#raulin

look for the name: RAULIN

@a-shimmering-tear

uma wang brocade embroidered waistcoat over black velvet blouse (+ oversize wool infinity scarf), a/w 2o18

yohji yamamoto black triple-layered wool gabardine trousers

christian lacroix metal and quartz crystal necklace, c. 1985-9o

études brown mouline fingerless mittens

Content Warning: Violence

The day was only half over, and Esredes was struggling. Three days and counting now he had went without sleeping. Not an uncommon occurrence for the man, but nonetheless, even as he tried to hide it people noticed. “You sure you’re all right?” “Take a break. Seriously.” “You don’t look so good.”

There was no time for a break, so Esredes told himself. Thus was heretic life, crafting a life beyond imminent destruction wasn’t going to do it by itself. Yet his body was starting to say otherwise. He was supposed to be taking care of an important shipment just coming into camp, but when he lifted up the crate, it felt oddly… weightless. He let go of it and it floated in place. How weird that was. He reached forward to grab it again, only to trip over the crate on the ground and fall to the ground. When he stood up, there was one of the camp’s enforcers, her arms crossed and her expression stern. “Esredes, go to bed.” She said. “This isn’t up for discussion. We’ll handle things, you’ve pushed yourself too hard today.”

Normally he would’ve protested, but words were failing him at this rate. The entire walk back up the path to his room had him feel as if he was simultaneously floating above the ground and weighed down by something very heavy. Still, he eventually made it to his room, and shut the door. Esredes sighed to himself and put his sword on the hook on the wall, then removed his boots and turned towards his bed.

He pressed up against the wall. There in the shadowy corner of the windowless room, was the shape of someone Esredes had not seen in a long time, a figure who blended in with the shadows, but nonetheless he could make the silhouette of out as he stepped towards Esredes with a spear raised. “Raulin…” Esredes said. He looked behind him and grabbed his sword off the hook, unsheathing the blade and holding it in a defensive position. “Don’t do this. I don’t want to fight you.”

It was but a faded memory, which came back to the surface with more color than Esredes wanted to ask for. The Hyur had been one of his fellow knights he knew all the way back since training, yet surely like all the rest, he only thought of him with ire now. The man stepped forward, ignoring Esredes’ words and only closing the distance with his spear. “How could you betray Ishgard? Betray me?!” He asked.

“I didn’t- no one listened to me- it wasn’t my-“ “Filthy traitor!” Raulin shouted, and thrust his spear forward. Esredes barely managed to stop its momentum with his sword, but it shoved him back even further against the wall. He slashed his sword towards Raulin’s abdomen, yet the man did not deter at all. He only pulled the spear forward and hit Esredes in the face, then doubled down and stabbed him in the abdomen. The impact drew Esredes to collapse on the floor with a gasp, hand over the abdomen wound he couldn’t see. Raulin stood over him and pointed the spear right at his chest. Esredes tried to push himself away, but found all his limbs too heavy. He was stuck to the floor, completely helpless in the face of fate. “I have waited so long,” Raulin said, “to finally kill you.” “I had no choice,” Esredes cried out weakly in desperation, as that was all his voice could manage. “I never betrayed anyone, it was forced on me. Please, Raulin, I’m not your-“ “Save it for the seven hells, you beast,” he declared, and threw his spear into his chest. Though Esredes saw and felt nothing, for the moment it was about to hit, everything stopped.

“Esredes,” came a voice. “Esredes, Esredes.” The voice kept repeating itself over and over, until he finally regained a sensation of his body and slowly opened his eyes. Ceila was there, leaning over him, and he soon realized where he was, there on the floor. “What happened?” Esredes pushed himself up on his elbows. “…I guess I didn’t make it,” he said, glancing to the bed. “Here,” she said, holding a hand down to him. He took it, and with great effort, heaved himself up on his feet. She lead him over to the bed and then let go, allowing him to collapse on top of his bed. “Have a good rest,” she said, smiling faintly. “But don’t you dare get out of that bed.” “…Thank you.”

Ceila left the room, and once more Esredes was alone. He shut his eyes and relaxed back into the void of sleep in the darkness. Anything else, was far from his mind and lost to sleep.

——

The bases weren’t mine. But it’s still fun to use them to draw your boyfriends on. Right? Sakura, Fier and Raulin.

Reference and Audition for AATR6 OCT (plus some sketches)