Male Reader X

Reader x Y'shtola (Final Fantasy 14) [EW Spoilers]

"Y'shtola! To what do I owe the pleasure?"

While you've enjoyed the presence of many of the former scions over the past year of 'retirement,' Y'shtola was always the one who felt the most distant. She toiled away at her grand works with a fervent desire to see them done as quickly as possible. Now she was stood before you with a smile on her face.

"I was... in the area, and decided that I should drop by and visit my favourite warrior of light. Surely you would be put off by knowing that I passed on the opportunity." You step aside and invite her into your chambers. She gratefully takes a seat and the small dining table, where you join her a moment later.

"What brings you here?"

She reaches into her bag and withdraws a pile of papers, "Ah. I had some memoirs that I wished to confirm with a few of my contributors. I've been saving them up you see, for one grand journey to the city."

"For the book?"

Her ears flick, "And my research into the first." She begins scribbling down her own notes on top of the already filled pages. The level of focus she exhibits with such abruptness never ceases to catch you off guard.

"You've been buried in work for a long time now."

"The mysteries of our shard won't be found so easily."

You find yourself staring at her glass-filled eyes. A sacrifice made for you and the scion's sake years ago now. But you still feel the regret all the same. "I do fear that you're neglecting your personal life."

"And what does that mean?"

"No man waiting in the wings?"

Her ears perk up and her cheeks flush, "You of all people should know I'm not one for romance."

"Is that so?" you ponder, "I do believe your issue is with men of a certain habit approaching you with declarations of their undying love." It happens with such a frequency that you suspect there have been several similar incidents you are not yet privy to.

She rolls her eyes, "The sense leaves their mind the moment they see me, so captivated by my beauty that they are."

"Modest as ever." Though that boastfulness isn't without reason. Y'shtola is a beautiful woman.

"I will not tie myself to a man I know nothing about. Some would call me overly-particular, but devoting your life to another is a grand gesture. One who falls head over heels for a prickly, troublesome woman like me is in for a terrible surprise."

"I see. You're protecting them from the terror of Master Matoya."

"I am."

"...I would also be remiss to hoist heartache upon them at my passing."

"Y'shtola."

She snaps up to face you, "I do not require sympathy. I am well aware of how utilizing my magic like this will tear at the edges of my being. We all must leave this shard one day. I... will leave earlier than some might expect."

You face drops, "So why not live the way you want now, while you have the chance?"

"Like I said, I do not need pity."

"It's not pity. It's sound reasoning based on logic, just like you always say."

She sighs, "You really are the most bothersome of them all."

A tense silence smothers the conversation. You shuffle in your seat and occupy yourself by admiring the bowl of fruit that sits between you. For all your achievements and adventures, handling Y'shtola is still a hard ask. Her dry wit and love for reason can make her very, very stubborn. You've tried to convince her to give the magic a rest, just to extend her life for that bit longer, but she refuses. A life not lived fully for her is one wasted.

You manage to break out a smile, "This reminds me of when you visited my room, when the entire world was falling to pieces."

Her quill stops moving, "Hm."

"I really appreciated it. There was a lot I had to shoulder back then. You and the rest of the scions were there for me through thick and thin. I know I'm repeating myself."

She shakes her head, "No, I'm glad I could help. Standing behind you made me realize the breadth and depth of the task that lay before you. How could I help you? I cursed my own weakness every day."

"You're the best mage I know."

"I think Alisaie would have something to say on the matter."

"I think she'd agree with me."

Y'shtola wasn't going to let this argument go that easily, not so much the assessment of her capability as a mage, but the reaction of Alisaie to that ability. "That girl is brilliant, you discount her too easily."

"I see a woman before me who is only discounting herself."

Y'shtola pouts and turns away in a huff, "I prefer to be realistic about my capabilities. Overconfidence is a mistake to be avoided."

"Your realism is encroaching on pessimism. I have no doubt that you'll crack the mystery of travelling to the reflections soon enough." The subtle upturning of her lips means that your compliment landed as intended.

"I did miss these types of conversations."

"Us arguing?"

"Arguments can be enlightening too."

"I missed it too."

That red tinge on her cheeks refuses to go away. The atmosphere had made a turn for the romantic, and she doesn't like it one bit. Cutting it off at the pass is the only way she knows how to react, "Out with it," she demands, "I know you have something to say."

You muster your courage, "I missed you the most."

Y'shtola is struck into silence by your admittance. The way her long tail whips around behind her is a major tell that her mind has been cast into turmoil. When she finally formulates a response, her body language betrays her true feelings.

"Is that how it is? Confident you can succeed where so many others have failed?"

"I've done the impossible before. Thawing even your frosty heart is not beyond me."

Y'shtola stands from her chair and rounds the table to lord over you. From below she cuts an intimidating figure. You study her closely for her next move, only to yelp in surprise as she hops onto your lap and wraps her arms around your neck. The closeness to her body, and her smell sends a rush of adrenaline through your body.

"The only person heating up here seems to be you," she wiggles in your lap, "I do not believe I've heard you make a sound quite like that before."

"I think you're having fun with this." You pull her closer into your chest, feeling the warmth of her breath splashing over your features. "I take this as a yes?"

"Hm. To a question you never asked."

"When you finish searching for your answers, I want you to stay with me."

"...I will."

The two of you embraced long into the cold night.