al'Ellisande

Minho Cho clicked his tongue, fists firmly pushed into his sides, while his critical gaze swept over the empty plot in Shirogane. Not the beachfront, but the second lane, the small plot was located at western side of the residential area. A plot that was easy to work with, depending on the owner’s wishes. Minho groaned. Why was he doing this again? Ah, yes. Because his old friend Ryunosuke Sojhin has talked him into this, this cunning mage, The Twelve may curse him.

It was not that Minho needed any clients, because he really didn’t. As a renowned interior designer he was filthy rich, even by Ul’dahn standards. So he wasn’t doing any designs anymore, why would he? The cocktails were nice at Costa del Sol, why bother? Because the full-time mage and part-time designer friend of his, named Ryunosuke Sojhin, talked him into this, fabulating about a chance to do something different, modern, sleek and on top on his home world Phoenix. The client was supposedly nice, easy to work with, broke, yes, but with a good eye for style. Ryu had provided the money for the furniture and after the third Garlean Highball Minho agreed to do the interior design - for free. Well, shit.

After twenty years in the business Minho knew that there was no such thing as an “easy client”, unless you negotiated “take the house as it is or die” - which was Minho’s preferred contract. But his mage friend from Kugane had been so nice, polite as usual, persuasive too… Minho sighed. He was getting old. The only explanation why the Hyur had been able to chat him up.

An Au Ra came up the stairs to the plot, the owner obviously. Minho snorted. Tall, small waist, good looks - exactly Ryunosuke’s type. Now everything was crystal clear. It was an open secret that his friend’s marriage was at a dead end with the spouses living separately for over a year now. And the Au Ra was nice to look at, so why not? If you liked Au Ras, that is - which is something Minho did not. Most of them were rude in Minho’s opinion and this one was according to Ryu’s account a renowned warrior, a fighter with a love for weapons - in Minho’s textbook this translates to no idea of interior design but a ton of ridiculous demands.

The Au Ra introduced himself as Vaux Trabas (wherever that name came from, but it was none of Minho’s businesses) and the Lalafell started to explain what he envisioned for the garden design.

Ryunosuke looked at the invitation printed on handmade paper his brother had given him. They were sitting on their favorite bench in the Rakusui Gardens, right beside the small lake. A fond smile was on his lips as he carefully stroked over the eggshell white paper. “You need to come, Ryu”, his older brother told him, an earnest look on his face. The smile from Ryunosuke’s face slipped as he looked with sad eyes at his older brother, “I don’t think father would approve, Shinno.” 

His brother huffed and shook his head, “This is the official ceremony of my promotion to commander of the Sekiseigumi. It is expected that the whole family is attending and since you’re not expelled from the family nothing else would do. Even more so, because you’re a Samurai in its own right, being a pupil of Master Musosai.” 

Ryunosuke gave a small sigh and nodded after a short moment, ignoring the content look on his brother’s face. The mage was aware of the honor this promotion for not only his brother was, but for the whole family. Anything short of death wouldn’t be a good enough reason to not attend the official ceremony, even though it meant it was unavoidable to meet his father after all those years since Ryunosuke left not only his family home but Kugane to pursue the apprenticeship of a mage in Ul’dah. Years have passed and Ryunosuke has become a powerful mage, capable of wielding different sources of magic, leaning more to the healer side of late. 

He had even made his peace with the family heritage and finished his Samurai training under the vigilant eyes of master Musosai, unfortunately another source of displeasure for his father. Master Musosai and his father used to be in the same class when they were old to pick up the sword, but his father despised Musosai’s approach of a Samurai’s path as it was unconventional and new. But to Ryunosuke this path was appealing enough to finish his training as Master Musosai’s pupil. 

And that’s how Ryunosuke was standing now in one of the rooms of the Bokairo Inn, carefully binding the Haori made of silver-gray fabric, embroidered with golden symbols, that helped the samurai controlling the aetherflow or Ki as it was called in Hingan.

As a powerful mage Ryunosuke was able to handle large amounts of aether on his own, but Samurais were fighters firstly, struggling to channel the Ki into the Kneki. Ryunosuke always found this amplifying effect of the armor slightly unsettling, but there was no way to tell the skilled craftsmen to not weave in the effect without insulting them. 

When he was finally done with draping and arranging his robe, he carefully took his katana off the stand, a family heirloom he had gotten with his birth and seethed the curved blade with a smooth motion into the sleeve. 

Feeling uncomfortable, Ryunosuke looked at his reflection in the mirror, remembering his brother's words. “You should make peace with being a Samurai, little brother. Being a Samurai is part of your heritage, your identity and even though it’s not the path you have chosen for yourself, you should never neglect it. I know that our father’s behavior lead to you being uncomfortable in that role, but the art, the way and the honor of being a Samurai has nothing to do with our father.”

Inhaling deeply, Ryunouke had to admit that his older brother was right. He had falsely connected the Samurai’s path to the deeds of his father and failed to acknowledge the honor that lay in this path. He hadn’t recognized that his own main motivation was the core of the Samurai’s path. Following “saburau” - “to serve” was a Samurai’s main belief, the same belief Ryunosuke was following, not with Katana and Haori, but with his own means. 

Ryunosuke looked at his face in the mirror, asking himself why it had taken him so long to cast away the blindness of his younger self that was born out of hurt and anger in order to accept himself the way he was, the values and beliefs of generations of Samurais of his family before him deeply ingrained into his soul. 

Suddenly not only the Haori felt light but the air seemed lighter too, a burden he had carried for years suddenly being lifted from his heart. 

Walking at a slow, steady pace, oozing dignity, Ryunosuke headed to the Sekiseigumi’s headquarters, where the ceremony would take place. He was greeted by Makoto upon his arrival and stood in the long line of attendants of the ceremony. His brother would walk down that line to receive the scroll of his promotion by the Bugyo himself in front of the shrine in the inner part of the Sekiseigumi Barracks. 

