#quad fics

The pious Ishgardian clergy guide the flock, and the devout knights protect the weak.

—

The door to the church slams open, causing the priest to jump. "Who goes there!? Close the door before—"

He stops, staring in horror at the figure in the doorway. Tall, slim, and covered head to toe in black armor, the elezen made for an imposing figure. As she took a step in, the priest backed up against the wall, scrambling for anything nearby to defend himself. "No, wait!"

—

Yet even the holiest of men succumb to the darkest of temptations.

—

"Where are they?" She takes another step towards the priest, and he babbles incoherently before finally finding his voice.

"I-I don't know what you mean! Please, I'm… I'm just—"

—

None dare to administer justice to these sacrosanct elite residing outside the reach of the law. Who, then, defends the feeble from the transgressions of those meant to guide and protect them?

—

Another step forward, and the priest falls to the ground, shaking under the woman's glare. "You'll have to try harder than that." She stops, and calmly crosses her arms. "Where are the children you've been absconding from the Brume?"

She waves a hand, a smirk making her expression all the more dangerous. "Don't try to lie. Your men told me everything after a bit of… persuasion."

—

A valiant few take up arms to defend the downtrodden, and not even the holy priests and knights can escape their judgment. These sentinels bear no shields declaring their allegiance. Instead, their greatswords act as beacons to guide the meek through darkness.

—

The woman reaches behind her to grab the hilt of her greatsword, easily hefting it over her shoulder and leveling the point at the priest.

The man's face twisted into an expression of desperate anger. "You… you heathen! You wretch! You dare attack a priest!?" He bares his teeth at her. "You'll be caught, and you'll rot on the streets, just like—"

"Well, I gave you the chance." Her expression becomes blank as she looks down at the man. "I shall pray for your soul to be cleansed in the depths of the hells."

"N-no—"

She drives her greatsword forward—

—

Pariahs in their own land, they are known by many as Dark Knights.

—

—and stabs the priest through the heart, the man only opening and closing his mouth uselessly as he draws his last breath.

"How pathetic. How often they mewl and beg when they realize Halone won't save them." She wiped the blood on her sword off on the priest's clothes before sheathing it. "The children should be in the basement…"

The woman wastes no time in locating the stairs to the basement, and she takes a breath and removes her helmet before slowly, calmly, heading down the stairs.

She hears the sounds of children crying as they hear her footsteps. As she reached the bottom, some of the crying stopped, replaced by an air of confusion at the new figure. The elezen looked over them—battered and bruised, her heart ached for the horrors these children had been through.

"Wh…who are you?" One particularly brave child calls from the back of the small basement.

The Dark Knight shakes her head. "It matters not. But it's time for you to return to your homes, your families. I will take you to them."

They don't move—obviously distrustful of a random woman after everything that's happened to them—until one child suddenly speaks up. "It… it's her! I told you…"

The girl begins sobbing, but it is of relief rather than fear. "It's Rielle! She… she came to save us!"

"There, that should do it."

Iris drapes a bolt of fabric over the stall, looking at her handiwork with a smile. What a lovely idea for Starlight. Her gaze scans the nearby area, spotting a few merchants hastily trying to set up before the Starlight Stalls opened. Perhaps I should go help—

"I believe you've done enough." As if hearing her thoughts, Stephanivien walked into the stall behind Iris with two steaming mugs, offering her one. "Something to warm your fingers."

"Is this mulled punch?" As she takes in the aroma, Iris lets the drink's heat spread through her hands. "It looks lovely."

"And it tastes just as nice! You'll have to give Mother Miounne your regards when you see her next."

"Yes…" Iris took a sip from the mug, enjoying the flavor just as much as she did the warmth.

"Are you ready, then?"

Iris looked up at his husband with a confused expression. "Ready for what?"

"To look at the stalls, of course!" Stephanivien offered his arm to Iris with a grin, but Iris frowned slightly in response.

"Someone needs to watch this stall…"

"You needn't worry about it! Your mother said she'd be back before the festivities fully kicked off." Stephanivien's grin only grew wider. "So, shall we? There is a wonderful tea stall I think you'll love!"

Iris furrows her brow for a moment, then nods, smiling at Stephanivien as she hooked her arm through his.

The couple strolled through the market for a short while, Stephanivien chattering about the various stalls and, specifically, on how incredible the tea stall will be. Once he saw people beginning to trick in, Stephanivien picked up his pace, forcing Iris to hurry to keep up. He's certainly excited about this…

They reach the tea stall just as the owner finishes setting up, and notices them with a start. "O-oh! I wasn't expecting customers so soon."

Iris huffs lightly. "No, it is we who could apologize. My husband was just… very eager for me to try your tea."

Stephanivien nods his head slightly in apology. "I just wanted us to get here before the crowd! So you can take your time…"

Iris smiles and gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "You're always so thoughtful, Steph." She turns her attention to the stall owner and the tea leaves on display. "What tea blend is this? It looks lovely."

