#Aether tribes

[apathmakerstale]

I enjoy that in ffxiv that Primals aren't really a threat anymore almost solely due to the Warrior of Light. Like there aren't any in Tural or were introduced in Dawntrail, (partially for lore reasons if I remember right, something about less aether than Eorzea) and they're kinda replaced by Vidraal.

Like yeah, it's died out since the Grand Company of Eorzea is working to improve relations with the Allied Tribes and the Ascians are mostly dead, but like, most people know by now that if you summon a Primal then the WoL's gonna hunt them down. Like they still do get summoned, and the Summoner corps of Ul'dah and people like Fordola and other Scions take care of some of the weaker ones, but it can't be on a grand scale otherwise it'd bring down the WoL on top of them an no one wants that.

We are literally the natural predator to them by now.

Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Leviathan, Ramuh, Odin, Shiva, Belias (From the Summoner questline), Phoenix, Bahamut, GOOD KING MOGGLE MOG XII, Enkidu, Ravana, Bismarck, Knights of the Round, Alexander, The Warring Triad, Susano, Lakshmi, Shinryu, Tsukiyomi, The Eden Primals, Elidibus' Warrior of Light, The Lunar Primals, Queen Gunnhildr, Daivadipa, The Magus Sisters, Anima, Asura (From Hildebrand questline), Hydaelyn, and Zodiark.

That's like three dozen, and what's more is that most of them we canonically solo'd and slayed multiple times. Plus we can even summon them ourselves too, and even fuse them together like with Solar Bahamut.

We are the Maker's Ruin after all, making a World Without Gods.

[fuji-sen]

the 'evil imposter' just wants to be a baker!

Prologue: The Foodie turned Imposter?!

Part 7: Dawn Winery's Grapevine

[ part 6 ] || [ masterlist ] || [ part 8 ]

divider is made by @/saradika-graphics

"It's best we go now and tell Amber that we didn't find anything." Aether decided, having finished eating, you found yourself walking Paimon and Aether out of the hilichurl camp, your warm friend was dozing off after having their fill of wood and pinecones.

"That would be true." You couldn't help but feel a bit sad having to part with them, though your time in this world was short, it felt forever since you had any decent human conversation. Sure the pyro slime and the hilichurls were very welcoming and accomodating but it was hard to have a clear conversation with them due to a language barrier, and the few people you had met in Mondstadt were either a rumored puppet (Katheryne) or tried to kill you in the end (Jean and Lisa).

Noticing your disappointment, the blond haired boy promised you something that made your smile return "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you permanently. I'll come by once the close is clear but. ."

He eyed the Hilichurl group "I think you shouldn't stay here any longer, the knights might come to take care of this camp before it gets to big. . they may find you."

Your eyes widened slightly, you didn't want the Hilichurls who took you in to get hurt. . "I'll keep that in mind. ."

"Here." His hand glowered brightly as he brought out a bow and a quiver filled with arrows, "This should help you in the long run." he said, he didn't want to leave you, not when you clearly couldn't fight to protect your life, but being with him while Mondstadt had his eyes on him would only risk you getting found out.

"Thank you. ." despite your hesitance you forced yourself to take the weapon. . 'right. . I shouldn't hesitate. They never did, so I shouldn't. Not when my life is on the line.'

When the duo had left in the dead of the night, you turned around, basking once more in the peaceful hilichurl tribe. Most of them were asleep, cuddling with each other for warmth near the weak bonfire that your pyro buddy managed.

The children were latched onto the older ones, the samachurl dozing off while stilling sitting, clutching their staff in their hands. Knowing that the Hilichurls were overprotective of you (for a reason you cannot quite comprehend at the present), you decided you must leave the hilichurl group for both of your own safety's. But not now, you at least wanted to be just a bit selfish.

You sat next to the dozing campfire, hugging your knees close to your chest. 'There's a lot to be done.' you thought, hand wondering to a nearby hilichurl's head, feeling their soft fur or hair, you found your fingers gently coming through the tangles.

Their origins were not unknown to you, and that made it harder for you to stay and leave them. To stay would put them at a risk of the knights attacking them to get through to you, while leaving them would damn them of the punishment placed on to them. You could not stay and defend them when she didn't even have any combat prowess.

Despite being a former culinary arts students, you had experience due to playing Genshin Impact. There was a way to make sure the hilichurl group would not be ill-equipped. Of course helping them get stronger may mean they'd end up hurting innocent civilians but. . they were much better than the people, so you didn't need much more convincing.

Come the next few days you helped in fortifying their walls and making simple watch towers out of wood so their archers would have better leverage. Of course all you did was draw the watchtower and they understood what you were trying to convey to start building it.

The Samachurl was also able to help with communication, but they way that the Sama looked at you meant he was beginning to understand why you had them do these things. You thought the younger hilichurls how to cook and prepare food that weren't just meat but also those with vegetables.

"You need to eat your vegetables okay?" "nye!" a hilichurl huffed, crossing their arms and turning away. "Hey!"

You also accompanied them when they went hunting and foraging, they taught you how to prepare birds and boars to turn into food and meet, while you taught them how to season them and prepare it so the food will last longer.

They helped you learn how to use a bow and in turn the first prey you had caught were given to them. When you realized that they were now able to live more efficiently, you decided to leave that particular night.

You left half of the food and ingredients you had foraged, the rest going into your inventory. As you walked out of the camp, you found yourself turning back only to flinch at the Samachurl who appeared right in front of you.

"Unu. ." the sadness in his voice conveyed that he knew you were about to leave, without planning to return. . at least for a long while.

Swallowing away your nerves, you responded by simply bowing deeply in respect and gratitude "Valo. . for everything."

"a. .ah." the Samachurl coughed, once again he spoke in broken human language. . "p. please, come back, ye unu. . we're your odomu." and he bowed in front of you, much deeper, almost falling to the ground as he regarded with reverence.

You straightened up, feeling a mixture of emotions as you approached him, arms enveloping his much smaller form as you placed a kiss on his forehead. "I will."

🏹⁀➴˚ ✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Find yourself alone made you feel solemn and rather lonely, but you resisted the urge to go back. Due to the terrain of Brightcrown mountains, there were so few paths you could take. Since you weren't a skilled rock climber nor did you feel safe swimming at cider lake with its proximity to city of freedom, you decided to take the path that lead south, to the sub area Windwail Highland.

Windwail Highland consisted of Dawn Winery, Wolvendom and Springvale. Your goal was to go to Wolvendom, due to it being home to the wolves, it was a less popular sight in the region. There were few people there, actually you were sure that there would only be one person to worry about, Razor.

Wolvendom held something precious you would need after all, Wolfhook, it was not because you wanted to try cooking with them. . . okay partly it was, but it was mainly for its medicinal properties! Since you couldn't go to the city and get healed by someone like Barbara, you could only rely on homemade remedies and recovery food.

Of course recovery food were for hp in the end, you don't think they'll heal any broken bones you may get along the way. But since you didn't know how to exactly use them, you also had to improvise this entire journey of yours to make sure you live.

You eyed the lake that entered your vision, as your hand placed itself on a waypoint, ignoring it whirl to life you turn to the fork in the path. One leading to the winery, the other leading to Liyue. If Aether hadn't told you why you were being targeted by Mondstadt, you'd have probably escape to Liyue using this path by now but. .

if Mondstadt, the city of freedom itself wanted you dead without any due process, what of Liyue? Liyue, a region steeped in tradition, this creator was respected in the entire continent. . thinking about it, there wasn't really any safe places for you to go to, to seek refuge in.

Even if there were people who would willingly protect you and house you, you'd no doubt feel guilty for putting them in potential harm's way. You massaged the lower half of your face as you decided to continue trekking on, but instead of feeling your skin, you felt a fabric around you. "Ah right" you murmur as you remembered making a half-assed veil to cover the majority of your face. The hilichurl masked had been an option but that would garner more attention to yourself as a human dressed as a hilichurl.

But with the apparel you were wearing you could easily play yourself off as being a nomad from a far of region, possibly the Sumeru Desert, the clothes would be close enough to it and considering there were few or none sumeru visitors in Mondstadt except for Lisa (who has been away from the dendro region for years) then you were safe.

The smell of grapes seemed to linger around the area now, and lo and behold, you could see Dawn Winery with its grapevines in full glory. Curiously you stopped to stare, watching as numerous maids and workmen were hauling the harvest to the house.

