#ethrite

I  MEAN  BOLD  OF  YOU  TO  THINK  NOT  SEEING  DISSIDIA  STOPPED  ME.  I  love  ships.  You  put  two  Final  Fantasy  characters  in  my  hands,  explain  how  you  think  they  might  work  as  a  ship,  and  I’ll  slap  them  together  like  Barbie  dolls.

That  being  said,  I  did  really  enjoy  watching  Light  and  Squall.  They’re  both  no  nonsense,  stubborn,  bull-headed  people,  but  I think  that’s  what  works  about  them  because  that  nature  is  more  often  a  front  than  anything  sincere.  They’d  employ  it  when  the  other  is  pissing  them  off,  but  I  could  see  moments  of  vulnerability  actually  being  really  sweet  because  they  KNOW  it’s  an  effort  for  the  other  person  to  break  down  those  walls.  For  their  individual  reasons  they  don’t  show  that  to  most  other  people  -  and,  where  they’d  consider  themselves  ‘lucky’,  I  think,  Light  and  Squall  would  have  the  why  perspective.

I  love  the  idea  of  them  being  two  people  forced  together  by  fate  who  mutually  look  after  each  other,  even  if  they’re  like  “ I  don’t  need  you,  I’ll  go  at  it  alone “  because  they  know  what  alone  looks  like,  and  silent  company  is  better  than  none.

I  figure  the  same  values  can  be  applied  for  Cloud  /  Light,  too.  Square  makes  moody  men,  I’ll  give  them  my  moody  daughter.

     o’  wretched  luck,  is  there  no  place  one  might  find  rest  from  exuberance  made  manifest ?   even  when  retreated  into  a  corner  far  away  from  it  all,  still  does  sun — lit  counterpart  find  them  with  ease.   ( they  always  were  excellent  at  hide  &  seek )   how  tempting  to  feign  ignorance,  bury  deeper  into  pile  of  comfortable  pillows  and  leave  the  sun  to  its  shenanigans.   but  as  they  draw  closer  and  the  music  grows  louder  and  louder,  darling  moon  finally  deigns  to  open  their  eyes  and  follow  counterpart’s  descend.  

      ❛ Nuisance, ❜   from  deep  ‘neath  attendant’s  chest  comes  a  growl,  though  it  lacks  genuine  bite  in  the  face  of  one  whose  antics  may  be  exhausting,  yet  could  never  truly  be  hated.   thus  with  feline  grace  does  lunar  half  give  languid  stretch  of  spindly  form  and  rise  from  its  soft  perch,  one  of  many  pillows  in  their  clawed  grasp.   ❛ Troublemakers  belong  in  time — out, ❜   ‘tis  a  dangerously  amused  drawl  barely  heard  above  obnoxious  music  and  the  only  warning  beside  jingle  of  tell — tale  bells  before  soft  pillow  is  mercilessly  swung  at  the  poor  sun’s  face.  

                         `  you once compared me to a character in an opera.  `

reminiscence leads discussion, & yet soured will would be its heart. she stops after she speaks, making a straight forward statement. perhaps, then, dorothea would recall as well. she told her she was always so  .  .  .  what was it ? extraordinary ? in her ideals, perhaps, is what she meant. & she may be. there are parts of her that have died, parts of her that have shifted, & pieces that have ever - remained the same.

          `  do you think me evil, dorothea ? don’t think i haven’t heard the rumors.  `

xx

ENEMIES TO LOVERS,  LOVERS TO ENEMIES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN | @ethrite

silent air lingers around them in the dark room ;  the distant CHORUS of crickets singing and a single lit candle on the bedside table is the only ambience given to the two of them .

the adeptus turns his head away from Zhongli .  he is UNWILLING to look directly at him after that comment―especially after that comment .

ah yes ,  that scar .  Liqin touches his fingertips up to his right eye ,  following the rough diagonal mark on his eyelid back and forth .  a physical reminder of his DEFIANCE against the archon of geo .

