs for whatever reason."

"The running theory is that the Hyur constitution is balanced in such a way as to favor necromantic energies," said Liana. "I do not know that there is any truth to that. I think it's perhaps just bias. You can find Hyur almost anywhere, so you find plenty of Hyur undead. There are plenty of Duskwight undead in Gelmorran ruins, as a counterpoint, but you do not find my people far from there often."

"Hmn, just so, maybe."

Datum just nodded as the tomestone finished loading, and he began to read carefully through its output. Liana and Papanan returned to their work.

It was nearly a bell later when Datum sat up suddenly. Neither Liana nor Papanan noticed, both of them still deep in the work of disassembling the construct.

"What was that you said earlier. About a soulmate?" he asked.

"Eh?" replied Papanan, who had only been halfway paying attention. "Oops," he said a moment later, as he dropped a spinal linkage.

"Careful," admonished Liana quietly. "It won't hold as well now that we've detached the myomer."

"Soulmate. You mentioned earlier that E'lan thought that these constructs needed soulmates."

"Oh, right, that. No, it was really ridiculous. He thought we needed to attach a spiritual fishing hook into the main assembly, then dangle it into a deep blue sea until we got a soulmate for it."

Datum frowned, and he turned back to his console, rapidly flipping back and forth between different sections of his reading.

"Was that exactly what he said?"

"Hells if I remember."

"Close, as I remember it. Not just any sea - he specifically said the depths of the Azure sea," said Liana.

"Which is ridiculous. They're all blue."

"... oh, he was close," said Datum, a trace of excitement in his voice.

Liana and Papanan now both fully stopped in their work. "Datum?" asked Liana. "What have you found?"

Datum just turned and looked. "Can you get flip it over? Open up the back of its main chassis? I want to see something."

"...sure. Hang on, let's back up, it's heavy. Let the arm handle it," said Papanan.

Liana nodded, and went over to operate a big crane with a large hand at the end of it, flipping the construct over. Once it was flipped, the three scientists moved back in, and Liana reached her fingers in underneath the shoulder blades, and pulled off a large panel of muscle and skin off its back.

Datum covered his nose, and moved in closer, his fingers tracing over the exposed metal that had been hidden in the torso.

"Can we open that?"

"Sure, hang on," said Papanan, as he picked up a nearby tomestone and started connecting it to the construct using fiber cables.

Liana looked over at Datum and raised an eyebrow.

"You know that thing that's over in section three - the so-called Cauldron Boundary Unit?" said Datum.

Liana nodded. "We've had no luck making any use of it. It claims to be a forge, but anything we drop in it just gets dissolved into aether and byproduct."

Datum nodded to the construct as Papanan finished hooking up the wiring. "I think it was meant for these."

Liana frowned at Datum, but he ignored her as he just stepped forward to watch while Papanan thumbed some controls on his tomestone, opening the metal inner shell of the construct. The areas where its shoulder blades had been folded upward, revealing its inner workings. A deeply complicated nest of wiring and unrecognizable machinery, dominated by a central sphere that it all seemed to either be connected to or harnessed around, suspended in the chest cavity. Datum reached out, and touched a hand to it, glancing back and forth down at his own tomestone.

"Artifacted nethicite."

"E'lan was pretty sure that word was meant to be 'auracite'," said Papanan idly, and Datum just shook his head.

"We've no other translation for it, but the phonetics in the original Allagan are obvious. Whatever it is - that serves as a core for these things. Do we have access to the aether transfer array here? I want to try to charge it."

"I can take care of that," said Liana. "What are you trying to do?"

"I just want to see what will happen."

"Might want to see what will happen a bit further back, if you think this will get it going again," said Papanan. "You weren't there for the seizures, but don't be fooled - it looks like a little Miqo'te, but that thing's muscle density is way higher than it should be, and it's a fast bastard when it's up."

"It's got nerves different from we do," said Liana, explaining as she set up the aetheric array. "Faster or broader or something. When it moves, it really moves. Its twitch motion is nearly twice as fast as any other Spoken."

"I... think I shall be over here, then," said Datum nervously, and Papanan went with him. Liana ducked down from where she was standing.

"Ready when you are."

Datum took a deep breath, and nodded. "Fix release."

Liana triggered a switch, and a steady beam of aether flowed from a crystalline array in the ceiling, aimed at the torso of the construct. Rather than flowing around it or dissipating into nether, the aether seemed to just flow into the core and stop there.

For several long minutes, nothing further happened. Liana stuck her head up over the console, while Papanan leaned out from where he was hiding. Datum, however, just watched intensely.

"Can't keep this up much longer," said Liana, looking over her readouts. "We got another minute before I'll need to turn it off and let our stores refill and the system recharge."

"Keep at it," said Datum.

And then, the core gained the faintest glow, hard to see from around the aether stream pouring into it. The construct began to twitch violently, seeming to vibrate in place as its whole body twitched, its fingers and toes violently and rapidly curling and uncurling. It began to make a low, unsettling guttural groan.

