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Nero was pouring a mug of coffee, rewarding himself for another task complete, when he heard your telltale footsteps draw near. Expecting you to take a moment to greet the others before finding him, he allowed himself a few more sips, his back towards the doorway.
“Hello, Nero!” Your cheerful greeting graced his ears.
Putting down his mug, he swiveled. “Hero.” He quickly brushed at a ceruleum stain on his uniform with his hand and regretted not noticing it sooner. “You’re looking well. Come by for a chat?”
“I came by to commission you.”
“Commission?” Nero pushed his shades up into his hair and crossed his arms. “What ever for?”
“Do you see this armor?”
As you gave a quick twirl and flourish, he took in the design of every piece of plating: slopes to bounce blows away, every inch of skin below the neck protected, precise cuts that allowed the armor to stay conformed to your form.
“Anything about it catch your eye?”
Your words brought Nero back to the present. “Well, it’s not one of my designs, but it is rather well built, from what I can glean. Is there something wrong with it?”
“Not wrong, per say. But, my tail is rather exposed.”
The swishing of your tail drew Nero’s eyes downwards before he thought to respectfully pull them back up. Not that there was nothing wrong with observing your tail. “You are correct about that. Though, being an Au Ra, I can’t help but notice your tail is scaled. Just like your horns and… elsewhere.”
You smiled. “I know. But after wearing armor that came with tail armor, I find myself wanting it always. Scales only protect you from so much.”
“And what was wrong with the armor that had protection for your tail already?”
“It wasn’t as pretty as this set.”
He let out a laugh. “Of course. I can almost certainly add tail armor to your current gear. I’ll just need some measurements, and you’ll have to leave the chest piece here.”
“Easy enough.”
When you suddenly began to take off said piece, Nero felt compelled to politely turn back around. He picked back up his mug to keep his hand busy. What you wore under your armor was a mystery to him—if you wore anything underneath at all. When you wore nothing, where would he see your scales reach to? Did they cover most of you or leave plenty exposed? Idle curiosity, nothing more.
“Here you go!”
Nero took a tentative glance over his shoulder before realizing you had an undershirt on. The answer was so obvious now; bulky armor on skin was dreadfully uncomfortable. Perhaps even your scales could not relieve you of such a nuisance.
“Ah, thank you.” He took your armor from you, heavier than he expected, and placed it out of the way. Then he rummaged through a nearby drawer to uncover a tape measure. “I’ll need a few numbers here.”
“Mm.” You turned.
Nero walked up to you, and a feeling most peculiar quickened his heart. Doing his best to ignore it, he quickly wrapped the tape measure around and along your tail at a few different points and mentally took note. What he wasn’t going to take note of was how close his hands were to your ass.
Promptly, he walked over to his desk to write down your measurements. His legs nearly ceased to function on the way. “This should be enough.” Once you turned back around, Nero continued, “I don’t expect this to take very long. Perhaps a day or so, if that is acceptable?”
You nodded. “That should be fine.”
“I’ll see you soon, hero.” He smiled.
You smiled back. “Thank you, Nero.”
After you had made your departure from the Ironworks, Nero did not hesitate to begin construction of your tail armor. Renewed vigor and cheap coffee coursed through him as he efficiently sketched his concept, collected the necessary material, and started the process of putting the thing together. Individual plates would have to be properly welded for stability, shaped up, and linked together. He knew where he needed to leave room for the shape of your tail and had some idea of the kind of movements that were expected.
Picturing said movement wasn’t so hard when he’d already spent so long watching your tail in action. He nearly fumbled in the battles you shared doing so, be it against you at the Praetorium or at your side in Omega’s rift.
The pieces of armor were coming together, but Nero was slowing down, spending more and more time in his head. You were certainly not a coeurl kitten or even a Miqo’te, but if he was to run his hand along your tail, would it lift into his palm? If he asked nicely, would you compensate his work with a kiss on—?
“What’ve you got there?”
His nose.
Nero managed to keep his cool as he covertly crossed his legs. “As it so happens, Garlond, the Warrior of Light has given me a special task. I’m building them armor.”
“That so?” Cid came into the room to scrutinize Nero’s handiwork. “Looks impressive so far.” He clapped his employee on the back. “No complaints from me. The hero needs all the help they can get, so I’ll leave you to it.”
“As you should.”
Cid gave an amused exhale before finally walking off.
Having been brought back from his musings, Nero realized just how dark the sky had become, and yet there was so much left to do. Had he really spent so long on the first steps? Well, he wasn’t about to let you have anything subpar.
Getting out of bed the following morning was easy (in fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he sprung out of bed with such enthusiasm). He beat Cid and most of the Ironworks staff in arrival time and intended to make the most of the peace and quiet.
Did you like things quiet? Or… could you be loud when treated to properly?
Your safety came first, so Nero shook off the bothersome thoughts and turned his attention back to the metal tail.