"Oh hello there, is there anything we can do for you?" You flinched as you turned to find a maid approach her, one with short light blonde hair and green eyes, her appearance was very familiar to her but the name was definitely on the tip of your tongue.

"U-uh no, sorry I just smelled some grapes." You awkwardly stood, wondering if the maid knew about the wanted 'Imposter' on the loose.

The woman nodded, a smile on her face. "I see, here at Dawn Winery, we grow a lot of varieties of grapes that are used for our wine and some other special ingredients." she added helpfully.

"Is it harvesting season then?" you asked curiously, the woman nodded "yes, for one of our rotations. We are actually hiring some adventurers for some labor. Are you by chance one of those adventurers who saw our request?"

Immediately you shook your head "Ah I'm an adventurer, yes. But I haven't seen this request of yours."

"Ah I see"

Seeing her disappointment you added "however if you still need an extra pair of hands, I can help." you offered and she instantly smiled. "That's great, why don't you follow me and I can explain to you what we need to do!"

You nodded, taking a steady pace as you followed behind the woman who'd you come to realize was Adelinde. All you had to do was harvest the grapes in one section of the winery, then help with the cleaning then the delivery of a wine. "Apparently, the Knights are ordering for abled men to partake in the hunt of a person impersonating out great Creator." Adeline offhandedly mentioned, which explained why most of the people in the area were either maids or much older workers that probably did not meet Jean's standards for participants.

"I see, that must have been a trouble for your business." You nodded along as you grabbed a wooden basket, and started working. You were too far into it to leave anyways, and hopefully they'd pay you a lot for the menial labor. Maybe finally you could escape the nightmare that is minimum wage.

The grapes looked juicy and plump, you were almost tempted on snacking on a few but you didn't want to return Adelinde's kindness with eating their grapes. You could probably make some raisins with the grapes.

"Oh Master Kaeya, what are you doing here?" You flinched at Adelinde who was greeting a boy with dark blue hair. "Hello Adelinde" he greeted respectfully, without a hint of teasing. From the corner of your eye you could see him interact with the maid.

A shaky sigh escaped your lips, hoping the captain would not notice you. "I heard you were short on hands so I thought I'd stop by and assist you."

"Don't tell me you ditched your work." The woman huffed, hands on her hips, but she didn't look too annoyed. "Maybe, maybe not. But it's okay, Diluc is working with the Knights at Jean's behest." He waved her off.

"I see, thank you for your help. . but are you sure? this situation is very important. It is true that there is an imposter like in the prophecy?" Adelinde asked with a hush whisper, but you found that the wind carried their voices to you making it easier for you to eavesdrop.

"Supposedly, but I would not rule out this imposter for simply having a few similar features with her divinity." Kaeya said with a small sigh, the maid skeptically wondered "that is true but. . are they truly going to execute this person on sight. . what if they are actually the creator?"

If Adelinde had a choice, she would rather give it time to truly determine this person's status before deciding to execute them on the spot.

"I would agree. But maybe Diluc could bring reason to Jean."

"Hopefully, Jean has always been fond of Diluc, maybe she'd listen to him."

Oh? did that mean Jean did have feelings for the red haired dark knight? you couldn't help but cover your mouth with your hand, finding the tea to be interesting.

"But you know, I wonder why Jean is acting like this, usually she's so level headed." Adelinde sighed cupping her cheek in dismay, she was quite disappointed with the acting grand master's choice of actions.

"Well you know it is quite a sensitive topic, it seems like she wants to curry favor with the great Creator after being neglected." Kaeya unabashedly exposed Jean's secrets. You blinked in confusion, hands stopping as if frozen from harvesting another grapevine. Jean was neglected by the creator?

'so like mommy issues or God Issues?'

You couldn't help but ponder the implications of what was revealed to you, that meant that the God was still active in some ways but still silent.

Then you remembered something, you had jean, you had pulled for a character you had wanted only to lose 50/50, and because by then she was out of meta you didn't bother using her, only building her to get the few free wishes. .

You nearly dropped your basket as something cold washed over you. . something, something was clearly wrong.

°🥂⋆.ೃ🍾࿔*:･

After harvesting all the ready grapes in the section Adelinde instructed you, you found them ready the grapes into wooden buckets as the other more experienced maids handled the work. "Why don't you take a seat and wait, the others are loading up the wine in the cart." Adelinde offered as you nodded in relief, you found your feet hurting from standing on unpaved paths without any proper protection.

"By the way," you flinched, turning to Adeline who simply smiled at you, unaware of your unease "I never got your name."

"It's [Name]." you said with a slight nod as you then headed to the chairs and tables scattered around the estate. You felt your stomach rumble, finding yourself starving. You should cook something, you wondered if you can borrow the nearby cooking pot. "Why hello there?"

Your eyes widened, turning to meet Kaeya, how long had he been aware of your presence? how long had you been distracted by your hunger to not notice him approaching?

"I've never met you before, you are?"

"[name] just a nomad." you answered with a frown, eyes narrowing at the captain. What was he up to? even though he seemed to not agree with Jean's witch trial, he was still a wildcard.

"Oh? from where?" he took the seat next to you, a smile plastered on his face.

"The desert in Sumeru."

Your answers were short and had a sharp edge, but it did not deter the Cavalry captain who only seemed more and more amused. You wondered whether Aether trusted the man enough to tell him about what he knew of you.

"Oh really? I've never been there before. What's it like?"

"Unbearably hot during the day, cold during the night. There are also a lot of eremites and mercenary." You answered. Could he even confirm or deny your claims? sure he had connections, but did it reach towards Sumeru who was quite far?

His fingers tapped the wooden table that separated the two of you, "I've never been to Sumeru before, could you tell me more about it?" he asked, putting on his charismatic tone. "What do you care for then?" you gritted out.

"How about the cuisine?"

Your eyes widened slightly, and you found yourself going into a long rant about the food in Sumeru. Although you could never truly describe it's by its taste, having never eaten it. You vividly remember its description.

"The pita pockets are very tasty and filling, I made it once (recreated) and it was delicious. You can change the fillings, I tried one with a filling similar to what I usually use in Quesadillas. But you can change it to have some lettuce or tomatoes and pork. But if you want a dish you can try the Tandoori Roast Chicken, it's similar to the Sweet Madame but instead of being sweet it's more savory with spices." You continued on ranting as Kaeya blinked, he was not expecting this.

He wasn't able to cut in for awhile as you passionately talked about the food from Sumeru, sometimes you complained about the ingredients, other times you gushed about how delicious it was when you cooked it or how disappointed you were when you hadn't.

"Personally I always wanted to try their Shawarma wraps, but I haven't had the chance to recreate it as well as the Rose custard. I love pudding, what about you?"

"oh uh" he blinked again, not expecting you to stop as you, again, were rather passionate. Realizing it as well, you reeled back, cheeks and ears taking on a rosy hue as you apologized, definitely embarrassed for chatting his ears off.

"It's alright" he found himself chuckling, for some reason, when you had your guard down and began talking with such passion, he found himself relaxing, warming up to your more genuine side.

"Personally I'd prefer a good meal that could be paired with some wine." He commented, he propped his arm up by placing his elbow on the table, as he leaned his cheek on his palm. "Since you came from Sumeru, have you tried any Mondstadt dishes?"

You shook your head, you didn't have a chance to because of Jean and Lisa, you bitterly thought. "How about I treat you?" he offered and suddenly the sound of your stomach pitifully grumbling was heard, you wanted to die as he said with an amused smile "I'll take that as a yes then."

Rather than actually buying you food, he took it upon himself to cook you something. The blue haired knight had borrowed the kitchen in the Ragnvindr estate. You sat patiently on a stool as you watched him worked, wondering if he was always this easy going with people? To cook for someone, well to you that was rather intimate after all.

You smelled the scent of fruit, and quickly you realized he was making his signature dish. If cooking for someone you just met wasn't intimate, then cooking your signature dish for someone you weren't even close to was definitely intimate.

"Here you go, a plate of my famous Fruity Skewers." he said after a few moments, presenting you with a plate with his signature dishes. It looked more appetizing than the base recipe which was the chicken-mushroom skewers, you could see the slices of cucumber and onions paired with the chicken and mushrooms which had a shiny coat to it, probably from the wine he used to marinate. With a hum you took a skewer and bit into it.

Kaeya watched with slight interest at how your eyes sparkled from the dish, you licked your lips after finishing a skewer and when you turned to him, any apprehension you had towards him was gone. "This is delicious!"

