✦ ⸻ 𝑪𝑳𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑺

Not unless Kurama did - something. Something that would rip him from the Goddess's Blessing, and drag him down into the earth. He wouldn't, he couldn't, but sometimes did he dream.

╰ ✦ ⸻ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍   kurama's expression that leaves link with a knot slowly curling in his gut, his face twitching into an almost-frown. he wants to say something, anything, to convey his sincerity, to ease the air of unrest surrounding them both in this place that is meant to be their sanctuary, where they're meant to have peace. but all of link's brain feels numb, exhausted from his travels and duties to the land, anxious white noise from his own unease at the vague despair of their bleak reality at present.

it's in dwelling on that feeling that link has a realization: he's unsure if he can keep this promise. unease begins to give way to dread, seen only in the very depths of his eyes, the rest of his face slipping into that stoic mask he's learned to master so well, as he does as he's asked; slipping his sword and bow from his shoulders, his quiver following behind.

once he's down to just under clothes, he opens his mouth to speak, i'm hungry, but his stomach beats him to the punch with a loud, almost indecent growl that makes the tips of his ears flush a faint pink. he offers a sheepish smile and chuckle in response.

Art by @coffebits

‘heavy weighs the head’ - noctis lucis caelum

╰ ✦ ⸻ 𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐊𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀'𝐒 𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒  to relay all of yomi's perceived shortcomings, yomi can practically feel the energy buzzing in the air between them, hear the sharp mirth in his voice. it prickles something along his skin ⸻ irritation, perhaps ⸻ while yomi smooths out a fold in his top he feels, though most probably can't see.

he has no doubt kurama is going over many, several, years worth of interactions in his mind, retroactively cataloguing the highlights of his life's greatest failures and mishaps. yomi, however, cares not for them; not simply because of his pride, but because those that mattered, those with impact, have shaped him into who he is today, made him wiser, made him more aware, despite the loss of his vision.

he is, however, curious, about exactly which of those kurama speaks of now, where it falls in whatever ranking system he's conjured in his mind. ❝ the highlights, maybe. ❞

“ clive, look at me. ” the world narrows to the short distance between them. arthur, standing but a few feet away, keeps his arms steady at his sides, palms open and waiting. tall grass sways at his knees. the blighted lands lingered like a dark scar over his shoulder, only a few hills north from the secluded fields they'd found. the shape of them transform the bearer into a paler line in contrast. his voice is low, warm, patient. despite the hard beat of his pulse, he keeps his gaze steady. the deep browns of his eyes stir once—a thin, aether-laced gold brushing against the irises—before he forces the color back down.

he takes a breath, deep enough to shutter in his chest, then nods. takes another. watches the other watch him with a small, growing satisfaction. steady the moment, he tells himself. keep him here instead of back there, at the worst of it.

“ we have time. ” he reassures. the other's worry softens his face, not enough to take away the tired wrinkles around his eyes or the hesitant pull of his lips, but enough to braid care and caution into something quiet. gentler, perhaps, than the dominant has been able to afford in a long while.

“ you've been burying yourself in work for weeks. ” arthur continues. not accusing, just measuring the toll of burden. the months since cid's death had been anything but kind, and everyone knew clive took the worst of it—staring into the shape left behind and hoping with each day that every order, instruction, mission, and bounty could fill the gap. though now, with the hideaway steadily building, everyone split into their roles with as much sureness as they could muster in these trying times, it seemed the most opportune moment to remind the dominant that there was only so much command could do for him.

especially with the bout of heat beneath all that false calm.

