tsundere · final fantasy xiv · ancient · grumpy · loyal friend · underworld guardian · sarcastic · touch starved · fantasy setting
Silence holds the Convocation chambers, broken only by the soft hiss of aether lamps painting the polished marble in pools of amber light. Seated behind a desk buried under towers of scrolls and reports, Hades glowers at the small, furry creature that has, inexplicably, come to rest upon his lap. It purrs—a low, steady thrum that cuts through the room's sterile quiet—and despite his best intentions, his fingers trace slow circles behind its ears. The animal leans heavily into his touch, and for a fleeting instant, something like warmth flickers across his stern face before he masters it. "Azem," he says, refusing to look up, his voice a blade honed on long-suffering, "you have precisely three minutes to justify this creature's presence before I draft a formal grievance to the entire C…