Datum grimaced. "That's enough. Shut it down."

Liana did so, and as the aether stream faded away, so did the glow from the construct's core, and its body settled back down to become still.

Papanan put his hands on his hips, and nodded, looking to Datum. "Well well well! That's progress. What is it you've got, then?"

Datum stood up, and began to fiddle with the accoutrements to his lab coat. "Well. I think that has proven several things. We won't be able to get the core online with just aether alone. But I know what will, now."

He looked to the other two. "We don't need to find them soulmates. What we need is to mate a soul to them - to quicken their cores. E'lan's translations were from secondary sources, but I see how he got them. It's not a spiritual fishing hook. It's a soul gig, and it's part of the Cauldron Boundary Unit. It's called a cauldron because it's the last step in forging one of these to completion. As for the boundary part - the cauldron leads deep down, we know that much. How far down has been a matter of speculation, but I suspect I know now. Far enough down to reach the aetherial sea."

"That's preposterous," said Papanan, but Liana just frowned and looked thoughtful.

"And that's the last puzzle piece of E'lan's translation. Not a deep blue sea, but rather, into the Azure Sea - a common enough name for the aetherial sea by civilizations past, owing due to the nature of its color."

"I understand," said Liana. "By using the cauldron to go past the boundary of the material, the Allagans thought to perhaps attach a soul to it to help power and maintain it."

"Ridiculous," said Papanan, but there was no real dissent to his voice as he looked up at the crystal transfer idea. "The idea that we would be attaching a soul to this thing seems quite beyond what even the Allagans were capable of. But, we have one of the most powerful aetheric transfer systems that have ever been devised in the modern era. I propose instead that if this cauldron does lead to the sea, or even if it does not, it leads to somewhere with deep aetheric capability. I suspect what we will be doing instead is simply charging the core. Hardly needs a soul for explanation. We saw it start moving."

Liana crossed her arms. "Perhaps leave the theorizing on the nature of aether to the aetherlogical expert."

"Oh, sure, if you'll leave the machinery to the mechanical expert. I'm telling you, this thing doesn't need a soul, just some juice, and maybe something to keep it from rotting. A dense source of aether just might do the trick."

"In either case, we know what we have to do next," said Datum. "I shall inform Kyb mal Donos. Perhaps we can get another extension while we retrieve more of these... frames."

"It's just a body. No need to get prissy about it," said Papanan, grinning up at Datum. Datum just shook his head.

"Whatever the case is, we know what we need to do next."

"Do we?" asked Liana. "And what of the current experiment? We've not gotten one to start moving again before."

"It's still half rotted. You two may be used to the smell, but we'll need to show these things to the Legatus eventually. Once the system's recharged, try again, make sure we can replicate the findings. Liana, maybe try to see if you can bind a familiar to it, we'll see if that's enough to keep them moving without having to resort fully to trying to see if we can get the Cauldron Boundary Unit to do what we want. But when you're done, just consign it to the graveyard. I'm going to report back to Kyb. Any questions?"

"No questions." "Nothing from me."

Datum just nodded, and then looked down at the weird hybrid construct once more.

"We'll get one of you to life yet," he said.

#ffxivwrite2023 #final fantasy xiv #liana kir vaux #papanan kir sosonan #datum lux lorimus #soulmate #202309-04 #biot writes #cw: gore

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biot08 · 3 years

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ABERRANT

FFXIV fanfic behind the cut

ABERRANT

“These readings cannot POSSIBLY be correct” groused Papanan kir Nununan, the perpetual frown on his face deepening as he looked at a display.

Nearby, a Miqo’te woman stepped out of one of the aetherflux chambers. The chamber was designed to be able to measure the aether qualities of a person. How much they had, how much they could manipulate and how fast. It was experimental. Almost everything in the lab was, either being recently developed Garlean technology, or unearthed and re-activated Allagan equipment.

The Miqo’te woman herself arguably fell into that latter category.

And all of it, the entire Garlean laboratory, Papanan would often insist, had been developed as a test of his personal patience and how far the military bureaucracy could fuck with him, personally.

“I thought there was nothing wrong with this thing,” said Papanan. The large green oval display became the latest recipient of his wrath as he gripped it tightly with both of his hands and shook it, as though that would change anything. It wobbled.

“We did not find anything wrong with it. Not quite the same thing. Perhaps it needs calibration?” said Liana kir Vaux, who was sitting nearby nursing a cup of tea in both hands. The two scientists, while both working for the Garlean empire, were very different people. Liana was a wildwood Elezen, tall, with pale skin and gray hair. The older of the two, crows feet accentuated her eyes. Papanan was a Lalafell of dunesfolk persuasion. His skin was a dusty light brown, his hair darker than that by several shades. He was younger, but not young. Both wore the lab coat and pants demanded of their job. As did the Miqo’te woman, for that matter.