When you had recreated his signature dish back at home, you clearly didn't do any justice for his signature dish. Perhaps it was the wine, no, it was definitely the wine you had used that failed to capture it's essense.

"I'm glad you liked it. You are. . quite enamored with food huh?"

You weren't offended by his remarks, instead you proudly sat straighter, as you jabbed your thumb towards yourself "That's right. I'm a foodie."

"A foodie?" he repeated, a certain shift in his tone that you hadn't noticed.

"That's right," you smiled "a foodie is basically a person who is very interested in food!"

"That seems like an understatement, when I take you for an example." At his words you blushed, chuckling as you remembered how you rant off moments ago, on just the sumeru dishes alone.

The two of you began eating in the kitchens, you were sure Adelinde had pop by once but immediately closed the door but you weren't too sure. Kaeya wasn't bothered, taking the time to savor the meal as you decided to return the favor by making some desert.

I use he/they pronouns for the slime, they/them for hilichurls but some I used he/him. The samachurl is he/they. Since I'm writing a female reader, i usually use her, but it's mostly 'you'.

I'm sorry you had to leave them, it's for the story's progression.

oh and this story is going to be definitely lighthearted with a few pinches of angst, how you treat characters when you were playing the game will definitely affect their standing on you. Well at least in Jean's case.

Current compiled suggestions to name the pyro slime <3

Fuji_Sen has suggested! Lava Cake or "Java" based on the food / coffee" Fuji_Sen has suggested! Monsieur Creme Brulee or "Creme" based on the food. @Fantasyhopperhea has suggested! Soleil or "Sol" @Cactus4226 has suggested! Ruru (Py-ro, ro -> ru -> ruru) @bunniotomia has suggested! Helios or "Hel" @airyravenmaid has suggested! Cinnamon or "Cinna"

taglist:

@fantasyhopperhea @rhoswen-drake @cchiiwinkle @aman3kkun @coffee-or-hot-cocoa @bunniotomia @esthelily

@earth-to-name @fandomfan-102 @kh1ffy @jiyeons-closet @dragontammerz / @mercy-not-merci @aryuunachigiri @randomnatics @alexx197197 @keirennyx @vianitry @game-savvy @laviniadraws

If you are not tagged successfully that means tumblr thinks you are a bot (because you don't have posts, or much interaction), you have been shadowbanned, or your visibility is set to prevent you from being tagged.

check here for more info.

I recommend checking your visibility or post and reblog a couple of times to fix the issue, if you don't know if you're shadowbanned check if you have the message function, if not you probably are.

also I repeat, if this chapter is old (meaning there is a more latest one) please request to be add in the taglist there, it's much easier for me to filter the newer requests from the old ones, :'D

[thatoneticklewriter]

Smile for me

(Ler!Gaming/Lee!Kinich)

Summary: Gaming tags along with Aether on his trip back to Natlan to meet one of his newest friends, Kinich. Though Gaming thinks the raven despises him and asks Aether advice on how to make him smile.

Gaming hums behind Aether and Paimon as they stroll around the grassy terrain of Natlan. Aether was visiting a friend of his and happened to run into Gaming who had nothing better to do but tag along.

“Tell me about your new friend, Aether!” The brunette exclaims.

“He’s scary.” Paimon answers and Aether laughs shaking his head.

“He’s not scary, Paimon.” The blonde shrugs off the girl. “He’s just quiet.”

“That’s okay. Chongyun and Xiao are pretty quiet too, if he’s like them I can handle it.” Gaming says thinking of his friends back in Liyue.

“And he has that awful disease of a companion with him too!” Paimon frowns. “What’s his name? Axel or something?”

“His name is Ajaw.” Aether corrects. “He may be a pain but he’s a part of Kinich so we gotta be nice to him too.”

“He better not cause any problems.” Paimon huffed.

“Wow this new friend sounds like fun! I can’t wait to meet him.” Gaming’s eyes lit up at the thought of meeting someone new.

The bi color haired boy is known for his extroverted tendencies befriending anyone he crosses paths with.

“There he is!” Aether spots Kinich standing near his tribe camp.

Ajaw is flying next to the raven scolding him about something.

Gaming is star struck by the raven’s emerald lizard like eyes and tan skin that glistens in the sunlight. He had to be his friend!

“Hey Kinich! I hope it’s okay that we brought a friend along with us.” Aether bows his head to the raven.

“It’s fine.” Is all Kinich says giving Gaming a look before turning his attention back to the fire.

“My name is Gaming and I’m from Liyue. It’s so nice to meet you!” Gaming holds out his hand towards the raven who just looks at it.

“Yeah nice to meet you.” The raven doesn’t return the handshake continuing to roast the fish over the fire.

“Remember I don’t like mine too crispy!” Ajaw orders to the raven.

“You will get yours how I cook it.” Kinich shoos him away.

“Whats that thing? He’s kinda cute.” Gaming widens his eyes at Ajaw.

“My nightmare, my headaches and my back pain.” Kinich answers glaring at the pixel creature.

“Hey! I’m not cute! Get that through your thick skull!” Ajaw snaps at the bi color haired boy.

“But you’re so small.” Gaming continues to tease the creature.

Aether and Paimon get started on the picnic laying out the quilt along as passing around plates and utensils.

During dinner Gaming tries to make conversation with Kinich but the raven would only give him one word answers. Though whenever Aether would tell a story at the picnic, he had Kinich’s undivided attention. Did the raven not like him somehow? It couldn’t be! Gaming was the most likable person on this earth. From what he recalled, he’s never had any enemies.

Gaming also decides to compliment the raven’s looks such as his headband and his boots. The raven only says a brief thanks not even bothering to look him in the face. Hmm, he’s never had anyone treat him like this before.

“Hey, does your friend not like me?” Gaming couldn’t help but ask Aether on their way back to their hotel room after parting ways with Kinich and Ajaw.

“What do you mean?” Aether raises an eyebrow tilting his head to the side.

“Well, he barely talked to me as if I didn’t exist plus he never makes eye contact with me. Did I do something wrong?” A pout forms on Gaming’s face.

A laugh escapes from Aether’s lips. “Kinich is just very introverted, don’t take it personally. If you think he has a problem with you, you can talk to him in the morning before we leave.”

“Oh I see.” Gaming hums tapping his chin. “I just never seen him smile so I don’t know if he’s happy most of the time.”

“He definitely smiles. It may not be big but it’s there.” Aether remarked. “If you want to see him smile, he’s quite ticklish.”

“Really?” A smug smile forms on Gaming’s face.

“Yep! Aether pinned him down one time in a tickle fight, it was fun to watch!” Paimon expresses.

“Oh shoot!” Gaming checks his pockets realizing he left his watch at Kinich’s camp. “I think I left my watch. I’ll have to go back and get it.”

“Do you want us to accompany you?” Aether questions and Gaming shakes his head.

“I remember where the camp is! Plus I’ll take your advice on making Kinich smile.” Gaming sends him a wave before storming out of the hotel room.

Gaming spots the familiar camp with Kinich’s tribe members a few feet away. The bi color haired boy asks the members if they seen a particular wrist watch and they shake their heads.

“What’re you doing back here?” He hears Kinich’s voice behind him and Gaming literally jumps three feet in the air.

“Oh uh I lost my watch and I was asking around if anyone’s seen it.” He anxiously rubs the back of his neck.

“You left it in the picnic basket.” Kinich hands the bi color haired boy’s watch which is unusually warm.

“Thanks so much!”

“Yeah, you should leave now.” Kinich gestures towards the pathway leading to the city.

“Is there a problem between us?” Gaming blurts out.

“Excuse me?” Kinich raises an eyebrow.

“Well you’re always so short with me as if you don’t want to be friends. Do you hate me or something?”

The raven pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t hate you. I barely even know you. So for you to make assumptions like that is unfair, don’t you think?”

“Hmm you’re right. You’re just so quiet around me but with Aether you talk to him a lot.”

“Because I know him.” Kinich states.

“And you never smile either.” Gaming squints his eyes at him.

“Sometimes there’s no need to smile.” The Raven nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders.

“ Aether told me something interesting about you. I hope it’s okay that I try it out to make sure he wasn’t lying.” Without another word, Gaming tackles Kinich to the ground catching the raven off guard.

“Hey! What’re you doing?” Kinich raises his voice at the bi color haired boy who has the raven’s arms pinned above his head.

“Making you smile.” Gaming smirks digging his fingers into the other’s armpits.