As a family member Ryunosuke was standing at the top of the line, right in front of the space where the dignitaries would line up. His father, being a state secretary of the War Ministry, would come as one of the last. From the corner of his eye Ryunosuke could see his father coming, recognizing his posture everywhere. He was accompanied by an older and thus superior colleague, who Ryunosuke recognized as Fujimato. 

The elder man stopped in front of Ryunosuke, who bowed at them, turning to Ryunosuke’s father, “Well, well, Shunichi, I see that your younger son has accomplished his training too.” His father made a sour face and huffed, “As a pupil of Musosai, so don’t expect much.”

Fuhimato barked a laugh, his eyes sparkling, “Of course. You were always bickering with him since school, right, Shunichi?” His father hrmphed in response, clasping his hands on his back. 

“Your younger son has quite a reputation of serving as a capable healer and your eldest will be commander of the Sekiseigumi. Fortune is shining brightly on the Sojhin family.” His father gave an embarrassed cough to which Fujimato laughed as they took their assigned places to witness the ceremony. 

The sound of a gong announced the beginning of the ceremony and Ryunosuke watched with pride in his heart how his brother looked dignified in the special Haori, receiving the commander’s sword along with the scroll of promotion from the hands of the Bugyo. 

After the ceremony Ryunosuke walked back to the Bokairo Inn but stopped at the terrace to enjoy the view of the sea and reminisce about the day. He was so proud of his brother's achievements and grateful that his hard work was now rewarded with such a responsible position. 

The clearing of a throat startled him and interrupted his train of thoughts. The mage couldn’t hide his surprise when he became aware that his father stood next to him, looking at the sea. They both stood there for a while, silently watching the crushing of the waves against the shore in the endless rhythm of the tide. 

His father cleared his throat again, not looking at Ryunosuke, “We’re leaving for Onokuni in an hour to honor and thank our ancestors.”

Ryunosuke swallowed heavily, looking in disbelief. His father gave him a pointed look and a rise with an eyebrow, so Ryunosuke made sure to bow quickly, “Thank you, father, I’ll be there.” Shunichi Sojhin gave a huff and turned away to walk calmly away, leaving his son stunned. 

***

Weeks later Ryunosuke sat with his husband in their living room, a fire crackling in the fireplace. He was snuggled against his husband’s tall body, who had pulled him into his arms to rest his chin on top of his head like he usually did, sipping some wine. The last weeks have been weird to say the least, with Ryunosuke being admitted into his father’s house again, but their relationship was still slightly tense and awkward. The last weeks had taught Ryunosuke a lot about his family, brought memories back, showed him that his parents were getting old and suffocated him with the rigidness of Hingan traditions. He had given Firlionel a detailed account of what had happened in Kugane and now they were sitting on the couch, enjoying their wine. 

“I think my father might die soon”; Ryunosuke added as an afterthought. His husband didn’t reply, he just squeezed his hand. After a moment of silence Ryunosuke continued, “I’m getting old, spouse.” The elezen made a huffing sound, “Are you telling me that you’ll die all on your own and I don’t have to throw you in a pit?”

“So your brother had the audacity to turn up in crude westernish clothes, dirty from head to toe”, Shinnosuke’s father spoke calmly over his cup of tea. Shinnosuke gave a small nod and stifled a sigh, “Yes, I heard that Ryunosuke was seen in Kugane, father.” His father huffed and put the tea cup on the table for his wife to fill up, “Your brother is a disgrace to the family, no matter whether he helped free Doma or not or being a “personal friend” of King Hien. He doesn’t keep traditions, treating the heirloom of his ancestors with no respect. Now he even dares to show up in such a western attire, mocking the traditions of his homeland.” His father gave a sigh, “But what should you expect from someone who marries a westerner and obviously doesn’t care for the persistence of the family name.”

“Yeobo….”, the soft voice of his mother interrupted his father’s rant as she offered him another cup of tea. With a grunt the minister of war let go of the topic, at least for now. Shinnosuke knew that it wouldn’t last long. Their father’s rants about Ryunosuke being a disgrace were a regular thing in the house of the Sojhins. Shinnosuke was usually the one who defended his little brother, being impressed by his achievements he had earned over the years.

Rynusoke was a legend in Kugane and the people registered every single visit. Usually he would show up in traditional attire, mostly very modest, not flaunting his family’s or his own status. Ryunosuke was trapped in a kind of social limbo. Whereas his father would disown him right away and strip him of his family name, he was unable to do so, since Ryunosuke had played an important part in freeing Doma from the Garleans and was a personal friend of Hien. Thus he was untouchable, but it was widely known that Ryunosuke wasn’t welcomed in his father’s house. Ryunosuke would meet his brother in the Sekiseigumi Barracks or his mother in a tea house, but he did everything to avoid his father. Ryunosuke was careful to not bring his husband too often with him, the foreign Elezen drawing too much attention and gossip.

***

Ryunosuke regretted the moment of weakness that had made him return to Kugane without any preamble. Himself being exhausted and desperate to clear his mind was a poor excuse to neglect the social standards of his hometown, which were rather rigid. Practically fleeing an especially horrible bloodbath he had survived at the Bozjian Front after all the dead and wounded were attended to Ryunosuke had seeked the comforting shelter of his hometown. His husband was away on some business of his own, leaving their home empty and dull. Ryunosuke knew the moment he met the shocked look in the eyes of Amaji, the owner of the local onsen, that he had taken it too far this time. His eyes traveled over his own dirty clothes, his legs covered in thigh high sturdy leather boots, suitable to march through the muddy battlefields in Bozja. A matching leather jacket to provide shelter against rain and harsh winds completed his outfit. The mage usually made a point to change into traditional clothing before entering Kugane, being well aware of society’s restrictions. But alas, this time he hadn’t.

When he saw his mother’s small figure waiting for him at Umineko’s tea house, Ryunosuke knew he had carried things too far. “Mother”, he bowed respectfully to the elder woman, this time dressed in a proper robe.