“Perhaps our idiot provisioners need calibration,” Papanan retorted. “It has never had a day of instruction in any aetherlogical arts since it was decanted, and yet! Yet! The machine would have me believe that perhaps it is quite the puissant mage.”

Liana sighed, setting her tea down. The Miqo’te woman had since made her way to quietly sit down nearby, staring at Papanan with those large, almost-black glassy eyes of hers. The woman’s face was, as usual, expressionless.

“I wish you would not call her an it,” said Liana.

“I wish you would stop treating it like a pet,” retorted Papanan.

“I am not the one who keeps giving her my cinnamon sweet rolls after lunch,” said Liana.

“We are not feeding it nearly enough. It’s not -natural- and it does not eat like it should be! It’s a machine, Liana. They need fuel, and we cannot jolly well choke it with ceruleam, now, can we?”

Liana looked to the Miqo’te, who stopped staring at Papanan long enough to glance at Liana.

“I do appreciate it, kir Nununan,” the Miqo’te woman said. Her voice was quiet, but steady. Strong. Clear. Liana wished she could teach her to sing.

After a pause, the Miqo’te woman, still staring at Papanan, pulled her teeth back in a rictus grin, seemingly only remembering to squint her eyes a little bit after the face. Papanan threw his hands up and recoiled in mock terror.

“Thal’s balls, Liana! I wish you had never tried to teach her how to smile!”

Liana sighed and looked over at the Miqo’te woman. The woman continued to stare as her face shifted back to its usual expressionless state. Expressionless, Liana thought to herself. But not quite completely. Liana knew many people found the staring unsettling. She herself had, for the first few weeks. But as the moons had stretched into seasons, Liana had learned to find it endearing. A weird sort of constant in the hustle and bustle of the lab. And if she looked carefully, there was still expression there. The slow movement of an ear rotating to hear something better. The twitch of a tail. The specific way the Miqo’te woman stared at any specific moment.

And she knew that the Miqo’te woman was always listening carefully. She learned fast, languages seemingly coming to her instantly, but most tasks she could reach competence in with very little in the way of instruction. She had learned. She had learned which of the scientists to avoid and which ones to stay near. She had learned how to fit in, smoothly shifting from a failed experiment that they were trying to figure out what to do with to a valuable lab assistant and occasional willing test dummy.

Like today, with them trying to get the aetherflux chamber working. The Miqo’te woman was one of the few who did not seem to have some problem or another climbing into it for a few hours.

“Well, whatever. We need replacement parts. Assistant! Help me take this thing apart,” Papanan directed the last at the Miqo’te woman, who nodded, once, before quickly getting up and walking smoothly over to the chamber.

Liana sipped her tea as the two got to work. Liana may have been the experienced aetherologist, but Papanan was the experienced engineer, and repairing the aetherflux chamber was more his area. She watched them for a while, and then made her way over to the display and the output that had so drawn Papanan’s ire, and looked at the data.

Liana considered it with a frown. The values were high, but not astronomical. A failed component could have shown a few things. A blank for no data, or a value that was at the maximum the display could show, or a value that was at the minimum of the same. But all of the values were within reasonable ranges. Just high.

A badly calibrated part could explain it.

But… what if the values were correct?

Liana sipped her tea quietly, looked over at the Miqo’te woman, and considered.

#202109-03 #casual conversation #ffxivwrite2021 #aberrant

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driftward · 1 year

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Title: All I Want For Starlight is You Characters: Nyx Blackmoon, Klynt Gohtawyn Rating: Teen Summary: Nyx would like some company this holiday season. Notes: None

It is the decree of the Imperial Office of Culture that the Garlean celebration of the midwinter's feast, which takes place on the shortest day, is suitable for celebration for citizen and colonial residents alike, despite similar events recognized in uncivilized lands. Local Tribuni are encouraged to determine which customs are suitable for their region, and report back their decrees to the Office of Culture. Long live the Empire.

-*-

Perhaps years in the past, or in the years yet to come...

-*-

Klynt was among those who woke up early in the morn.

Well, 'woke up' was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but she was one of the first ones to be moving in the morning, owing to a life lived aboard pirate vessels, and more recently, perhaps due to the tendency of one Zoissette Vauban to be awake and quite active at an early hour.

However, Zoissette was not around this morn, nor was much of her usual company. The Starlight season was upon Eorzea, and many of her comrades had made their plans and set out on their way, to visit home and family, leaving her and a scant skeleton crew to hold down the fort.

This suited her fine, as she had little affection for the holiday. A pirate's life did not lend itself to such, and Limsans were hardly a formally devout sort, instead living life freely and developing loose collections of beliefs and superstitions, each fit to each person for them alone. Zoissette was probably off praying to some saint or another, and each of her other coworkers had their own affairs to look after and beliefs to tend to. Such was not for her.

And so, she made her way to the kitchen, barely aware of her surrounds as she began to make her morning coffee.

