Day 5 - Stamp

Day 5 - Stamp

"Kaleh'a!"

"Hm?" The blonde haired Miqo'te opened a turquoise eye, peering out from under his archer's hat, noting the large Hyur storming his way. He looked, at first glance, angry, and that had Kaleh'a's tail shooting out straight, sitting up rapidly, half ready in a crouch in the chair he had leaned back in the Rising Stones, half wondering if he was about to have to pull a knife on the black haired man - Bryn, wasn't it? - storming towards him. That was, until he saw what was in his hands.

He blinked, eyes alighting on the envelope and wax seal keeping it closed, his eyebrows shooting up as he realized instead of death, he was about to get a new job. Ever since he had officially become the courier for the Scions, ferrying their letters or supplies or information wherever it was needed. It worked out well for him, in a myriad of ways, the first and foremost that he got to explore the world. The Scions had so many different groups in different areas that every time he got a request, it was almost certainly to somewhere exotic, new, and adventurous!

His initial adrenaline spike cooled, and he pushed up into a stand, brushing off non-existent dirt from his brown pants, and gave Bryn a beaming grin. "Well, what do you know. The mighty Silver Wolf has come to ask for my humble ser-"

He was shut up rather quickly by the letter shoved into his chest, blinking in surprise as he stared at the stamped seal, slowly looking up at the taller man and frowning, not too pleased with the rough delivery, crossing his arms and tucking the letter under his arm. "Hey, what's the big de-"

"I need you to get that to Ul'dah. Red door, back alley." Gruff voice, tinged with worry, and a bit of bite, and Kaleh'a suddenly realized that it wasn't anger in his expression. Those furrowed brows were concern.

His tail flicked, his eyes rising to Bryn's silver ones, and he nodded, pocketing the letter. Then, his customary grin was back, and he started to stride off, looking over his shoulder as he waved. "I got it! I'll have it delivered in no time! Even use the aetheryte, but that will cost you extra!"

The responding growl had the young Miqo'te hightailing it out of the Rising Stones, a nervous laugh trailing after him as he decided that he liked his tail where it was for the time being.

Day 10 - Stable

Stable.

Is that what this…was?

Bryn lifted his face into the air, the gentle breeze of the salt water blowing over his face, filling his nostrils with the scent of the sea, and his ears with the sound of crashing waves. It was so peaceful, calm, repetitive and simple.

And he was enjoying it.

When was the last time he had enjoyed the simple things in life? When war or gods or some world threatening event had not demanded his attention? When he was able to just…be?

Maybe those brief days and weeks in Gridania. Maybe with the early Scions.

But even those times, he would not consider himself stable enough to really enjoy them. Not with the beast locked inside, the constant strain of learning to control it. No, those fond memories were tainted with his own problems.

Now, though, there was nothing but happiness. Nothing but time. Nothing but connection.

His silver eyes gleamed as his neatly kept hair ruffled in the breeze, and his mind turned to Elu, dwelling on her for a long moment before he decided that yes, she had a big part of convincing him that life was good. Was worth living and not just…surviving.

Even if his thoughts did echo the words of a haughty Lamb of Dalamud, they were true, and after a moment of reflection, he rose from his seat in the sand, and turned back towards the shared house he and Elu were staying in.

And as he walked, he decided he liked stable.

Day 1 - Steer

“Come on.”

Featherflame squawked in protest, her red feathers ruffling as she shook her body, and attempted for the umpteenth time to unseat her rider, a rather frustrated and worn out Brynhorn Fiske. The large soldier squeezed his knees tight, hanging on, holding on to her by sheer will and strength, almost falling off the side. He growled with frustration, pulling on the reins as Featherflame jerked her head to the side in the opposite direction, feisty as fire as she squawked again and crouched.

The next second, the pair of powerful legs launched upward, sent Bryn flying up out of the saddle, and had him roaring with surprise as he sailed through air, and landed hard on his side. The wind exploded from his lungs, leaving him wheezing and groaning on the ground, eyes wide as he rolled onto his back, hands clenching at the grass and dirt under him as he let out a pitiful wheeze, and finally managed to get his breath back with a gasping inhale. Slowly rolling onto his side, he pushed up, looking up at the Chocobo as she shook her head, bit hard at the bit in her beak, and shook her head about, sending the reigns whipping back and forth. Annoyed, displeased, upset. Understandable, considering Featherflame was once a wild and free Chocobo not too long ago.

Bryn slowly rose up, pressing up into a plank, pulling his legs up under him, and standing, brushing off his coat as he turned to face the Chocobo. She was still preoccupied, biting the bit harder, actually holding still to chomp over and over on it, but it didn't budge. At least not until Bryn approached with raised hands, motioning for her to calm just like the riding instructor had suggested.

Featherflame stopped, head cocking, staring at the approaching Hyur as he lifted a hand, and gently brushed her beak. For a moment, she relaxed, calmed under his touch, that unspoken bond between the two evident, and the reason why he was so adamant about training her himself.

They had met on the burning fields of the Carteneau Flats, right after Dalamud had fallen.

Right after Bryn thought he lost everything.

And Featherflame had nothing more to lose.

Bryn reached up, touching the scar over his left eye, the one his mount had given him in a fit of panic when they chanced upon each other in the burning fields. He couldn't blame her, she was trying to survive. But it did remind him of how he had gotten her to trust him the first time.

And that he had ridden her without all the fancy bobs and whistles.

Carefully, he removed the bit, and Featherflame clacked her beak, eyeing him with curious intelligence as he shifted the bridle, the reins, and kept them around her beak and head. It left her mouth free, free to move, but also offered him the control and use of the reins. A moment later, he stepped to the side, slinging his leg up and over, onto Featherflame, onto the saddle, and positioning himself comfortably. He sat there, let the Chocobo cluck and click, a sharp fweeee, and then he picked up the reins.

A gentle tug, like the tap on her neck when he had hung half off her barely conscious, and she responded, starting out in a slow trot to the left, just as he had guided. Tug to the right, and she responded again, calm and steady. And he chuckled.

“So it was the bit, hm?” He patted her long neck, and she ruffled her red feathers, in reply.

He spent a long time just riding her around, getting her accustomed to him, and as he lead her back into the stables, he patted her neck and looked into her red eyes, his silver ones gleaming. “Well what do you know, just takes a gentle hand to steer.” And Featherflame let out a sharp fweeee in agreement.

FFXIV Writing Challenge 2024 Directory

Directory for the FFXIV Writing Challenge for 2024!

Day 1: Steer

Day 2: Horizon

Day 3: Tempest

Day 4: Reticent

Day 5: Stamp

Day 6: Halcyon

Day 7: Morsel

Day 8: Day of Rest

Day 9: Lend an Ear

Day 10: Stable

Day 11: Surrogate

Day 12: Quarry

Day 13: Butte

Day 14: Telling

Day 15: Day of Rest

Day 16: Third-rate

Day 17: Sally

Day 18: Hackneyed

Day 19: Taken

Day 20: Duel

Day 21: Shade

Day 22: Day of Rest

Day 23: On Cloud Nine

Day 24: Bar

Day 25: Perpetuity

Day 26: Zip

Day 27: Memory

Day 28: Deleterious

Day 29: Day of Rest

Day 30: Two Heads are Better Than One

People I Want To Get To Know Better

Tagged by @mimble-sparklepudding

Tagging @the-sycophant @voidtouched-blue @nhaneh @the-crimson-rose @the-leyline-directory

Last Song: The Devil of Decisions by Hands Like Houses. One of those songs that the lyrics hit me and gave me little chills. Thinking of writing something about it!

Favourite Color: Green! Dark green. Like a forest.

Currently Watching: Law and Order: SVU. It's uh...well it's not great TV lol.

Last Movie: Inside Out 2. Saw it in theaters, surprisingly good!

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Savory, something about a salty flavor.

Relationship Status: Married.

Current Obsessions: Hm, I'd say currently, Deadlock. I'm very pleased with the new MOBA, mix of DOTA and Overwatch, and it feels smooth for a beta!

Last Thing In My Search History: "Is Chromium open source", I work in a tech job and another Tumblr and I were discussing how Google was paying Firefox to use their browser. Fun times!

FFXivWrite2024 - Be Kind to Yourselves!

We WROTE anyway! That's the point. WE DID IT. WE'RE DOING IT. WE WILL KEEP DOING IT!

I've loved what I've been reading so far personally. Not a single one have I read and been like wow they forgot a period, or man that was brutal to read.

Praise yourselves the way you want to hear others praise you! (Shoutout to my therapist.) "But that's bragging!" SO BRAG A LITTLE! You did a thing!

It's okay not to like things too. Just make sure you're not holding yourself to any standard other than "an effort was made, go me."

I'll try to remember that too, ay? Cause spoiler alert, one of those tags was mine. Guilty! On a positive note- I did love this tag I saw this morning:

Yes, yes you are.