The merchant perks up. "Ah, that one? It's…"

The sun was already beginning to set when the two of them finished exploring the market. Tired from the day's excitement, they sit on a bench, watching the passersby and the Saint's Little Helpers pass out more warm drinks.

Stephanivien wraps an arm around Iris's shoulder, and she leans into him. "This has been a wonderful day, Steph…"

"We haven't even seen the best part yet!" He flashes Iris a grin and gestures toward the tree with his free arm. "It should only be a moment or two, I'm sure."

Iris turns her gaze back to the giant tree in the middle of the market, and as if on cue, it lights up, the sight a beautiful display of color.

She watched the twinkling lights around the market turn on one by one, and Stephanivien gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It's not Starlight without a grandly lit, beautiful tree, now is it?"

"I suppose it is not!" Iris lightly laughs, then turns towards her husband, a warm smile on her face. "I love you."

Stephanivien shifts to look at Iris, his soft gaze meeting her eyes. "I love you, too."

They close the distance between one another, sharing a long kiss under the starlight.

"That should be everything," Iris said as she finished packing up her mother's stall. Taking the stall down was far easier than setting it up on account of how much she sold throughout the day. A small smile crept up on her face, happy for her success.

"Well, that wasn't too bad!" Stephanivien closes the stall's shutters, then goes to pick up the few remaining boxes. "Let's get these back to your mother's shop, and we'll be on our way back to the manor tomorrow." He gives a half-exasperated sigh. "We'll need to help plan and decorate for my family's Starlight festivities, after all."

Iris meets Stephanivien's exasperation with a laugh. "That is true! Here, let me help with that." She grabs one of the boxes from her husband's arms. "Busy as it is, though, it's a wonderful time of the year."

"Got a job for you. And get your godsdamned feet off my table."

Rjego looks at the bartender over the rim of his sunglasses, taking a drag of his pipe before giving them a smirk. "Why? My feet are far cleaner than your dingy—"

The bartender snarls at Rjego, roughly pushes his legs off the table, and slaps down a piece of parchment. "Take care of it, and I'll consider not throwing you in the sea."

"Ah, but Natasha, a dip sounds refreshing!" Natasha's eyes narrow, and he sighs, waving them off. "I got it. I expect my payment when I'm back."

"If you come back."

"You know I will, darling." Rjego pulls his bright pink sunglasses down and gives Natasha an exaggerated wink. They roll their eyes before walking off.

"Now, who's the unlucky bellend this time…" Rjego pushes the hair out of his face while quickly reading over the paper. "Never heard of him. Poor sod pissed off the wrong fellow, I suppose."

The hitman rises, tapping the ashes of his somnus pipe out onto the floor, earning a glare from Natasha at the other side of the bar. "Let's get this over with, then."

This time, can you not get your arm cut off? I don't have the energy to put your arse back together again.

"I don't try to lose my limbs on a mission, Oriax." Rjego mumbles under his breath, giving his garishly purple sniper rifle a once-over before heading to the tavern's entrance.

Could have fooled me.

"Can't catch a break with you…" Rjego rubs his neck and heads out of the bar, ignoring Oriax's continual complaints.

** **

"Gods, where is this guy?"

Rjego swings his legs over the edge of the roof, sliding his sunglasses down his nose and lighting his pipe. Oriax remains silent. "Oh, now you want to be quiet—ah, wait…"

Someone stumbles over the bridge, tripping over his own feet before loudly yelling to nobody. "How dare you kick me out!? I am a… a paying customer! All you had to do was, was… hells—put it on my godsdamn tab!"

The target leans over the bridge's railing after his proclamation, and Rjego couldn't tell if the man would fall into the sea or toss up his dinner.

Looks like you most nights.

"Thanks for the compliment. Maybe I'll let him drown so you won't get your meal."

It's your funeral next time you get hurt, then.

Rjego tsks, takes a drag of his pipe, and looks down the rifle's sight. "I don't actually want him to fall—I won't get paid if he does. Now if he'd stop moving so much…"

The hitman gently runs a hand up his rifle before putting his finger on the trigger. "Don't let me down, Discocvnt…"

He pulls the trigger, and a shot rings out—the bullet hitting the bridge just shy of where the target's head was a second ago.

"Huh!? What, wh—" The man takes a few steps frantically, but, forgetting he was on a narrow bridge, he tumbles over the railing, his confusion replaced by a scream as he falls.

Wordlessly, Rjego jumps down from his vantage point and looks over the bridge with a frown. It doesn't take long for the man's body to float to the top, killed by his impact with the water.

"…Fuck."

Oriax says nothing, but Rjego can feel her palpable anger. He rubs his face with an exasperated sigh. "Just my luck…" He walks away from the bridge, filling his pipe again and lighting it. "Maybe I can convince Natasha to give me the reward anyway."

"Ugh, that is it! I've had enough of this!"

