Final Fantasy XII (Ashe/Vossler)

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Title: Familiar
Author: Laylah
Rating: PG?
Word count: 257
Summary: She moves against him like she's dancing.



The first time he was this close to Her Highness the princess, she was fourteen. He was thirty-two. He had known her since she was far younger. It was her idea, and he remembers the basics if not the specifics of the argument she used. She wasn't comfortable moving in long skirts, she told him, breathless, blushing. She needed to practice before the midsummer ball. She wouldn't want to embarrass herself, when she was due to meet her fiance.

Vossler remembers how delicate Ashe felt in his arms then: the way she trembled, the way she stumbled against him, the way she clung to his shoulders. He thought at the time that it was simple nervousness, but now --

"My lady," Vossler says stiffly, unable to hide his surprise. His hands settle at Ashe's waist despite his best intentions. Her arms are draped around his shoulders; she sways against him. "This is -- too familiar, too --"

"Vossler," she says. She is still slender, but no longer delicate, and she does not tremble as she meets his eyes. "If I cannot be familiar with you, who else is left to me?" Her fingers twine in the hairs at the nape of his neck and tug gently.

He should stop her, should step back, should refuse this for both of their sakes, but she moves against him like she's dancing, slow and rhythmic, and her eyes are so hopeful. "If you're certain," he says.

She doesn't say a word, but the press of her mouth to his is answer enough.

Comments

[0x.livejournal.com]

Oooh... I love him trying to decide and then giving in. Oh man age kink~

[laylah.livejournal.com]

oh man, yeah. Basch and Vossler both, probably about the same age, almost twice as old as she is, and it's their job to protect her, and -- yes. *happy flailing*

[0x.livejournal.com]

*very happy flailing* Gotta love "abuse" of power situations. Or at least bending thereof. And of course she's got them around her finger in reality. Oh laylah :D

[laylah.livejournal.com]

She so does. And it's so fabulous.
...And I can't wait to get done with all my challenge stories, so I can really sit down with some Ashe/Basch or Ashe/Vossler and indulge in it. mmmm. ^^

[0x.livejournal.com]

Ooh I look forward to drinking in your indulgence~

[animadri.livejournal.com]

*coos* Love! Love how he notices the changes in her and how she asserts herself in his arms. Wheee! Why do I find myself falling in love with characters I know next to nothing about? *head desk*

[laylah.livejournal.com]

*grin* They're just that awesome!

...Fandom needs to chip in and buy you a PS2. ^_~

[marmaladecat]

Lovely - I read this very hesitantly because I've not yet played the game, but this was sweet and with just a little hidden desperation in their actions.

I really must pry the game out of the boyfriend's paws and start playing it.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

I had so much fun playing XII (and am still enjoying my replay quite a lot), and the characters just called to me so much. I have a few more pieces for XII to go up this month, and I'll try to make sure I make a clear note if any of them are spoilery. ^^

Thank you!

[qara-isuke.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned how much I /adore/ your Ashe, how you manage to convey how wonderfully WILLFUL and stubborn she can be sometimes? And yet those traits are endearing, rather than being negative.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

^____^ Thank you! I love the way she refuses to back down. I fangirl her so much. ♥

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

:::melting:::

(and the hair at the nape of his neck of gods)

[laylah.livejournal.com]

*prrr* How much do I love the fact that her captains have hair just long enough for pulling? SO MUCH. Still need a Vossler icon.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Hair pulling~

And that gesture is definitely a facet of Ashe, the use of her body and the bodies of others with such violence and abandon and guh. She is all about the tugging and the abrasion and it's latent and hot.

Which reminds me--I finished the thing that I said I would credit you and sistercoyote during, and another, much shorter thing involving Ashe "giving up control" briefly. I know you expressed interested but won't foist/impose.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Sweet! I will have to go check those out. ...as soon as I get through this weekend, and get my FFEX in posting shape. ^^;;

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Rock. Yeah, FFEX is going to be fun--I signed on to do a beta's gift as well and it's giving me trouble, but I've been done with the firsts for a while. I really commend the people running that challenge.

And so you need not hunt for the A/b:

The long one (5600 words): Mordhau. (http://community.livejournal.com/ffxii_fic/69461.html) Tourney swords and a private training hall. Best out of seven.

The short one (430 words): Restraint. (http://mithrigil.livejournal.com/259775.html#cutid1) In which our heroine opens with the phrase, "Hold my hands behind my back."

[ciceqi.livejournal.com]

Oh, purr! Something about the hopeful look just gets me. Gorgeous!