“Join me for a cup of tea, son”, his mother told him with a smile but her voice was firm. “Gladly, mother”, Ryunosuke bowed again, but when his mother made her way to the secluded back room of the teahouse, Ryunosuke’s heart sank.

The two followed the traditional tea ceremony with the mage respectfully serving his mother. Eventually the elder woman put the cup on the table, looking at her son, “I hear that you fight along the resistance fighter at the Bozjan Front, earning yourself a name. The name Blade Sojhin is spoken with utmost respect. I heard there was even a special weapon forged for you, a staff forged from the memories of many souls that died on the battlefield, enabling you to wield even more magic power.”

Ryunsouke remained silent while he listened to his - as usual - well informed mother. “I’m a blessed woman”, his mother continued with a calm voice, “having two sons who work so well together. The younger traveling the world, doing things that seem to be so fabulous that people think they are out of fairy tales. And the older, enabling his younger brother to follow carefree that path by keeping the family traditions, picking up the honorable path of a samurai, marrying into a suitable family to continue the Sojhin family tree.”

Ryunosuke’s mouth ran dry as he listened to his mother, unable to make eye contact. He had never been scolded like this by his mother and suddenly he saw Shinnosuke’s life here in Kugane from a different perspective. He had always thought that Shinnosuke wanted this life and had never asked if his brother was truly happy. He had never seen that he himself was only able to return to his hometown because his brother fulfilled their father’s wishes and lived according to Hingan tradition.

His mother made a small pause and continued, her voice free of any reproach, “Wouldn’t it be right for the younger brother who is such a renowned fighter to honor his older brother by wearing attire according to his rank?” Ryunosuke looked at his simple robe, closing his eyes in shame, his fingers gripping the fabric firmly, which was more suitable for a simple worker than a noble man. “It’s well known that your husband is a famous mage as well and from what I can see he is always doing his best to heed our traditions. You have chosen a future of your own, my dear son, but you should never forget your roots and the soil that make your life tree grow and flourish.”

His mother got up, making Ryunosuke stumble hastily up on his feet, “Please take good care of yourself, son”, his mother touched lightly his arm before she left Ryunosuke, his mind full with thoughts.

***

Ryunosuke’s husband was listening to him silently as they sat on their favorite spot on the rooftop, watching the breathtaking sunset. The arms of the Elezen were wrapped around the mage, pressing his back to the taller’s chest. Firlionel let his chin sink on Ryunosuke’s head, like he often did, getting comfortable. “It’s useless to lament over things in the past, “ his husband told him with a soothing voice. Ryunosuke hummed in response, “Do you think I live my life on my brother’s expanse?” The Elezen seemed to think for a moment and then replied “Only your brother can answer that question.” Ryunosuke gave a small sigh, knowing his husband was right.

When he returned from his bath that night into their sleeping room, Ryunosuke found his best Kimono made from embroidered golden silk on the bed. The mage let his hand glide over the soft fabric and looked up into the warm eyes of his husband. Before he could say anything, the Elezen tapped on the spot next to him, “Come on, spouse, you need some rest.” Closing his eyes and turning to the side, Firlionel refused any further conversation, which made Ryunosuke chuckle lowly. Putting the Kimono carefully to the side, Ryunosuke joined his husband in their bed, cuddling close to the taller’s back, pressing his face into Firlionel’s neck. “I love you”, he whispered almost inaudibly but he knew very well that his husband heard every word clearly.

Using black magic has always come with costs, at least for Ryunoske. It was true that he had a natural talent with magic, to deal with aetherflows and the more he studied the art of magic manipulation the more he became capable to do so in different contexts. But black magic was always difficult to handle, it had a tendency to consume the person handling it, at least that’s how it felt for Ryunosuke. He used to keep his own inner balance with meditation and discipline and it worked just fine until he had spent months and months in Eureka.

The aetherflows in Eureka were severely off, manifesting themselves in rivers running up instead of down. Ryunosuke found himself more often than not affected by this disruption in the aetherflows and when he started to weave black magic back home the outcome was devastating as ever, leaving burned soil behind, but the effect was Ryunosuke was also massiv. He felt like he was losing control of the aetherflow, how the flows of black magic started to control him. He struggled hard in the fight to keep the upper hand, knowing very well that there had been many wielders of black magic before him who had lost their minds over it.

The experience left the mage shaken and it took him a lot of time to recover from it. His inner balance of Yin and Yang was completely off and he somehow was unable to regain the balance. He sought aid with monks in Kugane, but in the end nothing really helped. Ryunosuke stopped using black magic altogether, afraid of losing himself in it. He kept playing the cards and reading the stars, the aetherflows drawing from those sources being safe for him.

But the situation nagged at the mage, being unable to wield bigger amounts of magic felt like a defeat. Eventually he mentioned the situation to his husband and once again was surprised by the pragmatic advice he got. Firlionel suggested that he should try and wield pure white magic for the time being, speculating that the imbalance had been built over the years wieling only black magic. Firlionel argued that meditations might have covered the imbalance only for a short period of time, so wieling only white magic for some years should diminish the imbalance. Ryunosuke couldn’t deny that there was some logic in his husband’s reasoning and since - as Firlionel had put it - it wouldn’t do any harm, Ryunosuke decided to pick up the art of wielding white magic. It was his husband’s speciality so Ryunosuke didn’t want to meddle with it in the past, but once he picked up the path he felt like his old talent of wielding big aetherflows easily came back. He felt how the white magic was coming to him as easily as the black magic did years ago.

Another side effect of wielding white magic along with his husband came rather unexpected and Ryunosuke found it amusing. Firlionel was looking proudly at “his little human”, as he teasingly likes to call his husband, when the mage started to wield larger and larger amounts of white magic, weaving them into healing or damaging aetherflows. The funniest moment happened when Ryunosuke caught his husband talking of them as “we white mages”, his chest even more proudly puffed out than usual, a content smile on his lips. It was a funny sight, but at the same time endearing, warming Ryunosuke’s heart as he felt once again the unconditional support of his husband.

