FFXII (Ashe/Basch/Rasler)

[syvia.livejournal.com]

Title: All Her Subjects
Author/Artist: syvia
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Angst, non-explicit sex.
Word Count: 403
Summary: Ashe isn't the only one to see visions, and Basch knows his duty.
Prompt: 20. Final Fantasy XII, Ashe/Rasler/Basch: Interference of the dead - the snapped shaft of an arrow



Had it not already been wrong in every way, this would make it so.

He sat on the bed, propped against pillows and the headboard while his Lady straddled his thighs, kissing him as she did everything else- firmly and with assurance that this was her right.

Basch could not deny her- had tried, failed, and been convinced that it was best to simply accept what he was being given. She could not quite force him, but there were methods of coercion that were less a violation of the body and more of the self. He would not have done this.

Even as he shifted, allowing her to remove his jacket, even as he touched her, kissed her back, wanted her- he would not have done this.

Lord Rasler sat upon his chocobo, turned for a final look at his bride. Basch didn't look back, but glanced at the young lord as he seated himself more firmly in his saddle.

"You love my wife," he murmured.

Basch kept himself from flinching, and wondered how he could possibly have given anything away. Perhaps he lacked the skill to be a mummer, but his poker face was quite good.

"The Princess is loved by all her subjects," he said.

Rasler turned and looked at him until Basch allowed his gaze to be caught.

"That is not what I meant, Captain."

For respect of the departed, for sanity and his own moral judgment, he would not have done this.

Basch helped the Lady out of her armor. Clothing followed, and when she mounted him at last, Basch saw- as he'd expected to.

The pale-haired Lord hovered over his Lady wife's shoulder as she moaned- his gauntleted hands ghosting over arms- lips pursing and pressing against the bend of her shoulder and neck- staring into Basch's eyes all the while.

Basch could see the thin cylinder of wood when she moved. The end had broken- perhaps by Rasler's own hand- an attempt to remove it, or to create less of an impediment as he continued to fight. The Lord's blood seeped from around the shaft, onto his Lady's shoulder- over her collarbone- How did she not feel it...?

Splintered wood grazed the Lady's shoulder, scratching her, and their blood mingled, trailing down, collecting on her breast.

It would fall on him- a mark- evidence of his betrayal. If his Lord and Lady willed it.

Let it be.

Comments

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

::whimpers:: Oh...

This is one of my prompts, and I thank you SO MUCH for this take on it. The actual interlude, "you love my wife", is just awesome, as is the image at the end of the arrow cutting her shoulder... Awesome. Wonderful. And the way he keeps thinking about losing forgiveness and respect throughout....oh....

Thank you. This rocks!

[syvia.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I didn't know it was yours :3 (talk about performance anxiety)!

Thank you for such a wonderful compliment. Coming from you- about an FF12 fic... *squeaks and melts* ^^

Glad I could do the prompt justice! XD Basch angsts so prettily.

[icor.livejournal.com]

This is one of the prompts that I wanted to do, but now that I've read what's been submitted, I'm glad other people got to it before me. *grins* The idea of Rasler just watching Basch in that situation is wonderfully creepy, and I love the part about the blood running down Ashe's collarbone... ♥ Awesome stuff.

[syvia.livejournal.com]

*grin!* I snatched it up, I admit that. I'd been wanting to write some FF12, but I couldn't work up enough motivation. This prompt gave me the mental image and.... *shivers* Yep.

Whether it's a true ghost, one of their 'gods' playing tricks, or just Basch's guilt fabricating images, it's not all that good for his sanity. XD

Thanks!

[diorelli.livejournal.com]

Umm..Wow, loved this!

I always have it my head that for all that Basch talks about duty, honor and serving Dalmasca, there is love intermingled in there somewhere. Even if he might not have acknowledged it himself.

[syvia.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, pretty icon there.

Thank you! :3

*nods* I agree. We get to see how deep Basch's emotions run- someone with the sense of dedication and amount of compassion he has, not loving the country (and people) he serves? Doesn't seem all that likely.

*grin* That, and I think there's a lot to love about Ashe. ^^ No, she's not the most polite or forgiving princess, but I feel there are very good reasons for that!

[cleflink.livejournal.com]

Ooh nicely done. I love Basch's almost frantic denials through the whole thing, coupled with his inability to refuse his princess. The use of the arrow is really clever and just the right amount of creepy, and I love the use of Lord and Lady at the end.
And it's a really neat observation on how much Rastler sees, both in terms of Basch's feelings and as a ghost.
Very nifty.

[syvia.livejournal.com]

Basch is just screwed over so many times in this game. XD That poor, poor man (we just keep the fun going in fic- whoo!).

*grins* She's not Ashe right now~ it makes her too approachable.

I felt the need to treat Rasler well. :D I felt deprived by his 'damnit we haven't even gotten to move anyone around yet' death. I liked him and he was gone in the first... what, ten minutes?

Thanks!

[lassarina]

Oh, God, creepy with the blood and fabulous with the creepy, with Rasler reading Basch so easily and then watching. Eeeee.

[syvia.livejournal.com]

XD He'd dead! Can't do much but watch.

Rasler: I'm a voyeur now and you happen to be having sex with my wife.
Basch: She's having sex with me.
Rasler: Yes, and aren't you lucky.

Xp

Thanks!

[mad-rex.livejournal.com]

Here on mithrigil's recommendation, and I'm glad I took it.

This prompt brings up all sorts of creepy images. Zombies are just one of the first things that come to mind. But I'm having some trouble thinking of a creepier image than Ashe, straddling Basch and moaning, and Basch staring back...behind her, at the jealous ghost of her former lover. O.O He's a better man than I, is Basch, for not jumping up and running away screaming right there. o_o;;

Creepiness aside, though, this was still a good fic. Basch's guilt just shines through here, and is given some good exploration with the interlude in the middle. And there were some great images as well, though I had trouble concentrating on the ones that came after...after that one. ><;

A very nice piece, if a vaguely horrifying one.

[syvia.livejournal.com]

My fic was pimped! *blushes* XD

He's a masochist, I think. The man spends two years in a crow's cage and... yeaaaaah, he's good at taking the pain. He thinks he deserves it, and I imagine he has a massive guilt complex.

Rasler's death- the King's death- him in prison while Ashe is running around in danger- although I don't see him as being at fault for any of this, I'm sure he'd think he needs to atone. :/ Poor guy.

*grins* If it makes you feel better (although I'd think it's worse in a way), I envisioned Rasler as a figment of Basch's imagination, not a zombie. XD

*bows* Thanks!

[lostangelssong.livejournal.com]

That... was honestly a lot hotter than I thought it would be. And mildly creepy as well. However, I still think it was really good. It was a powerful image for so short a piece, I think.