The bulk of it was complete. Now, there was a rugged build of an exoskeletal tailpiece successfully linked together. Nero picked it up at the base with one hand, held it out to dangle, and gently swayed the armor. The metal clinked against itself as it slithered in the air. Perfect movement. Sometimes, Nero really was impressed with himself.
How unfortunate he could not make certain that the available movement would be enough. He could wiggle the metal tail in each direction to ensure it could accommodate a decent range in each direction, but was there anything he wasn’t considering? Garleans didn’t have tails; he wouldn't have known what it was like to swish one. To perhaps wrap it around another person. To watch it flail behind you as you took every back and forth push and pull of his—
A loud thud echoed around him as the armor fell to the floor. Nero quickly picked it back up, clearing his throat.
Fine tuning the shaping of each piece of metal was a rather fun task left to do. Not only was this necessary for completely fluid movement, but Nero was not about to let the Warrior of Light go traipsing into battle looking shabby. That would have been an insult to your good looks.
Nothing wrong with acknowledging your beauty, surely.
Hours passed as he tinkered. Another sunset loomed by the time Nero found himself satisfied with his project. He wasted no time contacting you by linkpearl.
“Hero? I’ve finished the tail armor. You’ll have yourself quite the accessory, if I do say so myself.”
“Great!” Your audible smile was poetry. “Are you still in Rhalgr’s? I can teleport there shortly.”
“Indeed. I look forward to your arrival… that we might put my handiwork to the test.”
In the minutes it took for you to arrive, Nero got himself situated by the aetheryte with the tail armor, your chest piece and a small array of tools by his side. Your arrivals were usually impromptu, so the act of waiting while knowing you were bound to arrive had Nero’s stomach topsy-turvy—which he was determined to not let you notice.
Aether pulsed in the air as your being manifested in the glow of the Rhalgr’s Reach aetheryte, blue light caressing your face and horns. Without your bulky armor, Nero was once more able to appreciate your shape, even if briefly. He stood with the tail armor and your original chest piece in his arms and approached.
“Still surviving out there?” His eyes made a quick scan of your figure, unable to note any injuries.
You nodded. “Is that the armor?”
“‘Tis the exact piece you commissioned.”
He handed you your chest piece first, which you equipped with the speed expected of a seasoned professional.
“Could you put the tail armor on for me?”
You simply turned to show your back and tail to him. Like this, Nero felt mostly confident you would not sense the accumulating sweat on his forehead.
“I may, yes…”
A few, slow steps brought him to your backside. Once he realized he was too tall to attach the tail from a standing position, Nero allowed himself to go down on one knee, becoming keenly aware of the shape of your silhouette as his gaze fell down it, and ended up with his head much closer to the swell of your ass than it was a few seconds ago.
You suddenly asked, “Oh, does it just attach? I didn’t even ask.”
“I-Indeed, it does,” Nero spoke quicker than he meant to. “I’m not familiar with how Au Ra tend to handle this, but I took the liberty of assuming an easily removable piece would be better than the alternative.”
The smallest chuckle escaped you. “Smart thinking, Nero.”
He wasn’t sure what he would have done had you been able to see the smile he fought back, nor the blush creeping up his ears.
One hand took firm hold of your armor—at a spot respectfully not right up against your body—as his other lined up the tailpiece. Just as when he tested the pieces himself, the armor clicked together, attaching the base of the tail armor to the chestpiece.
“In order to ensure this would stay against your tail…”
His hand glided a bit down your tail, and the other met it at one of the small straps he added to the armor. Your scales felt smoothe as water under his fingertips.
“… these pieces along the length wrap around your tail.”
He buttoned the strap together. More confidently, his hands went further down to the next strap, savoring the grooves of your scales along the way. He fastened it.
“It’s my hope that they are enough…”
Nero clicked the last strap closed.
“… without impeding you in combat.”
Removing his hands from your tail took every onze of strength in him. He stood and watched you give a few tentative tail swishes; the armor followed you like a second set of scales. Perfectly protective and stylish.
“Wow,” you awed, giving a flourish. “This feels amazing. It’s so light, too. How’d you do it?”
Nero smirked. “‘Twas nothing my engineering ingenuity couldn’t handle. Are you thoroughly satisfied?”
“Mhm.” An affirmative sound that, unbeknownst to you, would entertain Nero for the next few nights. “I almost can’t wait to put this thing to the test. Thank you, Nero.”
“Don’t mention it. If you find anything lacking or subpar, just let me know. Or drop it off without notice. I won’t mind.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Likewise, hero. “Fill me in on the results of your next foray.”
“Will do. Oh, uhm, how much do I owe the Ironworks for this?”
“It’s free of charge.” He mentally kicked himself, knowing how much of his own money he just gave up.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Alright. Thanks again.”
Nero could only smile as you began teleporting away. Knowing you’d be safe was enough to keep him happy.