Schweren Herzens packte Ryunosuke die letzte Kiste für den Umzug. Seine Gehilfen sowie weitere Helfer wuselten um ihn herum, dirigiert von Hoseok, seinem Gehilfen, der sämtliche Haushaltsangelegenheiten verantwortete. Einen Seufzer unterdrückend nahm der Magier innerlich Abschied von Shirogane, denn Firlionel und er hatten sich bereits vor einiger Zeit entschieden, dass es besser wäre das Ferienhaus in die Nähe der Gilde zu verlegen.

Auf einmal war Alles ganz schnell gegangen. Sie bekamen ein Angebot ein relativ großes Grundstück zu erwerben mit einer atemberaubenden Aussicht und hatten kurzentschlossen zugeschlagen. Doch nun, da der Umzug anstand und Ryunosuke wieder einmal Abschied nehmen musste von seiner Heimat war sein Herz schwer.

Entschlossen schloss er die Kiste und stand auf, die Schultern durchgedrückt. Es war die richtige Entscheidung. Das Grundstück war wundervoll, das neue Haus viel größer und die Nähe zur Loge praktisch. Der Magier freute sich auf die Aufgabe das neue Haus einzurichten, war doch die Inneneinrichtung in den letzten Jahren zu seinem Hobby geworden und so verließ er sein kleines Heim in Shirogane, in dem er so viele glückliche Stunden verbracht hatte, einen letzten Blick auf den Strand und das Meer werfend, wo er abends oft einen Spaziergang mit Chim gemacht hatte und zu dem Baum, unter dem er oft meditiert hatte. Was blieb war ein winziges Appartement, das er hatte seit er sein Elternhaus verlassen hat. Insofern war es kein völliger Abschied und das war tröstlich.

Wochen später sank Ryunosuke vollkommen erschöpft auf den Sessel und starrte auf die zwei Weinbecher auf dem Tisch vor sich, während ein Feuer fröhlich in dem kleinen Kamin des neuen Schlafgemachs prasselte. Seine Arme schmerzen von der harten körperlichen Arbeit, aber seine Gehilfen und er hatten Alles gegeben, damit das neue Haus in Rekordzeit eingerichtet wurde. Ryunosuke hatte sich besonders viel Mühe gegeben und einen traditionellen Eingangsbereich gestaltet mit einem kleinen Zen-Garten, in dem das heilige Ritual gegenüber den Ahnen durchgeführt werden konnte. Wasser plätscherte aus einem kleine Brunnen und eine Wand aus Pflanzen halfen dabei Ruhe und inneres Gleichgewicht zu finden.

Im Untergeschoss befand sich ein kleiner Onsen, der ein wenig aussah wie ein Höhle (was Ryu jedoch nie zugeben würde) und von dem der Magier hoffte, dass sein Gatte sich dort wohlfühlen würde, obwohl dieser immer wieder betonte, dass er nicht zurück in die Höhlen wollte. Natürliches Licht strömte über eine raffinierte Öffnung in der Decke an diesen dunklen Ort. Im Obergeschoss befanden sich die Privatgemächer und Ryunosuke hatte es sich nicht nehmen lassen den spektakulären Nachthimmel über der Kelchkuppe sichtbar zu machen über den feinen kuganischen Futons. Mit Liebe hatte er alles wieder so aufgestellt, wie es im alte Haus gestanden hatten, denn er wusste, dass sein Gatte Veränderungen nicht sehr mochte.

Nun war Alles erledigt und Ryunosuke saß allein in dem neuen Haus, der Wein, den er herausgeholt hatte, um ihn mit seinem Gatten zu genießen war mittlerweile warm geworden. Firlionel war irgendwo unterwegs, wie so oft. Der Magier seufzte leise, was den kleinen Feuerpanda dazu veranlasste seinen Kopf an seinem Bein zu reiben. Zu oft waren Firlionel und er in letzter Zeit getrennt. Dies war vor allem auf den Magier selbst zurückzuführen, der Krile versprochen hatte ihr bei der Untersuchung der Ätherunstimmigkeiten auf den Inseln des verbotenen Landes zu helfen. Weder er noch Firlionel hatten geahnt, dass die Untersuchungen derartig umfangreich seien würden und derartig viel Zeit in Anspruch nehmen würde.

Während Ryunosuke in eisiger Kälte oder sengender Hitze auf den verschiedenen Inseln versuchte die Äthermanipulationen nachzuverfolgen und dabei auf mannigfaltige Gegner traf, kümmerte sich Firlionel um die Gilde. Kontaktperlen waren nutzlos, denn Eureka war gefangen in einem gestörten Ätherfeld. So blieben nur wenige Briefe, die die beiden austauschen konnten, wenn Ryunosuke wochenlang weg war.

Als er das letzte Mal wieder zurück kam platzte Ryunosuke mitten in ein Gespräch von Firlionel und Asra, das sie im Arbeitszimmer der Großmeister führten. Irritiert hatte Ryunosuke wahrgenommen, dass der Au Ra an seinem Tisch saß, der Tisch auf dem sich seine privaten Unterlagen fanden. Natürlich hatte der Beschwörer es nicht böse gemeint und nur in Ermangelung anderer Sitzgelegenheiten dort Platz genommen, doch Ryunosuke hatte noch am selben Abend dafür Sorge getragen, dass eine Sitzecke in das Arbeitszimmer kam und hatte seine Dokumente mit einer magischen Barriere geschützt.

Ein langer Spaziergang mit Yumika hatte dann offenbart, welche emotionalen Irrungen und Wirrungen es bei den Gildenmitgliedern gab und der Hyur verstand nun auch besser, warum Firlionel derzeit viel Zeit mit Yumika verbrachte. Sein Gatte tat ihm ein wenig leid, denn er wusste wie schwer sich der Elezen mit derartigen emotionalen Gefühlsausbrüchen tat. Ein schlechtes Gewissen plagte den Magier, dass er seinen Gatten derartig allein ließ, doch konnte er von seiner Verpflichtung in Eureka nicht ablassen.