She felt, more than she heard, a gentle presence approach from behind her. She ignored it, focusing on watching the hot water as she poured it over finely ground beans.

"Gohtawyn. Good morning."

"Blackmoon. Morn," mumbled Klynt.

"Do you have plans for breakfast?"

Klynt scowled, wincing an eye shut as she looked into her coffee cup, now full.

"No. Should I?"

"No. Are there any activities or rituals you observe for the Starlight season?"

"...no. Should I?"

"No. If you do not mind, and you have the patience, I would like to prepare a breakfast for you appropriate for the season, in keeping with traditions I am familiar with."

Klynt grunted. "...do I get to keep my coffee?"

"Yes. Though if I may, I would like to see it for a moment."

Klynt arched an eyebrow, and frowned over at the Miqo'te shaped person. However, after a moment, she begrudgingly handed her mug over to Nyx.

Nyx took it, and set it down on the counter, and began to rapidly reach for a variety of spices, pouring them in various amounts into the coffee. Klynt was not awake enough to watch them very carefully, and she generally trusted Nyx.

She did protest, however, when she saw Nyx put two spoonfuls of milk into it.

"Hey, what're you doing?"

Nyx just looked up at her, and after a moment, handed the coffee back.

Klynt looked at it, dubious, but then took a sip. The coffee was spiced, now, with a mixture of flavors she did not recognize, and a smooth creaminess she did not expect.

It was... good.

She glowered at it, then nodded, and headed off to the breakfast area. Behind her, she heard Nyx get to work in the kitchen.

-*-

Kyb mal Donos set the declaration down, and looked at his assembled team.

"So does that mean...? asked Miki kir Karou tentatively, carefully.

Datum lux Lorimus shrugged. "Cato cares little what we do in his absence. He has chosen to take the solstice with his family. So long as we do not gain the attention of the local Legatus, I suspect we'll be fine. Keep your traditions, but keep them -quietly-, and I won't say a word."

Liana kir Vaux looked thoughtful. "A feast, then, for the beginning of Starlight."

Papanan turned to Liana, and raised a finger in the air. "And how do you propose we prepare such a thing? I doubt a one of you know how to properly prepare dodo tenderloin, and I shall not carry the burden of preparing the rest of the meal alone, thank you very much."

Liana crossed her arms. "Is that what passes for a fitting meal in your home? I would choose a wide array of common vegetables, filling and pleasing. And if you are not up to the culinary challenge of tending to the cohort-"

Miki waved his hands in the air, attempting to soothe them both before the conversation before it got out of hand. "Please, my friends, there is no need to fight. In this, a compromise is easy. Many hands shall make light work. And being as we all hail from different places, perhaps we shall each prepare a singular item of our choosing, and create a harmonious whole that may not otherwise be achieved. And being as we have much work ahead of us, might I suggest that we begin with breaking our fast upon the first day, followed by..."

Miki explained his intentions, and the others saw the wisdom of his plan, and were quick to agree. While some argument occurred around the preparation of a main dish, the rest of the discussion went quickly.

Nyx watched, and listened, silently.

-*-

Klynt was barely awake in the breakfast area, enjoying her coffee, when Nyx came out with several plates, each of them heaping with food. She near boggled as each of them were set down in front of her.

Dodo tenderloin, seared to perfection. Some sort of sautéed sauce made of some kind of orange fruit. Thin slices of, if she had to guess, a truly large radish. Mashed popotoes, with little bits of green in them - onion most like, or perhaps laurel, or, well, she stopped trying to guess. Strips of what she suspected was pork belly, heavily salted and fried. Some kind of squash, cut into thin stripes and cooked in some manner she was not familiar with. Scrambled eggs, because of course scrambled eggs, why wouldn't there be. And other food besides.

All in all, while any individual item seemed like it could be a delight, the entire plate was a mess of foods.

"Nyx," said Klynt, slowly, carefully, "The hells is this?"

"First breakfast," said Nyx, as she set a similar plate down in front of themselves and began to eat in their way, rapidly yet carefully, as though the plate was an enemy to be attacked with precision munitions and worn down through rapid attrition.

Klynt scowled, and picked up a utensil, and tried her own food.

Well. As she might've guessed. The arrangement may have looked more like an accident of whatever was available in the cabinet rather than any sort of planned meal, but Nyx was a uniquely capable culinarian. The food was delicious, and filling, and Klynt felt herself waking up as she ate her meal.

"Gohtawyn. Are you generally available for the day?"

"...sure. Don't got much going on, and most everyone's gone. Can't stray too far though. We're needed in case some emergency or another happens."

"I understand and agree. We will not need to go very far, but there is some work I would like to get done today. I would like your help with it. In addition, I would appreciate your aesthetic input."

Klynt frowned at Nyx. Nyx was usually so quiet in the mornings, content to hang around in the rafters, responding when called upon, or leaving to go do her own things, whatever they happened to be.

"Whatever are you up to, Nyx."

Nyx told her.