A soft chuckle is heard from the raven who bites his lips. Jackpot.

“So you are indeed ticklish.” The bi color haired boy ponders poking and prodding at the raven’s upper ribs.

“You proved your point, can you stop now?” Kinich tries to push him away with a tiny smile on his face.

“Get his sides.” Ajaw whispers into Gaming’s ears.

Kinich almost gasps at the betrayal and Gaming is on top of the raven straddling him as he squeezes at his sides.

The raven bursts out into bubbly laughter attempting to push Gaming’s hands away. The bi color haired boy’s heart stirs a beat getting a good look at Kinich’s smile. The smile could literally kill someone by how wholesome and sweet it is.

“What about here?” Gaming teases the other slightly lifting up his shirt to scratch at his tummy.

“Hah, no.” A small squeak erupts from the raven as he flinches from the other’s touch.

“Sounds pretty ticklish to me.” The bi color haired boy snickers continuing to assault his abdomen even wiggling a finger inside his navel earning a squeal from the raven.

Kinich is writhing underneath Gaming, his hair splayed out in all directions, and his eyes closed shut. This is getting dangerous.

Gaming also playfully experiments with the other’s hips as he squeezes the fleshy skin. Kinich literally spasms trying to curl himself into a ball. When that didn’t work, Kinich attempts to tickle Gaming himself poking at his sides.

Though the bi color haired boy’s will to make him smile was stronger as he blows a raspberry against his side. Kinich cutely giggles and squirms at the sensation clutching his abdomen.

“Wow you really can smile.” Gaming decides that the raven has had enough releasing him from his grasp.

“You say that as if I’m not a human.” The raven frowns at the other who puts his hands up in surrender.

“Never said you weren’t. Though you should smile more often, it looks good on you.” Gaming winks an eye at the raven.

“I’ll think about it.” A red hue forms on Kinich’s cheeks.

“See you tomorrow!” Gaming cheerfully waves at the raven before jogging towards the city.

Okay next step. Ask Kinich out on a date.

[aparticularbandit]

I assume that given that this is a clip at the end of the trailer after the title drop and the release date information, that this is the sort of thing that's supposed to be relatively important. (Admittedly, this is usually where a last joke would go, too, but I don't feel that's what's happening here.)

I also did a little more looking into this (albeit not much), and it looks like this article gives an equally little more insight into what's going on.

It says that the character - Ginzaki - remembers being at the hospital, but doesn't remember why. Which. HM.

Also! Ginzaki's description on the website calls him a Waste of Space and his specialist skill is Special Shut-In. His quote and the description of his personality gives real Nagito vibes, and he, uh. He has a freaking Gundam as his weapon.

So, you know.

Intrigue.

OKAY THAT GUY AT THE END OF THE TRAILER PROBABLY WASN'T YUTO

BUT WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A KAMUKURA HOSPITAL IN HUNDRED LINE

LINK HERE

[gacha-addict2001]

Now that the People of Natlan can Leave...

This has spoilers for Natlan 5.3, come back once you've finished!

Okay so, now that the people of Natlan are able to leave their nation with the permission of their tribe leaders….can you image how much more Aether’s (I use Aether personally) legend is going to fucking IMPLODE? We know Mualani wants to go to Fontaine, in which Navia and Lyney will be all too happy to spout all he had done for them in their time of need.

For them to get to Liyue where Kachina wants to go, they have to go through Sumeru, which many people will be willing to explain what Aether had done for them. I mean, Nahida isn’t going to be shy about it, Collei is all too happy to explain all that was done. And Al-Haitham will just tell them bluntly. In Liyue we have so many others there willing to tell them about all the stuff Aether has done, taking them to where the Jade Chamber is and explaining all that was done on it. A certain Funeral Consultant might even tell them to seek Aether’s closest confidante, the last living Yaksha so they might tell him the story of the Three Heroes of Natlan and the Hero who Means Hope; Tumaini.

And then they hear about how his journey started in Mondstadt and well, they are right there so they go and experience the land of Freedom and where his journey first began!

As for Inazuma…Well, Kokomi is certainly willing to bring them over and Itto is going to hound them for all the good stories.

Mualani and Kachina are going to have STORIES for the People of Natlan about one of their greatest heroes when they come back.

[razorblade180]

Queen of the forge

Xilonen, at her workbench:Zzzzz *ears perk up*

Aether:*walking up* Oh…

Xilonen:Don’t mind me. Just napping a bit. Need something?

Aether:Just here to drop something off.

Xilonen:Leave it next to me or at the door. I’ll get to it.

Aether:Okay. Sorry for disturbing you.

Xilonen:It’s all good~ Zzzz

She hears his footsteps get closer until the sound of metal carefully hits the workbench before Aether leaves. Xilonen lazily raises her head to see what needs to be worked on. His sword perhaps? Nope! It’s a crown.

Xilonen:…..Ah.

Thinking nothing of it. Aether bobs his head to rhythm of the tribe as he walks up the pathway, only to be suddenly picked up by his hips. His heart nearly beats out of his chest as he gets placed on Xilonen’s shoulders while she skates off; the crown perfectly matching her style.

Aether:Holy- you are fast!

Xilonen:Hehe, didn’t mean to spook ya. Anyways, shall we do some field testing?

Aether:What happened to napping?

Xilonen:This is basically a break for me too. Besides, far be it of me to not display the fruits of your labor. Aether, you’re a good kid.

Aether:Heh, thank you.*smiles*

It might not be considered a heroic feat, but even if it wasn’t recorded, Xilonen wasn’t going to forget this act of generosity.

[mildh4nn]

making my own food in my brain with op ffxiv crossover meals, this is extreme self indulgence LMAO

(aether imbalance sickness law being taken by the donquixote family, rosinante rescues him and takes him out of garlemald)

(sanji is like that one cook in the oronir tribe who was looked down for being weak and was made to cook)

killer and kid being part of xaela groups fighting over the steppe and then bonding together to fight in the naadam under kid's command (along w wire and heat ofc)

[voidsentprinces]

Explanation and reiteration, my dear Nashu! The other blue bird of despair site has been humbugging upon Dawntrail. Comparing it to Stormblood under, from what I gather to be, negative implications. Which lead me to hijack this whiplash response to the yet to be released new expansion. And see how everyone feels about each chunk of the story. Firstly, there was A Realm Reborn. Which...the general consensus is, its enjoyable and important its basically the foundation laid upon the ground to build Heavensward, Stormblood, and much more upon. Without it, we would be nothing but with it we are everything.

Then I asked about Heavensward which seems, overwhelming positive but not without a few addendums hither and tither.

But now, we reach Stormblood. An expansion that chose to split its focus between the freeing of both Ala Mhigo AND Doma from the Garlean Empire. Introducing the home lands of the Au Ra who had been around since Heavensward at that point in the form of the underwater city of Sui-no-Sato for the Raen and the Azim Steppe for the Xaela Tribes. As well as pulling the rug up from under us with the change of Yda suddenly to Lyse.

Stormblood! The expansion which spent its Post-MSQ bouncing between both and then seeking out brand new areas on each country. Some beneath the Ala Mhigan Castle in the form of Skalla. Others far, far, far out into the Burn west of Yanxia. Still further, we explored Ivalice, Dalmasca, and other provinces similarly seeking freedom from Garlean rule at the time. Both suddenly taking a sharp left with "The Call" as friends drop comatose before our eyes and we set the stage for Shadowbringers.

It introduced Zenos, under water diving, and a variety of elements and stylings to the MSQ. But what did you think of it? Either at the time before any aether current changes, QoL shifts, or the dungeons being able to be run with trusts or as it is today?

[gatheredfates]

Hi all! I managed to jinx myself by saying there wasn't a lot to add to the Compendium this week... and then I found a tonne of resources. I can't say I'm complaining about looking like a fool, though! 🪸

A lot of these resources were shamelessly sourced by xiv.sleepyshiba's masterlist! While I tend to endeavour to provide general / creative resources, their master list does contain a lot of discords / guides you can check out around raiding, combat guides, PVP etc. I might have missed. Send them a coffee if you want, for their kit is pretty comprehensive!

I have tried to include sources I can see have been actively maintained but I can't promise all are 100% accurate or up to date. If in doubt, send me a DM.

Additionally, due to the fact I am slowly increasing my collection, the Compendium has expanded its sections from four to five! We now have a dedicated lore section for anyone who wants to learn more about the game. 📖 I'm hoping this will encourage people to write and submit their lore compilations knowing that people will see them.