Erschöpft stieg Ryunosuke die Treppe zur neuen Schlafstatt hoch und legte sich hin, der atemberaubende Sternenhimmel über ihm. Firlionel war nicht da, um ihn ins Bett zu bringen, so wie er es früher oft getan hatte. Ryunosuke seufzte. Er würde Geduld haben müssen. Es würde wieder eine Zeit kommen, in der sie wieder wie früher viel Zeit zusammen verbringen konnten. Sein schmerzendes Herz war ein gutes Zeichen, denn es sprach von Liebe für seinen Gatten. Positiv gestimmt schloss Ryunosuke seine Augen, um morgen wieder frisch ans Werk gehen zu können. Im Keller der Loge wollten er und Firlionel ein Labor einrichten und da Ryunosuke unerledigte Aufgaben hasste, wollte er das Labor fertigstellen bevor er wieder Richtung Eureka abreisen musste.

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Ryunosuke Snippets - Part 3

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Pushing back his wet hair, Ryunosuke climbed the stairs up to his house. Chim was following closely on his heels. It has become a habit of them to go for a swim and afterwards taking a long walk at the beach, indulging the the warm sand under their feet and the fresh breeze from the sea. It was funny to see how much the fire panda has adapted to water lately. 

Entering their plot, Ryunosuke immediately felt the presence of another person. Looking to the right, he saw the silhouette of man against the blue sky. A smile appeared of the mage’s face, „Shinno!“ The man on the veranda turned, a matching smile on his face. „Ryu!“, the deep voice of his elder brother greeted him. Before Ryunosuke could welcome his brother properly he saw how his brother’s glance wandered over his body, taking in the short trousers and the open shirt. Shinnosuke’s gaze flickered to the black motorcycle that stood at the entrance of his property and the mage could see his brother’s jaw tighten. Suppressing a sigh Ryunosuke clasped his hands on the back, bowing slightly his head. „Let me change quickly, so I can welcome you properly, brother.“ Not waiting for a reply, Ryunosuke retreated into the house, changing into his hakama and bringing out his best tea. 

After exchanging a few pleasantries the brothers sat on the veranda, watching the seagulls and indulging the tea. Ryunosuke didn’t say a word, but he had a good idea why his brother had showed up. It was certainly not the new home. „So“, the samurai eventually said, „you’ve changed a lot, little brother.“ Ryunosuke kept his face straight, avoiding a grin, „what makes you think so, Shinno?“ „Well“, the older pressed his fingertips together, „you wear foreign clothing“, he gave a pointed look at the motorbike, „you use magi tech….“, a slight reproach was now swinging in his brother’s tone, „and you want to marry an elf.“ 

Ryunosuke silently returned his brother’s gaze, all amusement gone from his eyes, „How do these things change myself, brother? Don’t use a bow when you want to slice bread. But it’s still the same hand that uses both devices, right?“ The mage gave his brother a pointed look which was met with stoic silence. Pouring the older another tea, Ryunosuke continued, „As for my future husband…the fact that he is an elf is of no importance.“ Shinnosuke huffed slightly at that remark, „You are well aware that our parents expected you to marry into a decent Kuganian family, according to your status.“

Ryunsokue raised an eyebrow, „Now that is an illogical thing to do after you abandoned your child, isn’t it?“ Shinnosuke took a sip of his tea, avoiding the question which was a rather rhetorical one. „You are aware that father won’t attend the wedding?“ Now it was Ryunosuke’s turn to huff, „I didn’t expect him to“, he gave Shinnosuke a searching look, „how about you, brother?“ The samurai put the empty mug on the table, „I will attend of course, don’t be silly, little brother.“ He took a deep breath, „Who will accompany you down the aisle?“ Ryunosuke looked confused. „No one. Firlionel and I will use a gondola gifted by the Sylphs.“ „The Sylphs…“, now his brother was clearly amazed, „how could you make them gift you something?“

Ryunosuke chuckled lowly, „Shinno, we didn’t make anyone do anything. Firlionel is befriended with many people and many tribes. Even I consider the Sylphs as friends - not as much as Firlionel, but enough.“ He shook his head slightly, „You don’t have much of an idea of my life nowadays, do you? Let alone of my future husband.“ He reigned himself in before he became too passionate about the subject, sipping some tea instead. Fragile silence stretched between the brothers until Shinnosuke spoke up, „You’re clearly the more adventurous brother of us, Ryu. I admit that it is difficult to understand the circumstances of your life. I wished that you would have dropped by with your future husband, so I could get to know him. I hear you both indulge the Bokaisen onsen and the park in Kugane frequently.“ 

Ryunosuke looked at the table, feeling guilty. As the commander of the Sekseigumi he would be aware of Ryunosuke’s whereabouts in Kugane, even more so Firlionel’s, who stood out among Kugane’s inhabitants. The mage looked back at his brother, „You are right, brother and I apologize for my behavior.“ He gave a little sigh, trying to find the words to explain his relationship with Firlionel and eventually he opened up, letting the elder back into his life. It was a beginning for the brothers to get close again, picking up their old friendship they used to have.

The sun set low when the samurai eventually left and Ryunosuke stood, gazing after him. The black motorcycle Daoss had gifted him caught his eye. Daoss had found bits and pieces from garlean magi tech machines and used them to craft this beautiful bike. The truth was that Daoss wanted to make a point that magi tech was more advanced than magic in their endless banter of this topic and Ryunosuke had to agree that this was the case in some occasions, although he would never openly admit it. Folding his arms in front of his chest, he turned to watch the sea, thinking about his upcoming marriage. Maybe he was changing a lot more than he had acknowledged. 