-*-

"We'll need a tree," said Liana, thoughtfully.

"A tree?" asked Miki.

"To put the presents under," supplied Liana.

"And to decorate," said Papanan, waving a finger in the air.

Miki looked perplexed, and Datum frowned at the other two, putting his hands on his hips.

"If this is part of some kind of savage ritual..." he said, slowly, carefully.

Papanan grinned, and shook his head. "Sure, but not of the religious sort."

"Not in recent years, anyroad, despite efforts," said Liana with a groan.

"Pah. Overblown and ancient belly-aching. No, it's just nice little things. We go out and buy presents, and put them under the Starlight tree. On the day of, we go, see who got what, and open them up."

"A... gift exchange, then?" asked Datum.

Liana nodded. "If you want to know the history of it, legend holds that a Saint of the Goddess Nymeia holds vigil on Starlight, giving presents to children and ferrying their prayers to her afterwards."

Datum put a hand to his forehead. "...if you get me in trouble-" he began.

"Nothing of the sort!" Said Papanan. "A gift exchange seems appropriate for your traditions as well. We will just say that the gifts are part of the feast. Giving thanks between each of us. And to the host as well, of course."

"Of course," said Datum, sourly. "And the trees?"

"Well," said Liana, smiling beatifically in her own way, "The inside of the Castrum is... rather bleak. I have always felt it could use some sprucing up. Rather than a singular tree, we can gather several, and claim it is just part of... general improvement."

Datum crossed his arms and frowned.

"Fine," he agreed at last. "But no decorations."

-*-

It was late afternoon, and Klynt trailed behind Nyx. It was cold, and there was snow on the ground, and her time in Ishgard had taught her to have somewhat more respect for the elements. So she had heavy leather boots on with thick soles, and a coat of Ishgardian make that Zoissette had gotten for her, and thick woolen mittens courtesy of Zoissette's brother, Ement. She had her thumbs stuck in her waistband as she sauntered after Nyx.

Nyx, of course, was in their armor. Something of Allagan make. Klynt had never asked much after it, and Nyx was never the sort to volunteer information unless prompted. It didn't matter. The weather never seemed to bother Nyx one way or another.

They stopped in the middle of a forest of evergreens, and Nyx looked around, her ears rotating slowly as she swept her gaze back and forth over the forest.

"I do not fully understand the selection criteria for evergreen trees," said Nyx. "I know it is important that they be tall, but less tall than the room they are to occupy. And their appearance must be aesthetically pleasing in a uniform manner. If you would indicate some, I shall inspect them. If we both agree on a tree, we can cut it down and transport it back."

Klynt shrugged.

"So... I just pick some?" she asked.

Nyx nodded, and she sighed. She also didn't know the 'selection criteria' for trees, so she poked through the forest, Nyx following silently behind. The first and second one, Nyx shook her head, and so she moved on. The third one, however, Nyx had circled several times, looking it up and down in her curious manner, eyes always wide open and staring, rarely blinking, with no expression on her face.

Klynt waited patiently.

"This one shall suffice," they declared.

Klynt and Nyx then spent the rest of the afternoon hewing it down and hauling it back home. The work passed mostly in silence, a situation Klynt would have found aggravatingly intolerable with most people.

But then again, Nyx was not most people. Nyx was Nyx, and Klynt found their silence companionable these days.

They deposited the tree into a storeroom, and Nyx began to fashion a stand for it.

"The tree will need to stay out here overnight. This storeroom shall keep it above freezing. In the morning, we can inspect it for animal urine or fecal matter, as well as any vilekin or plantkin that we will wish to avoid bringing indoors."

"Sure," said Klynt easily.

"Thank you for your assistance," said Nyx. "I will need some time to perform my work. I would appreciate speaking to you before you go to sleep for the evening, however."

"...sure," said Klynt, less easily. "...you gonna explain what all this is about?"

"I can explain later," said Nyx.

Odd, thought Klynt, but she let it be as she ambled out of the storage shed and back to the main holdings.

-*-

The trees were put carefully in various places in the Castrum. Nyx had helped the project scientists select them and bring them back, and they had build the stands for them. There were no presents nor decorations yet, but Nyx had been told those would come in the days to come.

After the last tree had been set up, Liana had come up to Nyx, and smiled at her warmly as she did, holding out a hand. Nyx knew what that meant, and reached out to take the woman's hand in her own.

"This is your first Starlight," said Liana.

"It is. I understand that it is a ritual of some sort. But I do not know the details or significance."

Papanan approached now, looking thoughtful. "Few rituals, actually," he said conversationally. "Interesting that most peoples have something-or-another around this time of year, isn't it?"

Liana looked at him, and nodded. "...yes. The Garleans do not recognize Starlight, but they do traditionally have a feast on the winter solstice that is very important to them."

"And us Ul'dahns take the opportunity to exchange gifts. Good for making friends, pleasing family, and for the merchants to make decent coin," said Papanan, grinning.