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I am falling so hard for princess/knight(s) in this one. mmmmm. ^^

[white_aster]

Oh man, poor Vossler, all wondering when the little girl became this woman who has pwned him mightily. :)

[laylah.livejournal.com]

I am terribly weak to the idea that he has been guarding her since she was about knee high.

...Mostly because it makes him even more with the OH GOD I'M GOING TO HELL. :D

[white_aster]

You are so eeeeeevil to your characters. :) I couldn't get Basch to touch her with a ten foot pole for JUST THAT REASON. ^_^

[laylah.livejournal.com]

She has to initiate pretty much everything. But I figure there has to be a point where he breaks down, where "I shouldn't want to" loses ground in the face of "I'm sworn to obey her and she wants it as badly as I do" ^^

[lassarina]

Mrrr. Purr. Yes. So awesome. ♥

[laylah.livejournal.com]

^____^ Thank you!

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

eee!

I love the contrast here between small nervous Ashe and grown confident Ashe and oh, Ashe/Vossler is hot like burning. ♥ ♥ Especially this:

If I cannot be familiar with you, who else is left to me?" Her fingers twine in the hairs at the nape of his neck and tug gently.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ Thank you! I am so weak to them.
And hair-pulling. It goes so well with her. mmmmmm.

[jpegasus.livejournal.com]

\o/ so sweet and also hot at the same time

[laylah.livejournal.com]

^____^ Thank you!
I figure that's them pretty much.

Ashe says *tug tug*

[allira-dream.livejournal.com]

Oh, so wonderful and amazing. I love how you convey a whole setting in so few words, how these two realities seem to merge like in a hologram.

Thank you, FFXII, for canon!age diference to play with. And thank you, Laylah, for this glimpse!

Ashe: *begins casting DOOM*
Vossler: *takes hit of DOOM. Won't recover.*

[laylah.livejournal.com]

*prrr* Thank you! I've been feeling kind of worried about the length of some of these pieces -- I'm glad it doesn't seem like too much of a handicap. ^^;

[cadence-zero.livejournal.com]

Vossler! ♥ Just. I love him thinking, "I should be responsible here," and then just giving in to Ashe's decision. So much love.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Vossler. ♥
...who cannot resist his princess. mmmm.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Oh, very nice. You made this pairing so sweet.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Vossler's devotion to Ashe just owns me. I'm such a sucker for the guardian type. ♥

[who-shot-kr.livejournal.com]

Doomed just as much as the rest of us, Vossler.
(I'll also chime in on the hair because alsdkfmna.)

[laylah.livejournal.com]

^____^ Who can resist a princess like her, really? mmmm.
sister_coyote wrote Ashe pulling Basch's hair the other day and I just. unf. she should do that to her knights more often. ♥

[who-shot-kr.livejournal.com]

I am so happy that she turned out the way she did in the game. Before the release date, I'd been scared about her turning into the FF-princess stereotype. *cough*

But seriously. Sign me up for that Dalmascan army.

Are you talking about Advantage?

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw a few promo stills and then sort of ducked as much of the hype as possible, and then -- man, yeah, I was so thrilled to find out that she -- like Fran -- was much cooler than her costume. ^^

Hells yes, me too. I'd take her orders any day.

yesssss. I am hoping there will be more to follow. unf unf.

[rampant-geekery.livejournal.com]

Hair pulling at fourteen? Oh Ashe you vixen. And how much do I love that both Basch and Vossler are double digits older than her? God bless you Square~

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, yeah. Like -- the only thing better than Square giving us a few really hot grown men to play with is that they also give us some gorgeous teenagers to go with them. mmmmm. :D

[rampant-geekery.livejournal.com]

I fully approve of more older sexy men in video games. There can never be enough in my opinion. *_*

[regicidaldwarf.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. :D SO AWESOME. *total lack of coherence*

[laylah.livejournal.com]

^_____^ Thank you! *loves on them hard*

Also, check yr email -- we have questions for you about Fanime & payment.

[puella-nerdii.livejournal.com]

Prr. Prrr. Ashe/Vossler has totally been hitting my happy buttons lately, and -- mmm, Ashe totally knows how to pwn him at fourteen. Yus. Most awesome princess evar.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

oh man, yeah, they just own me. Ashe with either of her knights. (or both of them, but I think they'd try to kill each other for laying hands on the princess.) *rolls around happily*

[mitsuhachi.livejournal.com]

Loyalty kink! Age kink! *ded*

[laylah.livejournal.com]

Right? YAY. *waves little flag* ^^