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Part 2

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Ryunosuke sat in the large dining area of the free company, reading over a letter of his brother. Dante Origo, the free company’s chef was rumbling in the large kitchen, whipping up some delicious meal, humming a tune to himself. A small sigh escaped Ryunosuke before he could held it back. The chef’s ears were twitching, picking up the low sound even over the noise of boiling water. Ryunosuke scolded himself inwardly. How could he be so careless around a miqo’te? They had an excellent ability to hear so he really should have known better.

Apart from his outstanding ability to hear the free company’s chef had an impressing ability to pick up moods. Ryunosuke was engrossed in his letter, so he was a little startled when Dante suddenly placed a bowl of undon noodles in front of him, sitting down on the opposite bench. The broth smelled delicious and a happy smile flickered over the mage’s face. „Why? Thank you. I didn’t order anything…:“ The chef grinned, his tail waving from left to right. „You looked like you could need it“, the miqo’te replied, pointing to the letter, „news from home?“

Ryunosuke hummed noncommittal, tasting the noodles. They were undoubtedly good (mostly because Dante made a point to learn the favorite dishes of each company member), but they weren’t quite matching hingashian standards. There was no dithering around: Ryunosuke was homesick. He had actually been homesick for quite some time now and Shinnosuke’s letter had only added to it. His elder brother had informed him in the letter that there was a plot available for a small house in Shirogane. The mage had checked it out once he received the notice and it was a nice plot, but the ether flows weren’t as good as in Mists, but then again he had wandered around in the neighborhood, talking to the local merchants and it felt like home. It *was* home, the scent of the air, the hingashian tongue, the way the trees looked like, the architectural design - Ryunosuke was definitely homesick.

„Well, yes“, the mage replied, „actually my brother informed me that there is a plot available in Shirogane.“ The chef hummed, his face showing a longing look, „ah, I see. I’d love to have a small house that I could call my own. Where I could cook and grow vegetables, a market nearby, fresh seafood from the fisher boats. That would be nice.“ Ryunosuke tilted his head slightly and gave the chef a sharp look. He hadn’t been aware that the other longed so much for a house, but now that Dante was talking about it, he could envision the chef on the piece of land he owned at the moment. Ryunosuke was familiar with the way the ether flows and that’s why he knew that he must take the opportunity and sell the land to the free company’s chef.

Little did he know that this was the beginning of his very own odyssey to find his perfect home. While Dante seemed to be happy settling himself in Mists, Ryunosuke was struggling with his new home. The ether flows were not ideal and making him rather uncomfortable. Another chance opened one day to acquire a plot higher in the mountain and Ryunosuke went for that one. Firlionel wasn’t happy at all with all the moving, disliking too many changes at once, but he could see why Ryunosuke wasn’t happy about the second plot either.

Eventually the two decided to take a more structured approach and so they checked out every single plot available in the region of Shirogane. It was an entertaining search, at least for Ryunosuke, since he learned that there were obviously different kinds of waterfalls (good and bad ones. The ones without foam were categorized as the latter), while Firlionel couldn’t understand why Ryunosuke didn’t know about those facts. They were common sense - really!

Apart from the ether flows and *right* waterfall issues Ryunosuke wanted a slightly bigger house, but all the pieces of land that would be able to hold a middle sized house were lacking severely on one or more issues. They always came back to a small piece of land on the northeastern side of Shirogane with a stunning view at the sea, but also access to a tree that was inviting to mediate under it (and that was immediately approved by Climbs On Trees), the *right* waterfall (luckily it was a double fall, the first fall not matching Firlionel’s expectation) and a nice neighborhood. For once Ryunosuke was not confident that he would be able to acquire that particular piece of land. Who would move from this perfect place anyway?

Whether the twelve were in his favor or whether Firlionel had chatted the previous owner up (he was *very* good at chatting people up, mind!) Ryunosuke would probably never find out, but the plot was on sale only shortly after the mage had come to his final decision to acquire the land. He didn’t hesitate a second, buying the land, not heeding the price and once he had was the owner Firlionel and him started to rebuild his home.

It was save to say that Ryunosuke was attracted to Elezen. Their natural grace, along with their body proportions were alluring to the human mage. their personalities were something else completely. Coming from a country that had chosen to seal themselves off from the rest of the world, only his hometown Kugane allowed strangers into their town, it was a lot to take in for the younger mage when he had arrived at Ul’dah years ago. All the different races, the different behaviors had kept his head spinning and there had been more than once a severe misunderstanding that had almost ended in a serious fight. But the longer he lived in Ul’dah, the more he was able to adjust, to get at least a basic understanding of the ways the different races had.

His decision to become a member of the Brotherhood of the Morningviper had introduced him to quite a lot of Elezen and working closely with Alphineau and Allise made him understand their ways a little better. True, his room neighbor in the free company Daoss was something else entirely, raised by goblins there wasn*t much of an elf to him apart from his looks. So the little he learned about the ways of the Elezen didn’t prepare him for Firlionel Moriquendi, a rather young elf (according to their lifespan, although it was difficult to tell for a human if an elf was actually young or not) who joined the free company shortly after him.

Firlionel was pretty much the opposite of the scientific oriented Daoss Lufia, a playful whirlwind, who loved nature and getting lost in the aether flows to help others. He was a lot take in and at first Ryunosuke was overwhelmed by the outgoing nature of the curious Elezen. Being raised in a society that valued tradition and discipline highly, a society that despised the public display of emotions Ryunosuke was intrigued by the carefree way of the Elezen. The fact that the tall Elezen had a perfect body was not lost on him, even more so because Firlionel loved to show skin at every available occasion. But what was much more attractive to Ryunosuke was the fact that Firlionel was in tune with himself, a ray of sunshine, who loved to help, who loved his freedom (something Ryunosuke could very much relate to. He loved his own freedom and solitude dearly and protected it by retreating from others).

Even though Ryunosuke had some difficulties to handle Firlionel’s personality at first they got to know each other better and to his surprise the mage found out that there were many different sides to the Elezen. There was a serious side that he rarely showed, a fierce one that became apparent when they had a dispute over water lilies that Ryunosuke kept in a pot, but also a quite one when they indulged nature by sitting next to each other at some spot, enjoying the beauty of the landscape or the sunset.

