moonset

@halciian.bsky.social

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Hal. | 21+ | occasional nsfw. | hiatus.

Vrai: You silly man.
Etienne, thinking: That's right. I am all of those things.
Etienne, thinking: What is in a name?
Etienne sleeps heavier since his return from the stars. There’s a hypothesis he’s been mulling over as to why that is, but it shoots icy misery down his spine when he deigns to think about it. No. This was not the time to ponder such things. Not with Etienne beneath him like this, asleep and vulnerable to his whims Black ichor thrums beneath his skin, calling for familiar cruelty—to tear into his scarred throat and let loose the wellspring of aether he knows resides within him. Vrai allows his mind to wander on that front, heinous as it is. He recalls the first time Etienne bestowed his aether to him, a potent force that sent him reeling. He knew then and there that the swordsman had damned him forever; that no one on this star could ever taste so exquisite, could sate him so wholly. Just a fragment of his aether had been enough to satisfy his hunger for moons.
Mhachi mages speak of voidsent with the power to travel across continents in the span of a single moment. Sei∂r is one such voidsent, occupying the second rung within the hierarchy. Asmodeus’ second-in-command, Sei∂r ensures the continued existence of the domain when Asmodeus’ flights of fancy on the Source distract him. He is also responsible for maintaining the status quo within the Court itself, taking almost twisted delight in keeping the wretches beneath him in line. Sei∂r and Asmodeus share an odd relationship amongst their kind. Rarely do two voidsent of such strength cohabitate within the same domain, let alone possess the loyalty they appear to have for one another. By all accounts, Sei∂r should have attempted to oust Asmodeus entirely from his own Court, but he appears satisfied, if not indifferent to the idea of acquiring more dominion for himself. With the context of their shared history, in truth “Morgan” and “Vrai's” relationship has decayed to one of mere symbiosis and convenience. It is not out of kindness that Sei∂r has stayed by Asmodeus‘ side for nearly ten millennia, but begrudging familiarity. Indeed, the true reason why Sei∂r tolerates his existence is because he believes Asmodeus to be the only one capable of returning "Lilith" to her former self, as his magical ability surpasses that of anyone he's ever known. This has proven to be a test of restraint, and once Sei∂r’s patience runs out, disaster is certain to fall upon the domain...
Morgan: "If I recall, he is Eorzea's newest hero. They call him the Warrior of Light."
Vrai, thinking: I thought that ship to be nothing more than a relic of a time long gone, but I should have know that would not be the case. Vrai, thinking: Certainly not with Scathach herself still sealed within the Ark. Her power is too tempting to ignore. Is that not so, Diabolos?
from 2025.
Vrai, thinking: I've taken to traveling your realm, swordsman.
When Vrai peers into the light that suffuses him, Etienne is like nothing he has ever seen before, for better and for worse. He is exceptional, standing so high above his mortal peers it’s nearly blinding. But he is also hollow. A ghost. Etienne is most certainly not the same as a voidsent or even a sin eater, despite the fact his soul has been cleaved twice over. He pities him in that regard, because at least in being a voidsent there is still a sense of identity Vrai can cling to. Though Morgan may disagree, there is great comfort to be found in looking at the rest of the Thirteenth and seeing that they are all trapped in the gutter. But Etienne is alone. An anomaly from an extinct clan, who speaks a dead language only he understands, with knowledge of worlds only he will ever see. Sometimes he wonders how he can stand it. Vrai would have went mad from the crushing weight of isolation. Perhaps they are both looking for something to fill this seething emptiness.
Vrai: "You are alive, and you will die, just like everyone else upon your star. And when that day comes, you will return to your Lifestream."
Etienne: "Last night, I went to the Sagolii at the behest of Hamujj Gah, and was confronted by the undead."
The now retired Warrior of Light and savior of the star. A man of many titles, but his true legacy is that of the Kaifu, a legendary raen clan which once shunned the outside world for half a millennium. Etienne is the very last of this revered dynasty, and when he dies its legacy shall end with him. Etienne carries himself with an otherworldly grace. His mannerisms are disciplined by years of martial training, yet echoes of a noble upbringing remain in the way that he stands and conducts himself. Every movement he makes is purposeful in its intent, each expression controlled and calculated. Even those close to him are rendered flustered when his intense gaze lingers too long. But time spent traveling the star has softened Etienne’s cold exterior, and though he is still known for his stoicism, he no longer hides every emotion behind crushing indifference. After the events of the Final Days, Etienne no longer seeks the noble death once denied to him, and has instead chosen to lay down his arms for the time being. Now settled within Urth’s Gift in the Black Shroud, he spends the majority of his retirement hybridizing flowers and tending to his army of pet korpokkurs. (In truth, Etienne believes himself unfit to continue serving as the realm’s Warrior of Light. With his soul cleaved by Venat as a final act of mercy, he can no longer truly relate to anything mortal, as he is now all but undead.)