[ day 7: light ]

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑡𝑜 '𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒', 𝐴𝑘𝑖𝑟𝑎 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑦. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑛'𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑.

WIP Wednesday!! 🎉🎉🎉

WIP Wednesday means it's time to share something from your active draft - no word limit, just whatever you feel is best. No pressure to do this if you're tagged, and feel free to hop on if you haven't been!

tagged by: @mxkelsifer tagging: @starswornoaths @lordguru @sheepwithspecs and anyone who wants to hop in o/

This bit is going under the cut because it's a bit lengthy, but there are also references to pregnancy within it since this is the pre-Endwalker fic in which Surkukteni dips out of Scion work to keep an unplanned pregnancy that leads to the oldest set of twins. Nothing explicit otherwise, just decompressing and Aymeric being a cheeky shithead .o.

also by lengthy i mean "1.7k words is a short snippet since this is a nearly 70k unfinished draft"

That “distraction” turned into a multi-bell talk that proved hard to pull away from.  It went well beyond the point of allowing Surkukteni’s voice to return and fell well into the territory of idle banter and chatter.  But for as much as she enjoyed reconnecting with Heustienne, all else still weighed heavy upon Surkukteni’s shoulders.  Even with promises to meet up again soon and invitations for Heustienne to visit her and Ysayle, it proved hard to ignore the rising dread of what was to come. Surkukteni fell onto Aymeric’s stupidly stiff sofa, draping her arms over her eyes in an attempt to decompress.  Ysayle was in the manor…somewhere, but judging the missing jackets at the door?  Aymeric and Estinien had disappeared whilst she was gone.  Not that it upset her, mind you; she needed the quiet. She needed to be somewhere safe and alone. With a deep and heavy sigh, Surkukteni finally let loose the posturing and masks she had to cobble together to even speak to the Scions.  As each one fell, her body felt more and more like stone rather than flesh.  Her limbs felt like static, her horns ringing with that faint echo of Katsuro’s venomous words haunting her.  Even if she had predicted what he would do, she underestimated how much it would impact her. All she wanted to do was melt into the couch.  Surkukteni lost all feeling in her arms, wishing she could fall asleep as easily as Ysayle did so she’d not have to think.  …How would one deal with a brother that threatened the life of one’s partner?  Especially when said partner was the father of one’s unborn child?  She knew Katsuro hated Estinien, none of this was new; but the spawn comment kept playing back on repeat and served to make her ill. Why couldn’t he just hate someone in a normal way and not have to turn it into a genuine threat of homicide? Katsuro was always so weirdly possessive over Surkukteni and Altan, moreso Surkukteni.  To some degree, she understood: they did have it confirmed that they were the split halves of what once was a whole soul.  But it didn’t matter that Surkukteni was still her own person and not this long-dead bastard, Azem - Katsuro would continue to act as if he held some claim of ownership over her because they were once a whole soul.  One would think that he would have learned his lesson from falling in line with the bloody Emperor and being manipulated by that fascistic bastard, but Katsuro continued to make the worst mistakes known to the Star and likely would never stop. Even if it meant that Surkukteni would have to cut him out just to keep her loved ones safe.

The spiral that Surkukteni had fallen into was thankfully averted - pulled from it by the sound of sabatons against hardwood floors.  Whoever it was paused, somewhere in the hall behind the sofa.  Another few steps, followed by a low hum that rang familiar. “Surkukteni?” was the voice of Aymeric, sounding deeply confused as the walking picked up again. “Living room,” she called, letting her arms drop onto her chest with a heavy sigh.  “It’s just me, though; I’m not sure where Ysayle is.” Aymeric didn’t respond immediately.  His footsteps grew louder, but soon muffled by the carpet as he drew closer.  It was only as he appeared over the back of the sofa - leaning onto it and looking down at her - did he deign to speak.  “She retired early, if I recall correctly.”  He wore such an easy smile, something that chased much of the day’s grief away.  “Her leg was bothering her and she preferred to sleep it off than to stay lucid through it.” “Oh, to be so blessed that you can just fall asleep wherever and whenever,” was Surkukteni’s snide response, her eyes nigh rolling into her skull.  “Truly, the only one of us to actually be blessed by Hydaelyn, as one of the rare few I know with no insomniac tendencies whatsoever.”