Thinking back now that must have been the way it had started, the peculiar relationship between them. But instead of labeling it or pushing it deliberately into a certain direction they both went with the flow. It was like working with aether flows. The more you tried to control them the less control you would be able to obtain over them. A lesson every mage eventually should learn. Ryunosuke never had any expectations where their relationship should go and maybe that was the key why it miraculously worked out between them. The mage opened up around the Elezen, showing his own playful side, teasing the taller in his own way. They didn’t woo each other in any traditional way. Things were happening naturally, hands touching, kisses exchanged, making room in each other’s houses for another.

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Part 1

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Finding a suitable plot was anything but. Ryunosuke let out a small sigh that only people who knew him well would be able to identify as frustrated. Being fed up with staying at Inns the mage was determined to build his own small house. Opposite to most future land owners Ryunosuke didn’t look for an attractive view or a specific location. He just wanted the ether flows to be strong and steady. Unfortunately this condition proved to be difficult.

Thus he stood at a plot in Lavender Beads with too many other potential buyers, trying to negotiate with the administration over the price. Unfortunately nice plots were rare in every region of Eorzea, making it difficult to just buy a plot. You had to compete with many other interested parties, the point of time and the criteria the administration based their decision on within the selling process remaining a mystery.

Chim was whining lowly, making clear that he didn’t like this particular spot and Ryusnoke could unterstand since it didn’t sit well with him either, so he made only half an effort to acquire that particular piece of land. As expected he didn’t get the plot, but there wasn’t any disappointment from his side as he made his way to meet up with some Brotherhood agents back in Horizont.

Ryunosuke had a thing for the housing area called Goblet, probably because it was close to Ul’dah where the mages’ guild was located, so he wasn’t too enthusiastic when he saw the advertisement for a plot in Mists. But since he really longed for a place he could call his own and settle, he traveled to the specific location, only to find it empty. Empty, meaning no one was around. Not a single soul. No potential other buyer whatsoever.

Eerie.

Ryunosuke was getting suspicious. There must be a hook somewhere. Well, the plot was not first row beachfront, it was merely third row, but Ryunosuke didn’t care. It had seaview from the garden, so there should be people wanting to buy this piece of land, but no one showed up. Ryunosuke started to explore the land, the ether flows, any ley lines crossing and much to his surprise the results were extraordinary good. Chim had made his way off his shoulder some time ago and was happily conducting his own examination, his tail wagging eagerly. The longer the mage inspected the real estate, the more he became convinced that it was a great place to settle. There was the small current of the local aqueduct flowing right next to the plot, ensuring a nice adjustment of the micro climate in the garden on hot summer days, not to speak of the soothing sound the water was making.

When Ryunosuke started to envision his home, adding a floating veranda over said current, he knew this plot was made for him. He made an inquiry to buy the piece of land only to be left with a note that the plot was not ready for selling. A sigh left his lips, Chim immediately moving up his body to curl into his shoulder, sensing the frustration of the mage. Now that Ryunosuke had made up his mind, he was eager to buy the spot, but the administration was surely testing his patience.

Over and over again Ryunosuke made the inquiry for acquisition and each time he was met with a simple „The plot is not ready for selling“. For a long time no other applicant showed up, lulling the mage into the false assumption that the deal was as good as sealed, when eventually three other interested people showed up. But this time Ryunosuke was determined. This was his place and there was no way the mage would give it up. The negotiations with the administration were long and tiring, but Ryunosuke was able to get the upper hand and finally, finally in the early morning hours he stood on the piece of land, that now was marked as his own.

It was stunning, almost overwhelming. Ryunosuke had never owned land, he would have inherited family land eventually in his life - but that option was most probably gone now - so it felt weird. But nice and somehow important at the same time. Chim was keeping himself close to his legs, sensing the inner turmoil of the mage, offering silent comfort by brushing his thick tail against the human.

A few months later Ryunosuke stood on his floating veranda, exactly like he had imaged it, watching the sunset. Chim was playing in the tree house next to him. The mage was feeling exhausted, but deeply content. The house suited him perfectly, decorated neatly into every single corner, displaying Ryunosuke’s taste. He had probably spent way too much Gil on the interior (not to mention the garden), but the mage was a perfectionist, so he wouldn’t accept anything else. The house and the garden were filled with thoughtful presents of his friends he had made within the Free Company he had joined so long ago. His friends were a bunch of weird adventurers if he was honest, unlikely to be accepted by his family and their traditional ways, but Ryunosuke had learned to care deeply for them, embracing their peculiar ways.

Ryunosuke was happy, deeply and utterly happy, a feeling he hadn’t even been aware from missing in his life. He was at peace with himself and the world, this small piece of land bringing him peace and happiness, refilling his energy when he was drained from the endless fights and assignments. Nokori - Rest. There couldn’t be a better name for his home.

Ryunosuke Sojhin is from Kugane and is the youngest son of a respected samurai family. His name day is the 20th sun in the 1st shadow moon and his patron deity is Azeyuna. He is a black mage but has diverse interests such as studying the stars. His loyal companion is Chim, a fire panda. He is married to Firlionel Moriquendi.

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The wooden sword struck Ryunosuke's jaw with one aimed blow, causing the boy to stagger back from the force of the blow. But he knew better now and no sound of pain came from his lips. He felt the blood run down his neck, his body burst into a cold sweat, while his hands clasped the practice sword so tightly that the knuckles protruded white. “Be this a lesson to you, son”, Shunichi Sojhin's voice was calm but relentless, “this time no healer will take care of your wound. Wear this mark as a reminder that you will have to train harder in order not to disgrace House Sohjin. " "Yes, father," Ryunosuke's voice sounded pressed. With glassy eyes he watched as his father left the practice area before falling to his knees - eyes closed - and indulging in the pain. The soft touch of Chim's furry tail roused Ryunosuke from his meditation. Absently he stroked the fire panda that he had made comfortable in his lap. It had been a long time since the past caught up with him in mediation and Ryunosuke wondered what had caused the unrest in his mind. Perhaps it was the fact that for the first time in a long time he was able to really calm down.