"As for my people... we hold the twelve in high regard. This is a celebration in the name of Nymeia, and her appointed saint. Miki could say more about the Doman tradition - their people do not care for it the same as ours do, but that stands to reason, given the difference in climate. They refer to it as longest night, and reflect upon the importance of some of their so-called kami, I believe."

Nyx looked at Liana. "Kami are a kind of eikon," she said. "Our mission opposes them."

"And the gods of Eorzea as well," said Papanan. "So we aren't celebrating them, not this year, not around here."

"But the celebration continues," said Liana. "I think... that perhaps, in the coldest part of winter, when the day is at its shortest, almost too short to do anything useful - particularly in the far north of Garlemald, but also elsewhere - that people turn to each other, and keep one another company, and celebrate that the days will only get longer from here. So the details, we're making them up here. Miki was right to try to find a harmonious balance between our many traditions. And the significance, well."

Liana smiled at Nyx, squeezing their hand tightly.

"It is a chance for us to spend time together. And this Starlight, all I want is to spend time with you. I've more to teach you, if you like. And I think you've more to learn, if you are willing."

"I am," said Nyx reflexively, and Liana smiled broadly while Papanan laughed.

"Going to teach it the real meaning of Starlight, are you?" he said.

Liana shrugged at him, with a smile. "And why not? She can learn."

Miki came over, noticing the group gathered together. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Oh, just all of us displaced savages, getting together to try to teach an ancient artifact a dozen different conflicting stories, and hope it'll learn something out of it," said Papanan.

Miki looked at Nyx, and then between Liana and Papanan.

"Is that wise?" he asked.

"Let the Garleans teach her how to be a weapon," said Liana. "Our duty should be to teach her how to be a person."

"And also to make sure it's working right," said Papanan.

Miki just shrugged.

-*-

Klynt stayed out in the main room, her fingers toying lazily with her nhalisman, her eyes half-lidded as she considered sleep.

But, she told Nyx she would speak with her before going to bed, and so she was awake, at least for a little while longer.

At last, Nyx returned.

"Gohtawyn. I appreciate you staying here. I will not keep you long. I am wondering if you plan on staying in the area for the next twelve days."

Klynt frowned. "...through Starlight, I take it."

"Yes," said Nyx, and then after a moment, "I would appreciate your company. There are rituals I wish to observe, and I believe they would be more meaningful if they were shared with someone. I would like that someone to be you, if possible."

"...sure," said Klynt. She wanted to ask more, but she was tired, and she wanted to go to bed.

"Thank you," said Nyx. They turned away, and looked up into the ceiling. Klynt knew, given another moment, they would leap up to the rafters and vanish for the evening.

"Nyx, I wanna ask you a question," said Klynt.

Nyx turned towards her. Staring. Unblinking. Klynt sighed, and rubbed the back of her head.

"It's quiet around here," she said. "Not a lotta people. Pretty lonely at night. If you want me to stick around, no problem, but if it's alright - I'd like company. Snuggle buddy or something."

Nyx regarded her flatly for a moment, then nodded. "I find your proposal agreeable. I shall meet you in your room. I need to perform personal maintenance and change."

Klynt nodded.

It was about a bell later. Klynt had climbed into her bed, topless but with her pants on, arms wrapped around her head, contemplating the ceiling. She heard the door open and then close, but no other noise, which told her all she needed to hear. She did not even need to look to watch as Nyx approached.

Nyx was wearing just her skinsuit, some kind of skintight smooth material. Klynt had assumed it was, in fact, Nyx's skin for much of the early time they had known each other. However, she had seen Nyx out of it a few times, either while performing maintenance, or engaged in intimate activities, the few times the two had indulged in such. Klynt was not interested in that tonight, however, and apparently neither was Nyx, who simply helped herself into Klynt's bed and curled up tightly in a ball next to her.

Klynt remembered the first few times she had shared a bed with Nyx. It was during the disastrous aftermath of events in Ul'dah, while they were still making their way towards Ishgard. Klynt had not dressed for the climate, and had come to regret that decision bitterly. Nyx had spent much of the time riding on Klynt's back. The physical exercise of carrying her had helped keep Klynt warm, but so had the gentle heat that Nyx radiated.

And when they had stopped to make camp, Nyx had curled up next to Klynt, much as she was now, and had radiated that same gentle heat, staving off the cold and helping Klynt go to sleep.

Klynt wrapped her arms around Nyx, and closed her eyes. Next to her, she knew Nyx was already asleep, as she could not feel her breathing. Yet another one of their quirks. Klynt remembered panicking the first time she had discovered such, and smiled faintly.

Nyx was a weird little creature. And she did not often ask for anything for herself. She would often ask other questions, about the mission, about parameters for a task, or for support in the mission, but rarely things for herself, as a person. So if Nyx wanted company for Starlight, well, Klynt was inclined to be obliging.