Send ♡ if you'd be interested in discussing a ship between our muses

hand upon shoulder / furrowed brows but a soft smile . ardbert means it , he does , with ever fiber of his non - being within this shared space of soul and nothingness . there;s a burning appreciation for the apparition not too unlike him , bound to this host they care so deeply for .

he has heldfast as the three of them crumbled : has offered fray his hand as many times as needed . when light sought to tear them apart , ardbert watched fray give all for the sake of their trusted friend , even when ardbert was too weak , to helpless .

" it was 'cause of you that we made it this far . you know that , right ? "

      Armor  was  their  aegis  —  a  shield  meant  to  shoulder  burdens  of  those  they  love.  ink  -  black  ;  faded  ,  rusty  gold  trim  ;  blue  cloth  &  ribbon.  these  contain  them  ,  &  have  for  years.  days  ?  months  ?  lapses  in  memory  never  sat  well  with  them.  teeth  bit  down  hard  ‘pon  lips  —  hand  clenched  into  fist  as  they  examine  this  landscape  of  nothingness.  (  remember  ,  remember  —  oh  ,  you  are  unable  to  ,  so  you  cling  to  His  memories.  His  hopes.  His  dreams.  your  memories  as  Fray  Myste  of  the  Brume  will  eventually  fade  ,  &  you  will  return  to  that  abysmal  black  you  so  fear  —  )  their  head  quickly  shoots  upward.  oh  ,  that  will  hurt  later.

an  all  -  too  familiar  voice  calls  out  to  them  ,  &  the  dark  knight  finds  themselves  drawn  to  it.  yellow  -  gold  gaze  drifts  in  its  direction  —  Ardbert  ,  another  bound  to  Y’sin  like  they.  eyebrow  rises  ...

                                      ...  &  falls  back  down.

      The  hand  on  their  shoulder  &  the  words  accompanying  the  gesture  causes  their  body  to  still.  despite  wearing  their  helm  ,  the  look  in  their  eyes  was  telling.  happiness.  sadness.  not  an  onze  of  anguish.  yet  their  body  trembles  slightly  —  shoulders  absent  of  tension.  (  you  are  loved  ,  Fray  ,  you  know  that.  He  loves  you  ,  &  you  to  Him.  the  times  you  two  spent  in  tangled  limbs  —  these  lazy  mornings  /  the  support  you  had  —  not  only  from  the  Warrior  of  Light  ,  but  Ardbert  as  well.  the  moments  you  took  his  hand  when  you  were  torn  at  the  seams  —  trying  to  contain  the  light  within  yourself  instead  ,  &  the  moments  when  you  offered  an  ear  to  Ardbert’s  worries.  )

                         a  flicker  of  a  smile  flashes  in  their  eyes.

       ❛  T-Thank  you  ,  ❜  they  say  —  breath  trembling  &  shaky  , 

trembling hands. cold as ice , suggesting warm heart , but even that has cooled over the years . they reach . snow cups her face within calloused palms , stares down with eyes so blue they could drown her . and he , he stares into green , inhuman and perfectly her .

his voice , low , choked . emotional , and afraid .

" you claim to be so smart , but'y'er kind of an idiot . "

it's meant to be kind of a tease, but his voice is thick with the vulnerability . the silence , however brief , suffocates .

" how long is it gonna take you t'realise that i'm going this for you ? not for serah , or the world . "

he is shaking. like earthquakes beneath his skin, or ice shattering beneath the weight. if she does not run, he might. that is their fatal flaw.

" for you , claire . all i--all i've wanted was t'keep you safe , 'cause i want to. need to. not for her, or 'cause you're incapable, but because i----you can take care of yourself, but y'don't have to , y'know . not anymore . "

he lets go now. drops his hands, drops his gaze. run, silly boy. it's all you're good at.

