#bellworks

Junelezen Day 5: Job

Teach robots to be fancy, keep them from being kicked out, wipe a smirk off of some stuffy smug noble’s face...Cravs swears that there’s benefit for Heartwood somewhere in there. She’s not taking their plight personally at all, nope! Of course not!

(she-totally-is-oh-my-god)

The next lesson for the robots (and Heartwood) is about dancing! Show off your best moves, give them inspiration, and help the robots gather data in order for them to come up with a routine that will dazzle the judges!

Summary:

The A11Ys’ first attempts at dancing destroy the floor and cause earthquakes. But after everyone’s patient instruction, dance data and inspirations are given to the robots, and a routine involving a merry little jig and hats is agreed upon. Henceforth, can the robots be seen practicing in the yard, for the Gala is just two moons away. Toe heel, toe heel, left right...

Junelezen Day 19: Friends

The Delphinus had been Laelia’s home ever since she fled.

It’d been over a year ago now when, fuel tank burning on fumes, she at last settled down in the Black Shroud to hide. It seemed the most logical thing to do; it was the only part of Eorzea outside of Gyr Abania that she was relatively familiar with. The Legion feared it, and the trees and foliage would help to keep her stolen airship hidden.

Unfortunately, that was as far as she got. Laelia had no real survival skills, nor did she know what to do without a steady salary to feed her. She probably would have died out there if it weren’t for the Sylphs. For Norhi. For Tieve.

It was Tieve who had ultimately changed her life the most -- who knew her as Garlean simply by touch, but who also did not judge; who said she knew somewhere Laelia could be gainfully employed; who introduced her to Nathaniel of Salem.

That felt like a lifetime ago.

And now...somehow...it was over. Never again would Laelia settle into place on the Voyage’s bridge. Never would she walk in to the clamor of the command room, to find Lune’s latest experiment going haywire and Lucas visibly greying over it. Never would she sit down to Swozbhar’s cooking, to the vibrant chatter in the dining hall, to music played by Lucaell and Juro. Gone were the days she, and Valeriaux, and Reima and Momori would huddle together and speculate about Allag. All the art, the stories the others shared -- finished. The friendly sparring, the kite flying, over. Scylla swimming about her tank, grinning and waving happily -- somehow endearing despite her monstrous appearance -- done.

For all the trials and tribulations associated with it, the Voyage had briefly become her true home. Laelia hadn’t felt a greater sense of belonging anywhere else since she’d lost her squadron. And now -- albeit under different circumstances -- she’d lost this, too.

So it was hard not to feel a bit hollow as she returned to where she’d hidden the Delphinus, now sore, scarred, and five-hundred grand richer. She stepped into the cargo bay, which she had slowly, through theft and legitimate purchase both, remodeled into a living space -- and then remodeled again to accommodate Valeriaux, once they’d, well, become a thing. He considered it home now too, a space far more welcoming than the Gentry Ward as far as he was concerned -- and Laelia couldn’t be happier for that.

But it was small. It was quiet. It felt empty after the Voyage. From now on it was just the two of them. And she’d wanted nothing more, truly, but...it was all so...

...normal? How did she go back to ‘normal’, after having seen the things she had?

Behind her, the cargo bay door scraped open. She ‘saw’ the space where Valeriaux was moving warp before he’d actually arrived in it. Gods, it was good to have her third eye uncovered for once.

Laelia turned with a half smile. “All loaded up?”

“Indeed,” the Duskwight intoned, levelly. “I am now at the mercy of you and the wind.”

“You make it sound so ominous.” She chuckled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “But before we go on any big adventures, there’s one very important detour we have to make.”

“Brutus,” he guessed right away.

“Assuming I can get Victoria to relinquish him.” Laelia grinned.

“He could not have found himself a more capable dogsitter.”

“Heh! Capable’s one way of putting it.” Laelia turned for the cockpit, beckoning him to follow. “Pretty sure she’s just gonna endlessly give me shit about what I feed him. As though we all ate any better. Did I ever tell you about the time I was in the shower and Maxima came in looking for--”

Their voices faded down the hallway.

The door slid closed behind them.