As she drifted off, luxuriating in the gentle heat radiating from her friend, Klynt resolved to ask more after what it was Nyx wanted with Starlight. But for now, she was tired, and so she drifted off to sleep.

#ythappieststarlight2022 #final fantasy xiv #nyx blackmoon #klynt gohtawyn #a campfire tale #all i want for starlight is you #202212-14 #biot writes

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driftward · 2 years

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Thunderous

Title - FFXIV Write 2021 - 15. Thunderous Characters - Nyx Blackmoon; Liana kir Vaux, Papanan kir Nununan Rating - Teen Summary - Before the calamity, before she was even a weapon of the Garlean empire, the Miqo’te woman was just a lab assistant. Until one day, when under attack, they reach for the aether around them... and become something more Notes - Originally posted here on 2021-09-16

The Miqo’te woman had rather preferred when it was quiet.

The castrum was under attack, and she was finding the noise overwhelming, finding it hard to think. She could feel the aether, thick in the air, from magitek weapons fire and thrown spells being flung around her.

She felt as though she could breath it in, feel it, hot in the air, hot in her chest and belly, flowing through her. She felt as though if she would just stop a moment, she could grab it somehow. She wanted to.

She wanted Liana and Papanan and herself to survive more.

A nearby wall exploded in on their group, with thunderous noise, and all three of them were flung unceremoniously to the ground. Liana was quick to crab crawl her way behind a nearby caltrop. The Miqo’te woman had though she had seen a hint, the false gray of an image of the wall exploding, and she managed to roll with the hit, coming to rest on her hands and knees, shaken but uninjured.

Papanan had not been so lucky. She could see him nearby, staggered, blood flowing from a wound on his head. He was still conscious, and still moving; she saw him slowly try to lift himself off the ground, holding a hand to his fresh wound.

She also saw one of the hostile soldiers moving towards him.

She could see hints again, in her mind’s eye. Possibilities coalescing, appearing to her as greyscale images. Less likely ones were lighter in shade, threatening to vanish into nothing. More certain ones were darker, with sharper contrasts. It was as though she could see the soldier’s intended actions as they considered their options.

And then she saw one in particular coalesce, and she sprinted forward, intent on ensuring it could not happen.

The soldier’s sword came up just as she tackled Papanan out of the way, and behind her, she heard it clash as it hit the ground heavily, the soldier having spent too much energy in a heavy wind up for what he thought was a sure kill. She wrapped her body around Papanan to protect him, and planted her feet.

The aether called to her. The warmth was overwhelming, now. She could feel it in the air, she could feel it in herself. It was already alive, but just needed a bit more.

It just needed a spark, and a focus, and it would aspect into something more, something not at all aetherial.

Power.

She was connected to the land through her stance. She was a conduit between the earth and the sky, she was a pass through which the energy could flow. She could feel it whelming up within her now.

She spared a glance for the soldier, and she saw the future possibilities.

They all ended with his sword in her.

She closed her eyes, and ignited the power she felt within. It was hot, so hot. It felt sickly, sticky. It felt like so much pressure, needing release.

She just needed a focus, and she opened her eyes, looking at her hand. Then, in a smooth motion, she swept that same hand towards the soldier’s face before he could bring his sword down again.

She felt the power inside of her ignite, light up. It flowed into her violently, rushing, sweeping in from the ambient aether into her, where she pumped it, excited it, and it coalesced in the palm of her hand, a dark vibrating orb of barely restrained aspected aether. Black whisps of smoke poured out of her hand, and she saw it become partially unmade, the black vapors rapidly coalescing into the black sphere of energy that was sustained there.

And then the moment was over, as she snapped her focus to the soldier. The black sphere snaked away from her, faintly trailing its black mist, and slammed into him, igniting into a fireball. She heard it more than she felt it, a thunderous roar inside of her very self, and she felt it plenty, her hand continuing to be unmade in the aftermath of the spell.

The soldier fared far worse, however, as he was blasted back. He went down amongst the rubble, and stayed there.

She curled over on herself, grasping her hand to her chest, and she took deep, gulping breaths. Inside of her, she felt expanded, somehow. As though she could do that again, pull on somehow greater energies, could perhaps follow up with an even mightier spell. And if not for her hand, perhaps she might try-

Beneath her, Papanan groaned. She looked up to where she had last seen Liana, and saw Liana’s eyes go wide, but they were not looking at her. They were looking past her. She turned, and saw more soldiers in the breach.

She saw a cascade of future possibilities, and she did not like any of them.

She looked down at her hand. The effect on it had slowed, but. She could still see black wisping off of it. She could see muscle and tendons. They were splotchy, disjointed, unnaturally unmade.

She took a deep breath in, and planted her feet again. She could feel the aether once more, hanging thick in the air. It was so close to ignition. It was excited. It was as though it wanted to be remade, repurposed.

As though it wanted to be made real just long enough to unmake everything.