However, without further adieu, as of 05/11, the following resources have been added (in no particular order) to Sea's Community Compendium for XIV Creatives!

LARGE SCALE

Eorzea Collection — A one-stop shop for everything gear and glamour related! Browse through gear sets, fashion accessories or individual pieces of gear; view player-made glamorous for any job, race, etc; view chocobo sets and more!

A Master Beginners Guide to FFXIV — A comprehensive document of useful information for anyone looking to get into FFXIV. While accurate only up to Shadowbringers, it includes basic how-to's and general information relevant for people brand new to the game.

FFXIV Venues — A repository of various player-submitted venues open to the public and times of their events!

Aether Roleplay Hub — A discord focusing on roleplay and the roleplayers of the Aether data centre.

Tales From — Every expansion, the Final Fantasy XIV Dev Team releases a series of short stories about the various peoples’, tribes, factions and key characters called Tales From the ___.

Mirapri — Functionally similar to Eorzea Collection, this site accepts player-submitted glamorous for ideas and inspiration. Appears to be predominately used by the Japanese player base.

Akhmorning — A collection of XIV resources containing things one might find the miscellaneous section such as A Comfy Guide for Sprouts and Raiding Fundamentals; Bozja guides including Southern Front, Castrum Lacus Litore, Delubrum Reginae and more; PVP guides including, but not limited to Introduction to Frontlines and Beginners Guide to Feast; and Job guides.

Heavenswhere — Having trouble finding just where your treasure map is located? This tool will help you narrow down the search!

Fashion Reporter — Official Discord server of Kaiyoko and the Fashion Reporter discord bot. Also contains links to access the Fashion Report each week and the How to Make MGP guide.

FFXIV Clock — A tool to track the spawn timers of timed gathering nodes.

LORE

Ishgardian Forms of Address — A document that explores the honorifics, and forms of address used in the in-game setting of Ishgard and by Ishgardian characters using using in-game dialogue, quest text, levequest text and information from the second printing of the English-language lore book, Encyclopedia Eorzea. Maintained by @hasty-touch!

Final Fantasy XIV Lore: Ishgard — also written by @hasty-touch, this document contains lore relating to Ishgard and Coerthas.

Ascian Reference Pile — An up-to-date reference on FFXIV's Convocation of Fourteen, in appearance and lore. Maintained by Igeyorhm on Twitter.

Eorzea Time — The measurement and expression of time in Eorzea, like the real world, is governed by a fundamental set of rules. To understand them, users on Gamer Escape have put together a handy guide for people to follow.

FFXIV Meals Catalogue & Compendium — Have you ever wanted to know all foods currently contained in XIV? This document has a record of all consumable meal items obtained up to 5.4 and the ingredients used to make them. Maintained by vashiane on Twitter.

MISC

Detailed XIV World Map — Have you ever wondered where locations sit in relation to the entirety of Etheirys (and beyond)? This detailed world map provides accurate locals and information for you!

XIV SleepyShiba — Maintained by Udra Virias, this website is a repository of all their resources including, but not limited to; The Detailed XIV World Map, 6x. Paladin Resources, hotbar builders and BiS/gear trackers for raiding, and their own XIV Resources Masterlist!

FFXIV — Hairstyles — Having trouble remembering what Modern Aesthetic style is which? Struggling to find that one hairstyle you saw in game but you don’t know where it’s from? This guide has you covered!

Obscura's consolidation of Helpful links for Roleplay — A collection of tips, tricks and guides to assist people looking into getting into FFXIV RP — or just roleplay in general! Contained within are resources around character creation, relationships, roleplay tips, how to write villains and more.

FFXIV Reference Sheets by Ren — Maintained by @renofmanyalts, these reference sheets currently contain a sortable Roegadyn dictionary and height chart for all the race/clan combinations currently in game.

FFXIV Armoury Collection — exactly what it says on the tin — a collection of every single gear set currently available in FFXIV sorted by things such as patches, class, jobs and raids.

How to Craft like a Machine — This document covers the crafting formulae and other related aspects of crafting in Final Fantasy XIV.

MakePlace — A stand alone tool to preview, edit and share housing layouts.

FFXIV Chocobo Racing — a blog that’s designed to be a comprehensive guide to the Chocobo Racing minigame.

Lord of Verminion — A comprehensive website for everything to do with the Gold Saucer minigame Lord of Verminion.

The Easy Win Lord of Verminion Guide — An easy way to maximise your MGP using the Lord of Verminion.

FFXIV Housing Grade by Plot — A rubric to assist people in understanding the pricing of FFXIV houses.

Housing NPC Images — Not sure what housing NPC looks like? This guide may be able to help you!

FFXIV Fishing Guides — A Final Fantasy XIV Fisher creating guides on how to fish all the fish of The Source and The First, in quick, goldfish sized videos. Making FFXIV fishing easier to do and understand.

Pigeon's Guide to XIV Screenshots — A guide created by @ahollowgrave detailing their screenshot process for FFXIV.

REMOVALS

The following communities have been removed from the Compendium as their sites/tumblrs no longer exist. If new links exist, please get in touch with me and I will re-add them.

The Glitter Hall

Story Hall

CHANGELOG

The Compendium has been updated for compatibility with Google Doc's built-in document outline! This should hopefully assist with accessibility issues. ✨ You can find it by clicking the button below on the left-hand side of the document. No one had made a comment about this, I'm just pedantic.

I have also added definition around the Lore category as well as some general sentence structure and definition in other sections.

Have I missed something? Probably, this update was huge. I'm going to take a break DFKGJHSDF.

Want to submit? You can either fill out the google form here, send me an ask with the relevant information contained on the Compendium, or join my Discord at SEAFLOOR (21+ only)!

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

Hunter's Moon (Medieval AU pt. 2)

Chapter 2

Mountain thinks back on his life before the pack and meeting Aether. He and Swiss make plans to clear the air between them.

I'm glad to see several of you were happy to see this back!! I plan to have this finished by the end of the year, then I should have more time to dedicate to writing my thesis Lee's fandom mini bang! That's not to say I won't post any more ficlets in this universe if I have ideas, more just to set your expectations for this not being another 100k monster!!!

Rating: T Content: past discussions of nasty familial expectations Words: 5031

@ashthewaterghoul @bloodfin @cosmicseafoam @everybodyshusband @jazz-bazz @karmicbias @kentuckyfriedsatan @midnight-moth @nefariousghoul @papaslittlesunshine @zombiequeen777 @0-miles-away please message me if anyone wants in/out of the tag list!! I won't be offended, I know notifs can be overwhelming, especially in stressful times <33

Links to full fic: Tumblr | AO3

Read below, or on AO3!

Swiss and the ghoulettes reached the Abbey a short while later, and were soon directed by an officious quintessence ghoul to start unfolding tables to lay food out on. Grumbling slightly at the boring task, they each hefted a piece of hinged furniture up from a pile and began dragging them outside. From Swiss’ position setting up, he had an almost direct line of sight to Mountain. The earth ghoul was sweating slightly, arm muscles flexing as he continued to drag the countless hay-bales around. Swiss desperately tried not to stare – he was supposed to be upset with the earth ghoul after all – but struggled to tear his eyes away.  

However, Sunny chose that moment to let the table she was setting up purposely fall to the ground with a tremendous clatter, making all the ghouls around turn to see where the noise was coming from. All except one. Mountain's eyes remained fixed on the bale in front of him. That confirmed it: he knew Swiss was there, but he was purposefully ignoring him. 

Swiss finally got the latch on his trestle table into place, and with that stomped back towards the Abbey, ignoring the calls from the quintessence ghoul in charge that he wasn't finished here yet. Sunshine gave chase, growling slightly at the ghoul as she passed. Swiss paced aimlessly along the hallways of the Abbey, heading nowhere in particular except for away. 

Mountain could see Swiss in his peripheral vision. He had appeared in the clearing not long ago, flanked by ghoulettes on all sides like a protection detail. The stony faces they wore only worried him further – what could Swiss have possibly said to them? He wished the festival was being held inside; it would be so much easier to continue avoiding Swiss in the maze of hallways and passages of the Abbey. Alas, Cirrus had predicted fine weather a long time ago, and so outside they were.  

Across the wide-open space, Mountain thought he could see Swiss watching him. He didn't dare look up, not even when a table near him collapsed with an almighty crash, but his skin still burned with the intensity of Swiss' gaze. Mountain didn't know if he wanted him to be watching him or not. 