“ i jus'--can't stand watchin' you pretend you don't know that. "

𝘿𝙊𝙉'𝙏.

The  word  hovers  uselessly  on  her  tongue.  Thought,  but  never  spoken.  Desired,  she  believed,  but  not  manifested  ;  even  as  it  lingered  between  her  teeth  and  struggled  against  the  ivory.  Were  she  as  strong  as  she  claimed  she  would  have  rebuked  him  entirely  ;  wrench  her  head  back  from  his  hold,  tear  herself  from  him,  enact  that  distance  so  keenly  broken  whenever  they  were  together  (  how  fucking  dare  he  !  he  knew  better  –  they  knew  better  the  things  they  could  come  back  from.  not  this.  not  this )

Instead,  her  brows  knit  tightly  at  his  choked  remark,  daring  not  to  bridge  the  emotion  she  picked  between  the  tones  –  felt  in  the  palm  of  his  hands,  skin  pressed  to  skin  –  and  attempted  to  ignore  the  quickening  of  her  heart  like  a  hummingbird  in  flight.

Don’t  speak  to  her  with  such  vulnerability,  she  knew  naught  what  to  do  with  it.  Not  even  her  sister,  for  all  her  empathy,  could  tease  such  from  her.  It  remained  entangled  in  her  body  like  a  snare,  trapping,  killing  anything  it  touched.  That  primal  thing  inside  of  her  could  only  scream  he  would  be  next.

𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙥  !  𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙋  !  𝙒𝙚  𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩  𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚  𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠  𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢  𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨,  𝙬𝙚  𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩  !

CLAIRE.  A  name  from  another  time.  Literally,  for  all  they  had  been  through,  and  it  was  if  her  faux  name  ripped  through  her  like  a  bolt  from  the  heavens.  Her  eyes  widened,  subtle  flickers  drinking  the  contour  of  his  face.  Serah  must  have  told  him  once,  back  when  things  were  good  and  right  and  normal.  Instead,  his  hands  were  on  her  face,  her  own  pressed  to  his  chest,  and  the  sickening  turn  of  her  stomach  reminded  her  how  wrong  it  was  that  she  might  want  to  hear  him  say  it  again.  But  as  fleeting  as  desire  was,  reality  hit  with  the  drop  of  his  hand  and  the  tiny  step  she  took  back.

Why  should  she  suffer  to  live  ;  to  sin  so  ?  Serah  should  have  been  alive.  Serah  was  the  one  who  made  him  happy.  She  would  love  him  wholly  –  completely.  For  FUCK  sake,  it  was  what  she  deserved,  not  her  !  She  had  done  nothing  wrong  !

“ I  can’t  know  that. ”  Ah,  the  opportunistic  thief  made  off  with  her  cruelty.  What  remained  was  viscous,  a  coagulation  of  trepidation,  fear  and  fleeting  determination.  It  rocked  her  to  her  core,  that  place  in  her  chest  she  cut  the  innocence  from.  Yet,  burn  down  a  forest,  the  remaining  seeds  would  still  sprout.

“ You  belong  to  Serah.  Not  me.  Your  place  is  with  her. ”  Her  voice  was  deadpan,  like  she  were  reciting  fact  or  scripture.  It  was  one  of  the  few  things  she  had,  less  she  lose  the  fight  entirely.  “ When  this  is  over,  you  will  go  back  to  her,  and  you  will  be  happy.  You  will.  You  will  make  her  happy.  I  don’t  need  protection,  because  I  can’t  be  yours  to  protect. ”

All  they  needed  to  do  was  walk  away.  Lie,  pretend  like  none  of  this  had  happened.

“ What  you  feel  –  what  this  is  ? “  She  could  not  admit  her  own.  Light  had  already  tarnished  Serah’s  memory  enough  without  putting  a  name  to  it.  “ Swallow  it. “

Please.  The  word  left  unsaid.  Because,  if  he  didn’t,  she  knew  she  could not.