#seirlait

I can't believe it's been 10 years since I started playing XIV, but here we are. Karo's come quite a way from where she first started and I've had a blast exploring her and what she's become to mean to me. Thanks to everyone that's been around for the journey--and I can't wait to see what's next!!

(some closeups under the cut!)

Saw this prompt list a couple of weeks ago on a few of my feeds, and saved the image, thinking it was a cute idea! Having just enough energy this week to do some of them has made me very happy, and I wanted to put them all in one place!

Eros: Spicy, Bardic trio. G'raha x WoL x Thancred.

Philia: 6.0 spoilers for end of MSQ!

Ludus: G'raha x WoL sparring practice!

Agape: Self-Sacrificing love. 6.0 spoilers!

Pragma: Long-standing love. Thancred x WoL

Philautia: Self-love! A little playing with this, Ardbert x WoL

Storge: Family love! Karo's Dads appear!

Mania: Obsessive Love. A darling branch appears!

((I really wasn’t sure what to do with this one, so have some just words with Seirlait reflecting on a large life-changing thing that happened to him.))

Seirlait sat, staring at the door.  How could this be what had happened?  Their little girl, not so little now, had stormed out the door, tears streaming down her face with naught but a small pack upon her back and her bow, unable–unwilling–to stay a moment longer.  Something horrific had happened here with Dalamud fell, unknown to Seir or Feo until they had returned from their long time away from home.  The letters they had written sat unopened by the fireplace, dust collecting as if they were meant for another’s hand.

Feo came up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder without a word.  They had just spent a little over five long years away from home–having been on the road when Dalamud fell.  The world had changed–paths home had been decimated, shards of the red moon spotted the land, gigantic clusters of corrupted crystal surrounding them in terrible beauty.  They had spent the time before running supplies, attempting to keep some normalcy, and after–well, after they did what they could.  People needed healing, and transport back to the city-states.  Even more needed to find missing loved ones, and all of them sat dumbfounded by their missing memories of the adventurers who had held the line and helped save them all.

The bridge in Thanalan nearest to where one of the largest shards had split the land had finally been completed.  Aptly named Highbridge, it was a work of art and wonder, finally paving the path from Thanalan to the Shard easily once more, instead of the perilous path through the mountains and skirting entirely too close to Coerthas and the war with the Dragons there.  Once they knew it was done, they rushed towards home, finally willing to put down their burden and reunite with their daughter–of whom worryingly hadn’t returned any of their letters.

The stranger that had looked at them in horror as they had entered their own home, had confounded them.  They had explained till horse, begged her to remember.  Her large blue eyes had been full of fear, confused about everything they had said, denying knowing aught of what they described–and spooked when they had pointed out things around the cottage, things that were theirs as a family that they couldn’t have known about otherwise.  It was causing her pain.  They could tell, but they were in a different type of pain.  This was the home they had nurtured together, taught her letters and the joy of reading.  The yard outside where she learned to pull a bow, learned the names of the plants and animals of the forest, and how to make sure not to encroach on the Elementals territory.  She seemed to still have those base understandings, yet all personal memories, all human connections, were gone as the seasons passed.

Seir sat, still watching the door, hoping the past few days were just a horrible joke gone wrong, but in his broken heart, knew it wasn’t the case.  Their joy, their light, was gone, and the small cottage felt cold and empty.  It would take moons before they could move forward, even a little, but when they did, they watched the rising star of Eorzea from the shadows, vowing to help her in any way they could–and to attempt to not bring her more sorrow.

((Okay.  C’mon.  This is me with Karo here.  You KNOW which way I was gonna pronounce/interpret this word...  Anyways, I was gonna do this just simple thing where I had Karo as my main “narrator” going through things... and then... well.  Seirlait said no.  He said his turn.  So.  Some more Karo backstory, and Dads backstory too.))

Seirlait looked at the tiny bow in his hands and again wondered why he had traded for it in the last town they were in.  Feo had been teaching Karo reading and numbers, not to mention introducing her to the tales that he so loved in book format.  Her thirst for knowledge was strong and he wanted to encourage that as much as possible, but she had also been asking about hunting with him.  He had put it off, waiting until he was positive that it was something she wanted to learn, but she had been sneaking out to watch him practice, or just using the excuse to sit outside the wagon as he set up his targets.  His bow was almost as tall as she was, but, despite that Seir had caught her holding it on more than one occasion, tugging gently on the bowstring, eyes wide at how taut it was.

He had found a seller with a Lalafell sized bow--not too hard on the pull--and bought it, hiding it in his pack.  She wasn’t much taller than most grown people of that race, and he didn’t want to get her something too soft.  If she couldn’t pull it, she’d do chores to grow into it.  He had gotten a collection of arrows to fit it as well, and laid it in her chair for when she awoke in the morning.  She might not realize, but it had been a year since he found her in the clearing, alone and forgotten.  All their lives had changed so much in so little time, and she had blossomed in their care, growing towards the bright sunny future.

Many years later, the small kitten had grown into a lithe teen, the blue in her hair more pronounced, and tan facial markings darkening with time.  Karo had taken to the bow as if she had been born with one in her hand, an equal to his hunting skills after her years of training.  Together they took on small bounties and hunted for those that couldn’t for coin, helping to augment their trading and adding pelts and meat to sell.  She had long graduated her starter bow, and now carried a short bow well suited for the forests the mainly hunted in.  Despite being a natural, if they were out together, she still looked to him for guidance though and approval, finding his eyes after every shot to make sure she had done well.  He thanked the Twelve that she hadn’t lost her thirst for knowledge either, days filled with hunting and evenings filled with learning.