He considered going over and speaking to Swiss – he wouldn't normally think twice about doing so, seeking the multi ghoul out at every opportunity – but his tongue suddenly felt too big for his mouth, like it would choke any words that attempted to pass it. The pack of ghoulettes surrounding him certainly didn't help; a pride of hungry lionesses he was sure would eat him alive if he said something wrong. 

Coward, he thought to himself. For being from a tribe that prided themselves on their bravery, he really wasn't acting like it today. Although he had long since left them, travelling far, far away with no intention of ever returning, the niggling feeling that he was disappointing his ancestors right now gnawed holes in the back of his mind. He couldn't find it in himself to resent them, even having left like he did, still holding a grudging respect for them and their chosen existence. 

Mountain had been travelling for most of his life. Prior to his own nomadic existence, he had grown up constantly on the move around the southern plains. His tribe were small by earth ghoul standards, but large enough that when they moved it was as though a small village were passing through. In addition to the constant movement of the pack, they had a tradition that, when they came of age, the male ghouls were to leave for a few years to hone their skills alone and prove themselves worthy of caring for a mate.  

Having grown up hearing tales from the older ghouls of giant bears fought in forests and big cats fended off in distant desert lands, Mountain had always wondered where he would choose to explore. He had always liked the thought of exploring his namesake; large, rocky mountains full of thick-furred beasts. Living in the southern plains however, where the land was flat for as far as the eye could see, mountains often felt as fictional as some of the beasts rumoured to inhabit them rather than real and tangible landforms. 

As he grew older and approached the age where he would be expected to leave, he began to have his doubts about going at all. Most the other ghouls around his age had already wooed a prospective mate, someone for whom the journey was less about exploration but about demonstrating their worthiness to. Mountain had no ghoulette to court, nor a ghoul for that matter. He had no real desire to either – he was content with his life as it was, with no desire for things to change.  

He held out for many seasons past when he had been expected to leave. Most of his closest packmates had long since left, returned, and settled into raising their kits amongst the clan. Before long, the tribe was beginning to talk: why hadn't he left yet? He may not have had a mate to court, but plenty of other ghouls who left for their trials in the wilderness did not. They encouraged him, spinning tales of the glory he would return to when he returned without a mate patiently waiting – he would have his pick of the tribe, surely. The gossip began to spread like a fire through a dry forest. Could it be that he wasn't leaving because he was afraid? Cowardice was not tolerated amongst the clan: they could not survive the way that they did if it was. 

Eventually, Mountain had left. There was not much else he could do, he reasoned. If he stayed, he would only bring dishonour to his closest family until the whole pack eventually ostracised and then exiled him. As he said a final farewell to his parents, them wishing him luck and promising to have found him the perfect match in a mate by the time he returned, he saw only one clear emotion in their eyes: relief. There was no sadness at his coming absence, or pride for what he would hopefully achieve, only thankfulness that their son would no longer be the black sheep within the tribe.  

He hadn't looked back as he left. Not for days. As he crossed the first hill, just knowing that he was out of view of the clan's camp was enough to quiet his restless mind some and allow him to truly appreciate the beauty of his surroundings. So trapped had he been within the prison of expectations, he hadn't stopped in years to truly recognise what a solo expedition could entail. There was no hum of chatter drowning out the birdsong, no rumble of a hundred footfalls to ward off the larger animals who took an interest in him. All felt calm. 

Despite the sour feeling he had left with, he had never felt closer to his ancestors from the pack. This was what being an earth ghoul meant; the deep connection with nature he could only feel by being truly reliant on his surroundings for survival. This was what his tribe's traditions were founded upon. His progress was slow, but not for any reason besides him lingering at every turn to investigate a new plant or follow an animal's tracks back to its den out of sheer curiosity.  

Slowly, over many months that slowly became years, he headed northeast. Away from the plains and through a densely forested area, he emerged into a lush wilderness of rolling hills. He had found a new purpose to life in travelling the forest and learning its secrets, and before he even realised he was thinking about it, his mind was made up: he was never going back to his clan. They had strayed so far from their roots, and Mountain wanted nothing more than to return to them. The hills and valleys were his home now, the tall trees of the forest were his family. 

That was, at least, until he had met another ghoul. It had been years since Mountain left his clan and many months since he had seen any signs of life outside of what lived and grew in the wilderness. Spotting a small plume of smoke curling upwards in the distance, he had found his feet heading towards it without any conscious effort. 

Beneath a rocky overhang he saw a small, makeshift camp. Just outside of it, likely guarding the camp from the hungry wolves that roamed at night, was the fire that had signalled him closer. A large figure sat hunched beside it, stoking the flames. As Mountain grew closer, he allowed his footsteps to becoming less stealthy, purposely stepping on and snapping a loose branch – he didn’t want to scare the camper, have them react defensively to a perceived attack. The crack of the twig reverberated around them and purple eyes snapped up to meet Mountain’s green. It was a ghoul. 

At the same time as Mountain realised this, he also realised what a foolish situation he had plunged himself into: he had encroached on another ghoul's territory, unannounced, while they were vulnerable and unprepared. This ghoul had every right to defend his patch with all the anger and hellish power he could summon, and Mountain would deserve everything that came his way.  

Panicked, he instantly began backing up. The ghoul by the fire made no move to get up from the floor however, tilting his head with curiosity as though he knew Mountain bore him no ill will. As Mountain continued to pivot between curiosity and the urge to flee, it finally dawned on him that the ghoul did not resemble any other earth ghoul he had seen before, from his clan or any other. The violet eyes were the biggest giveaway, and he realised that this was a quintessence ghoul – that would explain how he knew Mountain's intentions; he could sense them and had probably felt him approaching too.  

Wary that despite his apparent quintessence abilities, the ghoul may interpret too much eye contact as a challenge, Mountain flicked his eyes up from the ground only briefly to examine the expression on his face. To his surprise, he saw a curious, almost bemused, smile. The ghoul seemed to be waiting for him to approach, intrigued by why he was hovering; frozen like a deer poised in an archer's sight. 

“I don't bite,” he said lightly, still sat on the ground and clearly sensing Mountain's wariness of such an apparently fearless creature, “do you?” 

After what was probably too long of a pause, Mountain shook his head dumbly. 

“Good, good. Will you join me?” The quintessence ghoul gestured to the fire, where he appeared to have a large number of mushrooms, tubers and other plants grilling over the flames. A small pile sat next to him, waiting to be skewered and cooked. Mountain took a cautious seat across the fire, the smell of cooking filtering through the smoke. 

“I'm Aether,” the quintessence ghoul smiled as though this were a perfectly normal scenario to meet another ghoul in, rather than the ambush Mountain could have easily twisted it into, “it's been a long time since I met another ghoul, let alone one without a pack.” 

“Mountain.” The earth ghoul grunted back, forcing his tongue which felt alien with disuse to form words. 

“It's a pleasure to meet you Mountain. Mushroom?” Aether held out a stick. The smell made his mouth water. Mountain accepted cautiously, sniffing the mushrooms tentatively and eyeing it closely before biting into them. Even cooked, these were recognisable and safe. As he chewed, his eyes drifted to a second, smaller pile of mushrooms beside those Aether had returned to threading onto sticks. Those were very much not safe, he realised. Although similar in appearance to the others, the telltale shape of the stem and clour of the gills confirmed his first thought. Aether seemed to be avoiding them, yet was that because he knew, or was he simply working through his piles in a methodical order? Worse still, had the ones he fed Mountain been a trap? 

“Those will make you sick.” He croaked out, his mouthful turning to rubber on his tongue. 

“I know,” Aether replied, looking up with a serene smile, “they're not for eating though. I make a tincture out of them, to pull the evil out of wounds.” 

Mountain still looked sceptical. 

“They're bitter; you'd know if I gave you one.” He shrugged at Mountain's face, with his cheeks slowly puffing out as he considered the risks of swallowing. With a gulp, he did. Aether looked delighted, as though he had passed a test of trust neither was aware was transpiring until now. 

That trust had continued as the pair found themselves travelling together in a similarly spontaneous fashion, contrary to the usual routine and planning of both ghouls. Mountain remained wary for weeks to come, yet hadn’t found it in himself to leave. Aether’s campfire was warm, as was his company, and Mountain began to realise that the solitary life he had been living wasn’t as well-suited to him as he had thought.  