Alisaie suddenly slams her fists down on the bar table, causing Alphinaud to jump and look at his sister with a mix of confusion and exasperation. "Must you be so loud—"

"I mean, just look at them!" Alisaie ignores her brother's complaints and gestures to the other end of the Wandering Stairs.

Alphinaud follows Alisaie's gaze, eventually settling on a table where Cas and Thancred are sitting. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he didn't sense anything out of the ordinary with him. After some joke causes Thancred to burst into laughter, Alphinaud sighs. "They seem happy, Alisaie—as they deserve to be. They've been through a lot, after all."

"That's just the thing!" Alisaie huffs. "They deserve to be happy. So why are they acting like they're just friends? It's so obvious they're head over heels for each other!"

"Well…" Alphinaud rubs his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "We all know that. But we can't force them to be together, and they're already happy now."

"I think we need to do something about this. To help… push them along." Alisaie crosses her arms with a nod. "Valentione's Day is coming up, right?"

"We're not on the Source, in case you forgot."

"So? That doesn't mean they can't celebrate it."

The glint in Alisaie's eyes told Alphinaud he was in for a very long day.

** **

Cas was staring out the window of his room in the Pendants when he heard a sudden, loud knock on the door. "Who could that be…?"

The Warrior of Light was by no means a stranger to sudden guests, but it sounded like whoever that knocked was in a terrible hurry.

But when Cas opened the door, there was no one to be seen. Perplexed, he scans the hallway before noticing the basket of flowers placed on the ground.

"These are beautiful… but where did they come from?" Cas places the basket on a table and examines the gift. The basket was full of beautiful plants and flowers from the Hortorium, the striking colors practically brightening the room on their own. Cas couldn't help but smile when looking at them.

Then, he noticed a small card placed between two of the plants. Cas carefully plucks the card out of the basket and opens it, finding a short and simple message written within.

I saw these flowers and they reminded me of you. - Thancred

Cas feels warmth flush his cheeks, but he quickly shakes his head before his imagination gets the better of him. "Such a thoughtful gesture! I'll have to give him something in return…" Smiling, Cas takes one last look at the basket before leaving his room and starts heading to the Hortorium.

** **

Thancred shot up when he heard a few soft taps on his door. While the gunbreaker was preparing to get some rest, the arrival of a sudden visitor made his fatigue disappear.

He knew the taps belonged to Cas—a gentle noise that sounded as though he didn't want to intrude. Thancred tells himself he knows how everyone knocks, as like with many other gestures, they reveal much about someone's personality.

While no one ever tried to refute Thancred on his knocking theories, the Scions knew it was just an elaborate excuse for something they didn't even ask about.

Thancred opens the door, and as expected, he finds Cas at the other side of it—but what he wasn't expecting was the big basket of flowers he held. Cas gives Thancred a warm smile before holding the basket out to him.

"These are for you!"

"Oh, thank you…" Thancred takes the flowers and looks at them for a moment before coming to a realization. "These are beautiful, Cas, but what's the occasion?"

A confused expression crosses Cas's face before he flashes Thancred a wide grin. "It's to pay you back for the basket you gave me! It was so beautiful, I thought you deserved one too!"

Cas continues, and Thancred notices that he's talking faster than usual, as if in a rush to leave. "There is also a bit of fruit in the basket—I wrapped it up before putting it in with the flowers, of course—but I see you're getting ready to sleep so I'll get going—I hope you enjoy them!" Cas smiles again before quickly closing the door to Thancred's room himself.

Thancred stares at the door for a moment, trying to process what just happened. After a moment, he looks back down at the basket, a lovely mix of vibrant plants and flowers, with a few citrus fruits carefully placed on one side.

"What a thoughtful gift… but I didn't give him a basket. Did he mistake someone else's gift as something from me?" Thancred sighs, setting the basket down and smiling slightly at the flowers. It was hard not to be happy about something so beautiful, regardless of the confusion. "I suppose I'll have to clear all this up—and return the favor, of course."

** **

Alisaie watches Cas come to Thancred's door with a large bouquet and looks at Alphinaud with a smug smile. "See? I told you this would work!"

As their conversation went on, however, Alisaie could see things weren't going as she hoped. When Cas closes the door to Thancred's room and hurries away, she lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Seems it didn't work, Alisaie."

"Thank you for your astute observation, Alphinaud." Alisaie's brother was mimicking her smug look from before, and she narrowed her eyes at him before continuing. "What could have gone wrong? It's Valentione's Day! Even if we're not on the Source, the meaning of flowers during the holiday is obvious."

Alphinaud taps a finger on his chin for a moment. "Did you mention it was Valentione's Day on the card?"

"What?"

"Did you mention—"

"I heard you. No, I didn't. Why would I? It's clear—"

"Because you're trying to 'push things along' with them for a reason, from what I recall. I doubt mere… implications would work here."

Alisaie sits in silence for a moment, fuming, before letting out a frustrated sigh. "They are impossible!" She pinches the bridge of her nose. "It's… fine. The rate this is all going, we can just try again next year."