╰ ✦ ⸻ 𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇.  strong enough, quick enough, disciplined enough ⸻ he hadn't been enough. and now he's lost not only cid, but the sanctuary many called home, and the lives of so many others within it. two crushing blows, delivered in one fell swoop, hearts broken and then broken again while clive can offer nothing but his apologies and shared pain that paled in comparison to those that have known cid for years, perhaps decades before clive had ever crossed the threshold of the hideway. useless words and sentiments why they all laid homeless in enemy territory, while clive still clumsily holds the very power their leader once wielded with purpose for a better future, despite it slowly killing him.

and clive is supposed to somehow fill in the gap left behind, somehow be worthy of taking on the mantle of cid the outlaw and do his legacy justice; a notion that's almost laughable, with his struggles to handle ifrit by himself, with garuda who turns her nose up at him at every turn ... ramuh, though, ramuh seems to come far easier, far calmer than either of them, and clive isn't quite sure if that is a blessing or a threat.

it feels the latter, now, while he's struggling with his own grief, unsure whether to allow himself to feel to the fullest or if it's only a distraction that will set him back, while ifrit gnashes his teeth and heats the air in response to his simmering rage, and ramuh crackles quietly along his skin, as if mourning his former host alongside him; if feels that he could damn near fry anyone that was unwise enough to come too close, and that only frustrates him further: where is your bloody control, clive ? is this the first shield so worthy of protecting the bearer of the phoenix ? of course it isn't.

clive knows arthur means well, knows he's just as worried as those that aren't still blinded by hurt, blaming him for things they don't know clive also blames himself for. he should listen. he wants to listen. however ... ❝ i appreciate the offer, arthur, truly. but i fear i am not ready to subject others to ... this. ❞ as if to emphasize his point, he draws aether into his palm, aiming to ignite ifrit's flame, only to receive ramuh's levin instead. a frustrated sigh that sounds suspiciously close to a growl passes his lips.    ❝    until i can master this much, it's just too dangerous.      ❞    

i don't care if you think i'm dumb.

i'm the girl you'd die for.

i'll chew you up and i'll spit you out.

that's what young love is all about.

pull me closer and kiss me hard.

life gave me some lemons, so i made some lemonade.

i think you're gonna be my biggest fan.

all i ever wanted was the world.

you say that i'm kinda difficult, but it's always someone else's fault.

i got you wrapped around my finger.

you can count on me to misbehave.

would you do anything for me?

would you get down on your knees for me?

i'm sad to the core.

i wanna be adored.

i really don't know why it's such a big deal.

you're never gonna love me, so what's the use?

what's the point in playing a game you're gonna lose?

you're too proud to say that you made a mistake.

you're a coward 'til the end.

why don't we just pretend?

i can't let you go.

you only ever touch me in the dark.

it never happens like you think it really should.

deception and perfection are wonderful traits.

i don't belong to anyone.

we're all very lovely 'til we get to know each other.

i guess you could say that my life's a mess.

deep down, all you want is love.

you're hard to hug. tough to talk to.

i never fall asleep when you're in my bed.

the only time you open up is when we get undressed.

you don't love me. big fucking deal.

i'll never tell you how i feel.

sometimes i ignore you so i feel in control.

come on, baby. let's just get drunk.

i send my best regards from hell.

i would sell my sorry soul if i could have it all.

my life is a play.

that's just how you are with love.

you may be good looking, but you're not a piece of art.

i'm gonna make you fall.

i am weak.

was it really worth it?

did i really deserve it?

i think of all the men i could've kissed.

i wish i hadn't been so clean.

i wanna stay inside all day.

i wanna make a big mistake.

i wish i wasn't such a narcissist.

oh god, i'm gonna die alone!

i can feel it coming to the end.

who are you to tell me who to be?

i know you only want to own me.

you tell me one thing and do another.

i lived a lot of different lives.

i see it for the first time.

there is no crime in being kind.

not everyone is out to screw you over.

baby, i'm the one who left you.

when you're around me, i'm radioactive.

do you wanna be a member?

do you want to be with somebody like me?

you named it after me.

you're still living in the dark.

all my life, i've been so lonely.

i'll always belong in the sky.

don't get attached to somebody you could lose.

kiss him goodbye at the door.

leave him wanting more.