The quintessence ghoul was knowledgeable and more than happy to share such knowledge with Mountain. In return, Mountain shared his own experience with the wilderness and the pair had found themselves becoming a team. With one ghoul always available to keep a lookout, their lives became safer and easier, and Mountain found himself able to relax in a way he hadn’t for years. His knowledge of the wild meshed perfectly with Aether’s ability to tap into a deeper layer of nature. They had each other’s backs; a fact that became especially important as winter began to creep in and all the living beings within the forest became increasingly desperate for a meal. It was colder up here than Mountain remembered it being on the plains, and even after several winters he still wasn’t used to waking to find the dew in his hair frozen solid. 

While in these early weeks together Mountain had been outwardly reluctant to follow the quintessence ghoul, the company began to rejuvenate him. What had started as simply an alliance of convenience became a friendship before he realised what was happening. For a while, they would have called themselves companions; never too close, but with an understanding that they relied on each other and their mutual trust. Mountain realised well past the point of no return that they had become their own small pack.  

With that understanding, and the acknowledgement of how much more comfortable his life now was, when Aether had first suggested that they attempt to settle in a human village to prepare for the coming winter Mountain had been somewhat open to the idea. He still wasn’t keen: the thought of denying his nature and hiding behind the glamour that all ghouls had but few enjoyed using filled him with a mild revulsion, but the comfort of having four walls around them when the frost began to develop had won out in the end. With the pair’s talents being perfectly utilised by their new lifestyle, it was mid summer by the time Mountain realised they had long outstayed their proposed single season.  

As such, when they had discovered Dewdrop late into the autumn, their decision had been made: they would stay amongst the humans indefinitely, until such a time came that they all either needed or wanted to move on. They had stayed as they were for long enough that even Mountain had begun to relax his most wild ways, giving in to the creature comforts civilisation provided. 

By the time Swiss, and later Rain, had joined the pack, there was very little of the nomadic earth ghoul left within Mountain. At the time, he hadn’t even cared that he was becoming domesticated as Aether had once jokingly called it when he automatically kicked off his boots before entering the farmhouse. Only once they had been thrust back into the forest, dependent on their skills for survival once again, had he lashed out at the loss of his old skills. 

Thinking of the time between leaving his clan and meeting Aether, Mountain couldn’t help but laugh coldly at how much his life had changed. He had first felt freedom in the forest, unchained from any expectations of pack and utterly reliant on his own instincts. How different things were now. The call of civilisation, of a mate, was one he had shunned for so long that his desperation for it now blindsided him. A small voice in him, the stubborn one that caused him nothing but problems, wanted to resent Swiss for changing his priorities so completely. The rest of him was more rational, and knew that that was entirely out of the multi ghoul’s control. Hell, he hadn’t even known Mountain in his wilder days, only once he had long since fallen into the comfort of life at the farm with a small pack, so the idea that he had changed him in any way was laughable.  

With hindsight as clear as day, he realised that it was his own feelings of inadequacy at something which had once been his forte that had inspired such hostility towards Dew in their early days of travelling north. Recognising his flaws was the first part of addressing them, or so Cirrus had said when he confided in her. And he could clearly recognise that he was taking his anger at himself and his actions that morning out on Swiss – a mistake he was desperate to avoid making twice. He needed to clear the air, before it was too late. 

~~~~~~~ 

Back inside the Abbey, Sunny had followed Swiss until they ended up in a small inner courtyard, surrounded on all sides by tall ivy-clad walls. With a loud huff that was almost verging on being a shriek of frustration, Swiss threw himself onto a bench facing a tiny water feature.  

“How’s everything gone so wrong?” He lamented loudly, more to himself than Sunny. She hummed sympathetically nonetheless.  

“You know, I thought you’d been together a while already,” she mused, more thinking aloud than expecting a reply, “what happened? You looked so happy yesterday.” 

Swiss snorted, whether in derision or to hold back more tears it wasn’t clear. 

“I thought we were happy too. Mount clearly doesn’t want the same thing as me though!” 

He flopped onto his back, landing his head in Sunshine’s lap where she began lightly running deft fingers across his scalp in small, soothing patterns.  

“You don’t know that until you talk to him,” she pointed out, trying hard to inject as much kindness into her usually joking voice as possible, “why don’t you start from the beginning, then we can work out what to do?” 

Swiss did the best he could to explain; going back as far as him first joining the pack all those years ago. He described how Mountain had seemed distant compared to the rest of the pack at first, before Swiss came to realise that he was just naturally quieter than the others. He’d opened up eventually like a slow-blooming flower, the pair becoming friends. Their recent closeness had felt like a distinct development to Swiss though, a notable difference to their usual interactions. He knew how he felt, knew what the familiar tingling in his gut meant for him, but for Mountain? He had no idea what his recent behaviour meant. Was he feeling it too, or was this just a deeper kind of friendship to him, forged through the chaos of their trip north? 

“Oh you are in a pickle!” Sunshine tutted softly, continuing her small scratching motions to keep the ghoul in her lap from getting too worked up again. 

“How did you get Mist?” He asked, turning his head to look at Sunny instead of staring straight up. 

Sunshine giggled.  

“I just asked her, silly!” Her delicate peals of laughter made Swiss smile despite himself.  

“I practice what I preach, you know?” She continued with an exaggerated, sanctimonious nod, finally eliciting a small laugh from Swiss. 

“It sounds like that's what Mountain needs too, you're both too far gone for subtleties at this point.”  

“What am I even going to say though?” Swiss could hear his voice getting whiney, but Sunny seemed to have infinite patience with him. His head was still pounding; that would have to be his excuse. 

Sunshine hummed contemplatively. 

“I don't know, you know him best. You just have to be open with him though, say that you don't know why he's ignoring you, and it hurts. You don't have to put your whole heart on display right away, but you need to be somewhat open if you want things to stop festering between you.” 

She was right, of course, thought Swiss. If he wanted to at least repair their friendship and have Mountain talk to him again, he needed to make a move and do it properly – make his hurt feelings known. 

“Yeah...” he muttered, feeling his confidence and conviction growing as he imagined the conversation. He wasn't going to beg, he had more self-respect left than that, but he wasn't going to let Mountain bury his head in the sand and throw away years of friendship over a drunken mistake and a misunderstanding. 

“You can ask why he left this morning, but you need to listen to him too, let him explain even if you don’t like the answer.” Sunny’s words were firm, but her tone was kind. 

“I know.” Swiss nodded.  

“Don’t look so glum! Everything isn’t lost yet, he might be stressing as much as you are about what to say, y’know?” Shifting him up as best as she could, Sunshine pulled Swiss into a hug and whispered conspiratorially in his ear, as though the walls might be eavesdropping. 

“If you two are even half as bad at communicating with each other as Mist says Dewdrop and Rain were, then of course everything’s a mess right now! “ 

Finally, that drew a small giggle from Swiss. The pair sat in comfortable quiet for a while longer, listening to the gentle bubbling of the water feature behind them and the whistling of the breeze filtering past the stone walls above. The sun passed overhead, the shadows shifting like they were turning their backs on the ghouls. 

“C’mon,” Sunshine sighed eventually, reluctant to move but all too aware that it was already mid-afternoon and they had a busy evening ahead, “let’s go and get ready for the ritual now, then you don’t have to run into Mountain in the Den if you aren’t ready to. 

Although they were prepared to sneak into the Den if necessary, it seemed to be completely empty when they entered. Swiss felt a pang of guilt that they had avoided the majority of their tasks for the day when everyone else was so hard at work, but really they were the ones who would be working later while everyone else was listening to them and having fun. The perks of being in the band, Sunny had quipped. He quickly found the scattered pieces of his uniform and got changed. Unable to resist, he gathered up Mountain’s too and hung it on the front of the wardrobe before leaving to meet Sunshine in the common room.  

When there was nothing left for them to do but wait for night to fall and their guests to arrive, they slowly headed outside. With any luck, they could make themselves look busy enough that no one would impose more work upon them. To Swiss’ relief Mountain was nowhere to be seen, giving him some time to finalise what he would say. While he psyched himself up, Sunny stuck next to him like a living shield; her loud and buoyant attitude keeping Swiss afloat in the tumultuous sea of his thoughts. As the time approached for them to start performing, Mountain was still nowhere to be seen. Swiss supposed that was for the best – what could either of them possibly say in the short time they had left – but the part of him that cared endlessly for the ghoul hoped he would appear soon, before Papa would need to chastise him for his tardiness. 