Whether it was with a crew of two or two hundred, Laelia simply could never stop flying. She could still see the others, no matter where they’d gone, and that was a comforting thought. They all slept under the same sky, after all -- and so, Laelia could not truly be sad.

First Sun

A beautiful commission by @scruffyturtles, thank you so much! I absolutely adore the piece (especially that cloak omg kjfkglaadfakjdfss yiss), and I have to recommend supporting this artist, as they have such an emotive style <3

Some sappy drabble about what this art means to me under the cut

The final day of the Grand Tournament of the Fury concluded with perhaps its most exciting event yet: the joust! Brave lancers from across Eorzea gathered to tilt one-one-one in a relentless contest of strength and birdsmanship. Fortune did not hold back on any of the contestants, and many riders went home de-birded!

After many rounds of unseating their opponents, the Bellworks’ own Olivie Heuloix of Limsa Lominsa emerged as Champion of the Lance, with Alabaster Requiem, also of Limsa, as the runner up! Olivie takes home a portrait by Lord Evariste, a Highland Barding, an Orthodox Barding, a Topiary Chocobo, an Oriental Striking Dummy, a Painted Foothills orchestrion roll, and 250,000 gil, while Alabaster takes home 100,000 gil!

With this, our four champions have been named and this year’s Grand Tournament of the Fury has come to a close. The Bellworks would like to extend a special thank-you to: The Ashen Clinic ( @ashen-clinic ) for expertly healing all four events, and for dealing with unexpected surprises (like arrows in knees!). Hana O’hana ( @hana-ohana ) for their delightful vending services during the melee and magic tournaments. Sin’dell Shirazi ( @alluringjewel ) and Perne Archevauliere ( @porcelain-and-blood ) for their dazzling halftime performances.

The Crystal Chronicle for their outstanding reporting coverage of the whole tournament.

Evariste Baudhuin ( @aethericseafarer ) for donating amazing artwork to our four champions.

Rosaire Ledigne ( @eggplant-squire ) and Perrine Pepin ( @halonic ) for crafting all of our outstanding prizes. Brave Horizon ( @brave-horizon ) and Xanadu Mol ( @tonberryslantern ) for being the announcers everyone loved to hate.

Kail Gerrad ( @erstwhile25 ) for taking everyone’s money running the betting tables and for assisting in commentary.

Our arbiters: Martiallais Heuloix ( @mythrilreflections ), Gwenneth Gilrouis ( @rose-in-the-stone ), Valroit Faucheux ( @hasty-touch ), Arcian Martell ( @arcianmartell ), Aedos Valleritignon ( @bourgeoisfury ), Perrine Pepin ( @halonic ), Haru Qwey ( @haru-qwey ), and Marcelloix Dariustel (@korlynn ) for keeping everything running so smoothly. And you -- yes YOU! -- all of Balmung, for your generosity, support, and attendance. The crowd and the competitors were easily the best part of these events, and it was a blast simply watching everyone’s RP and reactions, and getting to interact with you all. We hope you had as much fun as we did -- we couldn’t have done it without you!

“I pushed on down the gallery, stepping over the blasted ruins of the sleepers who had inadvertently spared me. The wounded one, a middle-aged female, compromised and naked as she lay in the melt-water, clutched at my leg, begging for salvation. Eyclone’s gunfire had all but disemboweled her. I hesitated. A merciful headshot now would spare her everything. But I could not. Once they were awake, the hierarchy of Hubris would not understand a mercy killing. I would be trapped here for years, fighting my case through every court in their legislature. I shook off her desperate grip and moved on. Do you think me weak, flawed? Do you hate me for setting my inquisitorial role above the needs of one agonized being? If you do, I commend you. I think of that woman still, and hate the fact I left her to die slowly. But if you hate me, I know this about you… you are no inquisitor. You don’t have the moral strength. I could have finished her, and my soul might have been relieved. But that would have been an end to my work. And I always think of the thousands… millions perhaps… who would die worse deaths but for my actions. Is that arrogance? Perhaps… and perhaps arrogance is therefore a virtue of the Inquisition. I would gladly ignore one life in agony if I could save a hundred, a thousand, more… Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive. It’s that simple. Ask Aemos. He knows. Still, I dream of her and her bloody anguish. Pity me for that, at least.” -Dan Abnett, Eisenhorn: Xenos