((yes, again, posted on time, but... screenshots.  Then I got REALLY carried away last night because... omg, I finally created Karo’s Da an Pa, and... then passed out promptly.  Pre-Cal backstory goodness!  [of which I really wanted to write more of, and will prob later, but... writing gremlins are starting to wear out...] Also, much thanks to @kukurubean​ for helping me with some mild lore-points/flavor which kept me from making a decent lore mistake while at work and not really a whole lot of access to looking things up!))

“Go on! Get! You feckless stray!” the words stung, thrown as if stones to Karo’s young ears as she ran from the market booth, ears pinned to the back of her head and tears pricking the sides of her eyes.  She hadn’t even had a chance to show the gill clutched tightly in her small hand before being chased away from the stall.  Her small frame shook as she darted through the sparse crowd searching for her Da’s sturdy presence.  It was her first visit to the Drybone with her Da and Pa, and they had given her free reign to explore while they bought supplies and bartered their own goods.  She had protected the gil Da gave her, not even putting it in the pouch at her side, preferring to hold onto it as she wandered wide-eyed through the riot of color and sound.

The smells from the food booths made her mouth water, but she had wanted to spend what gil she had on a gift for her new parents.  As young as she was, she had learned much in the time she had already spent with them, knowing that everything they had needed to be useful for life on the road.  The booth tucked away behind the well that had drawn her eye was filled with cups and mugs etched with varying symbols.  The merchant also had leather mug frogs meant to carry the cups when not in use.  Karo hadn't even had a chance to ask how much they were before being chased off.

She found her Pa first, a good hand taller than most in the little oasis, he saw her coming and scooped her up, holding her close.

"Sweetling,what has you all worked up?" Feophaux's voice was just for her, even as his eyes scanned the aetheryte plaza for what had harmed his little girl.  She only buried her face deeper into his neck, clinging tightly, her words gone once more.  Not seeing anything obvious, he turned his attention back to the Miqo'te kitten in his arms, and with a sigh headed back up the path to where they had left the wagon that was their traveling home. Seirlait would find them there bells later, Karo curled up asleep with her head in the duskwight's lap, a lullaby still on his lips as he played for her. Carefully extracting her, he got up slowly making sure not to wake her and went to his partner with a slight shrug about the situation and an embrace before settling in for the evening.

((If you've followed me in past years for the Write event, you know I get behind posting. This year is of course no exception. I've been writing every day, but, as usual I've wanted to take some screenshots to go with! These took me a while to get the spoons to take, but I'm very happy with them! (esp the last two) Have some Da, Pa, and young Karo!))

The familiar cabin came into view around the bend, and Seirlait sighed in relief. It had been a long few days away, and his normal path home had been blocked by some fallen trees and dammed up water. Not wanting to risk the fresh game he had in his pack to possible deep water, he changed his course, ending up several bells later than originally planned.

All was quiet in the small clearing, the chocobos milling quietly in their pen, and only the breeze creating a small rustling of the leaves overhead.

It was too quiet.

Maybe Karo was taking a rare late afternoon nap, or perhaps was playing out of sight. In any case, she wasn't bursting out the front door as she usually did when he was finally in sight. It was a little sad that she wasn't there to greet him like usual, but he shouldered his pack and made his way to the door. Opening it carefully, all seemed quiet.

"Hello!" Feophaux was cleaning some mugs in the sink as he laid his pack on the counter. The field dressing had been done quickly, but they'd still need to prepare the meat for cooking, and clean the skins for tanning. Leaning up to kiss his spouse, he looked around for the small black-haired ball of energy he was expecting to see.

((catchup number two for the night! ^_^ Pre-Cal Seir an Feo!))

“I just don't know,” Seirlait leaned his head back along the wide bench back of the chocobo carriage as he gently guided the birds down the familiar path. The summer was waning, and they still hadn't found hide or hair of any mysterious miqo’te that had lost a small child in the woods. Notices had been posted in all the small hamlets, and they had even ventured into the city of Gridania to ask around and post some flyers.  Well, Seir did as Feo watched the wagon outside the gates; he still didn't like the wood wailer’s eyes on him as he went about his business. 

The small child had already swapped foster homes twice, surrogate parents or grandparents not able or willing to put up with such a wild child, more prone to climbing a tree than learning the family trade.  It was nothing against the good people, but the girl was different, and needed more than the families could give her. 

“She seems to settle with us around more than others,” Feo had interestingly been leaning towards the idea the past few weeks.  The fact was true though.  All the families had agreed that little Karo calmed in their presence, listening carefully to what they said, and according to the other adults, would follow their instructions to her to the letter, even if she didn’t obey anyone else.

“That isn’t the best reason for taking in a child,” Seir was playing the counter game, trying to come up with a reason they shouldn’t for every reason they should Feo could come up with, and to be honest with himself, he was losing.  “It’s a lot of responsibility, and we’re on the road half the year!”

Karo was found as a small kit by Seirlait and Feophaux, her beloved parents. The Calmity came while they were away and she was a young adult--only to loose all memory of them and her childhood besides basic things to survive.

Regaining her memories after her 8th rejoined soul healed the cracks the Light bore upon her, she didn't seek them out, but instead had the most unexpected of reunions. Have a sneak peek pic. ^_^

And the bonus, because she can't forget the kindness of the Count: