#charri like 'tell me if u write about this so i can cry' like damn ok now i gotta | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

minarcana · 1 year

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Laurel is grabbed outside the Crystarium apartments by a man in clear duress. She's on alert immediately— if someone needs her help, they're getting it, and whoever this guy is he's very worried about something. Is there a monster trying to break in, some leftover pocket of light, a-- "My wife's giving birth and they kicked me out of the room because I am apparently unhellpful but it's gotta be soon and I don't know what to do and you gotta tell them to let me back in because if I'm out here I'm just worried something's going to go wrong."

The man's words tumble out in a single breath. Laurel blinks. Then, Laurel perks up immediately, a smile on her lips and business in her gaze. "I'm your girl, then!" She tightens the ribbon keeping her ponytail up and hops over to the staircase, calling for the man to catch up and lead the way.

He does, and sprints ahead of her, hands a-wringing. Laurel herself is full of a clear excitement that has her steps light. She's a practiced midwife— as deeply infrequent as it is for Viera communities to have births to celebrate, she's been around for a handful and it's always been her favourite thing to help with. A bright satisfaction in seeing a rare newborn brought into the world, the light of being able to help. Even if all she did was make sure water was supplied and hold the mother's hands.

Laurel and the soon-to-be father arrive at the tail end of the experience, to Laurel's slight disappointment. She wanted to help.... "Hello," Laurel calls gently as she enters. "Your husband's back, and I'm here if you need anything fetched?"

The midwife turns from where she's finishing up cleaning the infant, currently nestled in the mother's arms. She tsks at the reintroduction of an overly-fretting elf to the room, but her eyes widen as soon as she recognizes Laurel. "He brought you? But-- you're the Exarch's guest, surely you have important business he dragged you away from!"

"No, no!" Laurel waves her hands in front of her, trying to dismiss that notion as quick as possible. "I wanted to— and a baby is worth dropping everything for. Eh, can I... can I see the new one?"

The baby's mother smiles at her and leans back. "Of course. Do you want to hold her? A blessing from the Warrior of Darkness will be a lovely story to tell her when she's older."

Laurel approaches softly, taking the swaddled newborn with great care.

She's so little. It's been so long since she even saw a baby, much less held one. Delicate little rounded features that don't even scrunch up as she's held by someone other than her mother, a fresh new life that came to be on the same day natural sunlight and darkness did. A person who got the chance to live, and live safely, and create her own future, after Laurel wrested the choice to make a future from Emet-Selch's hands.

This little girl can live happily because of all the suffering and bloodshed. Laurel carried the light and fought and burned and near about died and because of that, this tiny little baby can sleep off the arduous task of being born as Laurel holds her. A tear falls on the baby's cheek, then another— Laurel sniffs and leans back, wiping her crying off of the child with the gentlest motion she's made in years.

Even her hands soaked up to the elbows in other people's blood can hold a child, and leave no stain behind. Even she, whose only function is to slaughter the world's enemies, is allowed to hold a baby, whose future Laurel can offer and protect. "Miss Laurel...?" The mother's hesitant, worried voice comes across. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," Laurel says. She leans and gives a little kiss to the bridge of the baby's nose, the same place where Laurel wears her family's tattoo. A blessing. May you be protected ever on.

She passes the baby back to her mother and smiles, wiping her tears once her hands are free. "Sorry. It's just— being born right as the world returns to balance. It's got to be a good sign, right? I'm... really glad. Even if all our fighting had done was ensure this little one was born, that alone would have been enough for me. And you, too, being able to make it to this point..."

Laurel stands and can't help but give a broad grin. "I'm really happy. Thank you." From stagnancy and war and these pockets of desperation where of course life continued on, Laurel knew that, but it's different seeing it directly. It's different knowing that now life can continue easier, and without a creeping mold.

Ah, she's going to cry again....

#drabble : laurel #mun plays ffxiv #charri like 'tell me if u write about this so i can cry' like damn ok now i gotta

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