Ryunosuke Sojhin comes from an old noble family Kuganes, who produced many famous samurais. His own father was one such example. Stories about the heroic deeds from the youth of the current Minister of the Army were still told in the taverns of Kugane. Shunichi Sojhin was a very respected man, both at court and with the Sekiseigumi, who were subordinate to the Army Ministry and ensured the safety of Kugane, and among the common people. Heroes were not only popular in Hingashi, given the multiple threats faced by the various regions of Erozea.

It was an unwritten law in the Sojhin house that sons should take the path of the samurai. Failure to do so was to bring shame on the home and family. Ryunosuke's older brother Shinnosuke was the family's pride and joy as he brought the house fame and honor as the samurai and commander of the Sekiseigumi. However, Ryunosuke has been different since he was born. The magic was strong in him, untamed it made its way again and again, since his father refused to place Ryunosuke under a magical teacher. Instead, he tried to train him to be a samurai, according to the tradition of the house.

With hard drill he tried to eradicate the magical tendencies in Ryunosuke. Only Shinnosuke stuck to him, because the two brothers had a close relationship. Her father almost managed to break Ryunosuke had it not been for Chim to show up one day. Chim was a fire panda, a mystical being who loved magic, especially fire. Fire pandas were extremely rare and they chose their companions carefully.

One day the young panda appeared at Ryunosuke's side and from then on accompanied him every step of the way. The appearance of the mystical being gave the young man new strength and so Ryunosuke decided to leave his family so as not to shame them. He made his way to Ul'dah to visit the famous thaumaturge Cocobuki in the hope of being accepted by the master as an apprentice.

That was many years ago and Ryunosuke has far surpassed his master. He has taken the path of the black magician, at his side the faithful Chim as his only companion and friend. He had never set foot in town since leaving Kugane. He was only in contact with his brother, while his parents kept silent. It was his brother who wrote to him to visit Miyamoto Oda. The samurai was a member of a free society that accepted all sorts of adventurers into its ranks.

So it was that he could now call a modest accommodation in the guild house his own. It was his 残 り (Nokori), his rest, that he needed in order to rebalance his Yin and Yang in meditation, which is imbalanced by the work of black magic.

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Meine liebste Schwester, 

ich muss sagen, dass ich einigermassen konstaniert über die letzte Anschaffung des Herrn bin. Es handelt sich hierbei um ein Porträt des Herrn. Das wäre an sich nichts Ungewöhnliches, doch dieses Porträt ist außerordentlich....freizügig. 

Der Herr scheint all dies sehr amüsant zu finden und wollte dieses Ding tatsächlich in der Halle aufhängen. Davon konnte ich ihn noch gerade abhalten und nun hängt es in seinem Schlafgemach. Ich möchte mir gar nicht ausmalen, welch Entsetzen ein solch freizügiges Abbild des Herrn bei unseren Gästen ausgelöst hätte! 

Der Maler hat sich darüber hinaus ein gerütteltes Maß an künstlerischer Freiheit bedient, denn an dem Körper des Herrn sind keine Narben zu erkennen. Dies entspricht so gar nicht den Tatsachen, denn ich kann Dir versichern, dass das Gegenteil der Fall ist. Unser Herr verfügt über außerordentlich viele Narben. So viele, dass einem schon der Anblick Angst und Schrecken einjagt.

Dein ergebener Bruder

Meine liebste Yen,

durch einen Zufall kam es dazu, dass ich mich von einem angesehenen Künstler Beauclairs habe porträtieren lassen. Das Ergebnis ist erstaunlich und wenn ich wüsste, wo Du Dich gerade aufhälst, dann würde ich es Dir schicken. Doch da mir das nicht bekannt ist, riskiere ich es lieber nicht. 

Nur so viel: Hätte ich gewusst, dass es diese Art von Porträt wird, dann hätte ich gar nicht erst die Rüstung angezogen und hätte auch auf einem Einhorn bestanden, denn den Greif, der gerade dort war. 

Meine teuerste Schwester, 

es hat einiges an Mühen gekostet, aber nun kann ich voller Stolz berichten, dass die Verschönerungsarbeiten auf Corvo Bianco abgeschlossen sind. Ich bin außerordentlich zufrieden mit den Arbeitern, die angeheuert wurden. Ich habe sogar den Herrn davon überzeugen können das Gästezimmer zu renovieren. Kein leichtes Unterfangen, denn erscheint nicht viel von der Idee zu halten, Gäste zu beherbergen. 

Doch man weiß nie, liebste Schwester! Insofern bin ich wirklich erleichtert, dass sich das Anwesen unseres Herrn respektabel präsentieren kann - ebenso, wie es sich für den Champion von Toussaint geziemt. 

Der Herr hat herausgefunden, dass Meister Lazare Lafargue in der Lage ist außerordentliche Rüstungen herzustellen. Zu diesem Zweck reist er durch die Lande auf der Suche nach Rüstungsschema. Ich muss sagen, dass mir nicht bekannt war, dass Meister Lafarge über ein solches Talent verfügt. Du erinnerst Dich an ihn? Er hat seinen Laden an der Ecke, ganz in der Nähe des herzoglichen Hoflieferanten für Gemischtwaren. 

Ganz offensichtlich scheint es bei Hexern verschiedene Schulen zu geben. Unser Herr gehört der Wolfsschule an. Das Amulett, das er trägt, weist ihn als Mitglied aus. Er hat nun noch eine Rüstung der Mantikorschule und eine der Bärenschule ausgestellt. Was es genau damit auf sich hat, will der Herr nicht sagen. Er ist sowieso äußerst verschwiegen, wenn es um die Hexerausbildung geht und ich insistiere nicht weiter. 

Dein ergebener Bruder