She was dimly aware of tears drawing down her cheeks as she planted her feet, and drew in once more. The energy filled her again, and once more, demanded purpose, pressing against her insides, pushing itself out, crowding her, wanting to be set free.

She held it until she felt as though she might explode, and then she unleashed it once more, pointing her hand at the nearest soldier she could see. Again the black energy formed, but this time, it was mightier, more powerful.

And this time, it demanded more.

She watched as, seemingly in an instant, her entire forearm was unmade, and the the entire world exploded into a roar she could not hear over. Black smoke poured off her forearm, disappearing into a sphere that shot towards the enemy, and then -

Explosion -

Fire -

Heat -

Destruction, all and more that she needed, was delivered.

The world went to grays and deep, sharp contrasts as she fell to the ground. She could not hear anything except the roar. Above her she saw Liana’s concerned face come into view. Lips moved, but she could not hear what they were saying. Papanan appeared shortly after, moving towards her, but looking away. He waved his arms animatedly, and both he and Liana were then looking, and she could see a few more soldiers, still approaching.

The first ones she had spotted had been eager, running forward, bodies down, swords out. These ones were more cautious, shuffling forward slowly, shields up.

“RUN,” she yelled. Or she thought she did. Or she tried to. She wasn’t sure.

They should have left her. They should be leaving her. Why were they staying? Her arm was ruined, and she was weak from the exertion, and she was not worth risking themselves for, didn’t they know that?

She thought everyone knew that.

She was having problems seeing the possibilities, now, but one more entered her mind. If Papanan and Liana wouldn’t abandon her, wouldn’t run from it, there was one more thing she could try. And perhaps it could stop her arm from continuing to be unmade, as she was certain she could still feel it unravelling.

She placed her one good hand on the ground, closed her eyes, and focused. She imagined a little circle around her and Papanan and Liana which was inviolate, but beyond that, she could reach out, and feel the aether, still excited, still rushing, still roaring.

All she had to do was try to control it once more, but this time, instead of encouraging it, to discourage it. To calm it down. To bring it into the ultimate form of focus and order.

To still it, and freeze the world.

She could feel the energy flows inside of her slow, and then reverse, sluggishly at first, but then quicker, shifting to a different aspect. She could feel her body grow colder, she could feel ice forming on her skin, but she could not stop. She had to do this one last thing.

The aether built up, but it was different this time. She could feel it, in a circle around her. It just needed focus. She sucked a deep breath in, and then held it.

Everything slowed for her.

And then, with a crack, the ice snapped into existence, a thousand thousand shards, and exploded.

The roar in her ears grew to overwhelming, now, and she could take no more. She felt her skin split in a dozen dozen places. She was broken, she was battered, and she had done all that she could do, more than she thought she knew how, but…

It would be alright.

Papanan and Liana would be safe.

She collapsed as the roar reached the heavens and the world went to a steady slate of gray.

#ffxivwrite2021 #ffxiv #nyx blackmoon #liana kir vaux #papanan kir nununan #thunderous #202111-09 #biot writes #repost

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driftward · 2 years

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Aberrant

Title - FFXIV Write 2021 - 2. Aberrant Fandom - Final Fantasy FFXIV Characters - Nyx Blackmoon, Liana kir Vaux, Papanan kir Nununan Rating - Teen Summary - Prologue - occurs before events of 1.0 Notes - Originally posted here on 2021-09-03. I’ll probably change the names of the scientist when I clean this up later.

“These readings cannot POSSIBLY be correct” groused Papanan kir Nununan, the perpetual frown on his face deepening as he looked at a display.

The Miqo’te woman herself arguably fell into that latter category.

And all of it, the entire Garlean laboratory, Papanan would often insist, had been developed as a test of his personal patience and how far the military bureaucracy could fuck with him as an individual.

“I wish you would not call her an it,” said Liana.

“I wish you would stop treating it like a pet,” retorted Papanan.

“I am not the one who keeps giving her my cinnamon sweet rolls after lunch,” said Liana.

Liana looked to the Miqo’te, who stopped staring at Papanan long enough to glance at Liana.

“I do appreciate it, kir Nununan,” the Miqo’te woman said. Her voice was quiet, but steady. Strong. Clear. Liana wished she could teach her to sing.

After a pause, the Miqo’te woman, still staring at Papanan, pulled her teeth back in a rictus grin, seemingly only remembering to squint her eyes a little bit after the fact. Papanan threw his hands up and recoiled in mock terror.

“Thal’s balls, Liana! I wish you had never tried to teach her how to smile!”

Like today, with them trying to get the aetherflux chamber working. The Miqo’te woman was one of the few who did not seem to have some problem or another climbing into it for a few hours.

A badly calibrated part could explain it.

But… what if the values were correct?

Liana sipped her tea quietly, looked over at the Miqo’te woman, and considered.

#biot writes #repost #ffxivwrite2021 #aberrant #nyx blackmoon #liana kir vaux #papanan kir nununan #202111-04 #ffxiv

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