“Truly,” he echoed back.  Aymeric wore such a kind yet tired smile, one that reached his eyes in that way of his that drew out endearing laugh lines.  He was within reach, allowing Surkukteni to reach up and trace a callused thumb across the smile; to think she’d been denying herself this tenderness for years.  “I’m going to assume that talks were as stressful as predicted.” “Worse,” Surkukteni corrected with a sigh.  “...I’m glad Estinien wasn’t there.  I fear it might have ended up literally bloody were he.”  She paused.  “Where is he, anyways?” “Shirogane.”  Aymeric took her hand to press his lips into the heel of Surkukteni’s palm.  “He took the opportunity to talk to the girl you’ve taken in - Allie, was it?”  At a hum of confirmation, he continued.  “From what I understand, as he called me on my way back, something triggered her and she doesn’t want to be left alone.  She’s fine, worry not; she merely doesn’t want to leave your apartment nor be alone.” As relieved as she was that Allie was fine, the news did little to ease Surkukteni’s mind as she sat up to better meet Aymeric at eye level.  “Did he specify what it was?” “I’m afraid not.  She had to be convinced to let him use a linkpearl in the first place, so I can only assume.”  The shift in position allowed Aymeric to plant a kiss in her hair, a painfully sweet attempt at reassurance.  “You could call him and ask him yourself.” “If she had to be convinced to let him call you, then I’m worried it would aggravate her.”  Allie knew too well the fallibility of linkpearls, and knew very personally who would take advantage of the frequencies.  “If he’s not back on the morrow, I may.  But until then, I think it best to let him handle this.”

There was such a fond smile on Aymeric’s face, and one that Surkukteni knew all too well.  He shifted to lean on the sofa again, taking her hand with his flesh one and idly toying with her knuckles.  “I hadn’t realized he’d become so keen on aiding troubled teenagers.” “You wouldn’t guess looking at him, but yeah.  This matters a lot to him, especially since her trauma is so similar to his.”  She knew he saw Hamignant in Alphinaud, leading to the brotherly relationship the two had much like herself and Alisaie - but Allie was clearly something different.  While he treated Alphinaud much like a younger brother, she couldn’t help but linger on his comment about what he put Alberic through as a teenager.  “He’s been accusing me of acting like my captain by taking Allie in, but he’s been drawing parallels between himself and his father.  I’m fairly certain we’re of the same mind here in this, in striving to be whatever Allie needs from us, but it’s heartening all the same to see the two get along.” “Aye, that it is.  I only hope she will allow me to extend similar aid, as the both of you clearly care a great deal about her.”  When given a quizzical look, Aymeric just smiled that annoying, knowing smile of hers.  “I understand what you mean clearly, but wouldn’t it be more accurate to call the child you carry your second child with him - your first being the one you two took in?” Surkukteni refused to look at Aymeric, nose scrunching up when she heard him have the gall to laugh.  “Like I said, what we are to Allie is on her.  Even if it’s just temporary housing whilst she recovers, it’s not on me to make those kinds of calls.”

“I know, I know.  I merely tease.”  He pressed his lips to her fingers once more, dropping them and standing with a stiff sigh.  “Regardless, what you’re doing is admirable and I’m more than glad to be of help.  But - for as loath as I am to do this - I’m afraid I must retire for the night.  Bloody exhausted, unfortunately.” “What did that?”  Surkukteni turned back, frowning up at Aymeric.  “I thought you got off from work.” “Briefly.”  Aymeric’s eyes seemed to disappear entirely into the back of his skull.  “The Lords got into a spat and my attention was needed, which naturally lasted bells.  It was so bloody pointless that counting how many times they cut each other off or used the phrase, ‘Were this still a theocracy-!’ was far more interesting than their arguing.  And it was two-hundred-and-thirty-five interruptions, and forty-three ‘Were-this-still-a-theocracy-’s, I’ll have you know.” Surkutkeni whistled lowly.  “New record?” “Hardly.  They’ve still not topped the time they argued from half-a-bell before the usual meeting time ‘til so far into the night that Menphina grew bored of watching us.”  He shook his head, tossing his hair around with him and thoroughly distracting Surkukteni.  “As much as I cherish these talks with you, I want to stop thinking for as long as I can.”  His words were punctuated with a tired laugh, rolling his shoulders back in another distraction. Surkukteni forced herself to look up at his eyes, realizing she’d been caught but trying to not let the smug look he wore distract her for a third time.  “...Then,” she started, her lips folding into a line, “would it be too much trouble to retire with you?” A single eyebrow arched at her. “There’s no other meaning, you horny bastard,” she chided, narrowing her eyes at him and managing to pull a loud laugh from Aymeric.  “I just want to forcibly turn my mind off for a while; preferably with company.”

“Ysayle is in the room you shared the night prior, are you certain you don’t wish to stay with her again?” “I’m certain.”  Surkukteni stood so that she might better look up at him - still a head taller, but at least she wasn’t craning her neck anymore.  “Especially since someone slept alone last night.  And has slept alone for quite some time now.” The coy look melted at that, shifting to something far more…relieved.  “I assume that ‘no’ is not an option?” It was an option, but: “That would be correct.”  Surkukteni moved to stand before him, taking his hands and pulling them in towards her.  “You signed up for this, so don’t you start complaining.  My being clingy and incorrigible was part of the deal, and you just have to deal with it. “So, would you kindly lead the way?”