~~~~~~~

Inside the Abbey, Mountain had also been skulking along the corridors trying to pretend to be busy. He had eventually been released from outdoor work and had no intention of returning until the last possible second. Mountain put off returning to the Den for as long as he could in case he should run into Swiss or any of the ghoulettes that had spent the morning sending him a mix of glances that could have been either concern or anger, he wasn't sure. When he finally entered, with barely a half hour until he was supposed to be onstage with Copia and the others, the Den was completely abandoned. He supposed everyone who wasn't performing tonight was already out enjoying themselves. 

Entering their room, he was surprised to find his uniform already hanging up waiting for him. He scratched his head, certain he had left it on the floor like everything else when they returned last night. Could Swiss really have done that for him? Even such a small gesture made him wonder if all hope wasn't lost. He suddenly regretted hiding away all day; if Swiss really had been wanting to reconcile, Mountain hadn't helped himself. With very little time until they were due to perform, he wouldn't have a chance to clear the air beforehand. He cursed himself for making yet another cowardly decision that hurt not only himself, but Swiss too.  

Mountain shimmied into the black clothes, suddenly feeling so much more exposed in the tight waistcoat than he had the night before, especially compared to the floaty linen he had been wearing all day. The mask felt heavy on his head as he adjusted the straps, restricting his vision and making him feel like a prey animal. He could only hope that Swiss wasn't out for blood. Finally, he stuffed his feet into his polished leather boots. Copia had acquired them specially for the three ghouls in his little band from a cobbler several villages away, and they felt expensive. Yesterday they had made him feel important, but today they felt claustrophobic, squeezing his feet and holding him down like lead weights. 

Walking along the empty corridors towards the party outside felt like walking to his doom. The rational part of him understood that the only things he was really approaching were his pack and the ghoul he loved, but the few difficult conversations that blocked his path felt like insurmountable barriers. As he turned the final corner to the outside and the dim light of the early evening, the gargoyles perched above the door seemed to leer down at him mockingly. Mountain tried to ignore them, took a deep breath and set his shoulders back, summoning the confidence he had felt the night before on stage. 

All that shattered around him however when he broke through the crowd around the edge of the stage and saw Swiss waiting there, talking with Sunshine. Mountain's mouth ran dry and any words he had on his tongue disappeared as he saw Swiss stood there in the flesh, highlighted by the orange glow of the setting sun. Were his tail not glamoured away – for the time being at least, until the humans present had enjoyed enough blackberry wine to convince themselves they were seeing things – he felt it would have been firmly between his legs.  

He stayed frozen to the spot until a piercingly expectant gaze from Sunshine pulled him forward to heed Copia summoning them onto stage. Mountain stumbled up the few makeshift stairs, eyes locked on his feet. Sitting on the crate he used as percussion he felt grounded, less like he would float away at a single glance form Swiss. The multi ghoul seemed to be doing a very effective job of not looking at him either, leaving Mountain no trace of a clue about how he was feeling.  

They had two sets to play this evening; this one now, as the sun set, and another later once night had truly set in. As he tapped out a beat to begin their first song, Mountain felt his movements were stiffer than normal, stilted even. His beat was always rigid, but this felt awkward and forced rather than steadying. If Copia could tell, he gave no reaction from his position at the front of the stage.  

Under the bright light of several enchanted torches and lanterns blazing down on the stage from above, Mountain was finally able to lose himself to the music. It was almost enough to distract him from the fact that Swiss was standing as far away from him as the stage allowed, Sunshine acting as a buffer beside him. The whole set passed in a daze for Mountain. It was over before he realised, Copia chaperoning his ghouls off stage to enthusiastic cheers. As soon as his feet his solid ground again, Mountain felt a tentative hand on his elbow. 

“Are you alright, my ghoul?” Copia asked him, mismatched eyes filled with concern. He must have felt the awkward atmosphere after all, Mountain regretted.  

“Sorry Papa, I'll try and play better next time.”  

“Not at all, my ghoul! We still performed admirably,” Copia squeezed Mountain's arm encouragingly and gave him a knowing smile, “I hope you can sort what is bothering you though, yes?” 

Feeling bolstered by Copia's comments, Mountain gave him a shaky smile back. The man clearly cared so deeply for his ghouls as well as his church. Especially with so many visitors here, Mountain didn't want to let him down with a bad performance. 

“I will, I promise.” 

With a final nod from Copia, Mountain turned and plunged into the crowd in the direction he had last seen his bandmates go. Finally, he thought he had the last shred of courage he needed to talk to Swiss. 

[ask-the-clergy-bc]

I was reading some of the older hcs, in one of them you said that kits can be summoned by inexperienced summonner. What if someone decided they are above the rules and tried to summon a ghoul only to fuck up and snatched a small kit, and while the clergy deals with the person the kit was passed to one of the ghouls mates and they get attracted really fast. How would they react when their mate just shows up with a child? Like 'Oh yeah, this is mine now'.

This is so cute, I hope you don’t mind ghoul reader! :)

Ghoul Mate Reader

GN Reader

Era V Ghouls

The Ghouls Mate Adopts a Displaced Kit

For a quick recap, ghoul summoning HAS to be done by an experienced and supervised sibling of sin. Many botched summoning are done by new siblings who have no clearance to carry one out. Botched summonings can result in injured ghouls, stolen kits, or even pulling beings that are not ghouls into the clergy…

Aether: The guitarist ghoul was ready to keep the kit immediately when you told him what happened. His only hesitation is that you both could be in big trouble if you didn’t report it. The ministry is very strict on tracking these types of summons. But you were happy to know that Aether was already attached and wanted to keep the little one sooooo badly. Aether just wants to do it the RIGHT way. It’s how you ended up in Papa’s office, with your mate kindly explaining why you had to keep the kit. You and the kit were already attached at the hip, and so was he! Papa was VERY happy for you both and for the baby. “Well, uh, it solves where we must place the little one, yes? Uh… congratulations?”

Phantom: It takes an hour of convincing Phantom that you are completely serious about adopting this random kit. When you first got him and told your mate you wanted to keep the little ghoul he thought you were trying to prank him. Phantom literally thought you had borrowed a kit to try to get one over on him! But when he realizes this ISN’T relation for the prank he pulled on you last week, he’s very quiet. He stays quiet for a very long time and you get nervous this might be the end of your relationship… but he surprises you. “So, what do we name him?” He’s completely unsure of what to do, but he wants to make this work! Phantom insists this is awesome, because he can raise your kit to be a guitarist like him!

Cirrus: You were very nervous about bringing home your new kit. Cirrus hates when you both make big decisions without consulting the other. She was very curious when you brought home a tiny kit, asking why you were baby sitting. You carefully started to explain that the little ghoul was accidentally summoned. But before you could finish it Cirrus came over to take the baby. She immediately clutched the kit protectively, and you remembered the same had happened to her when Air adopted her… “We will protect her with our lives.” She declares before nuzzling into the little ghoul.

Cumulus: Your mate was so supportive when you brought home the kit. She was very confused at first, mind you, until you explained what happened. Cumulus quietly listened as she held the baby ghoul and eventually started rocking the kit to sleep. “Well… he already likes us. We can’t just give him back!” Cumulus’ main concern is that eventually she does have to work and tour. So you both have a big discussion of how your home situation will be when you are left with your kit by yourself. But if you are happy with the arrangement, so is she!

Mountain: To your surprise, Monty barely asked any questions. He just readily accepted that you made the executive decision to adopt. You personally know it’s from his home tribe, where spur of the moment adoptions happened. The drummer is more interested in picking out a name, figuring out the kit’s element, and getting the nest ready for the baby. Mountain already starts gathering spare curtains to make a kit sling for you both to carry her around. You barely have time to blink before your kit is slung against his chest comfortably and he’s out the door to go get supplies!

Swiss: Your kit? You mean OUR KIT!! Swiss loves kits so much, so when you brought one home randomly he had assumed you were baby sitting. The guitarist had the baby in his arms so fast to play and the small ghoul clung to him immediately. He was so wrapped up in playing he nearly didn’t hear that no, you weren’t babysitting! It took you a moment to get his attention and explain… you sorta… kinda just took this one after a botched summoning? Swiss stared at you for a long time before becoming emotional. “You mean… you adopted a family for us?” He’s SO excited and hugs you both. You know he wanted a family after the band but are just excited he’s excited for one a little early!

Rain: At first you thought you had made a mistake when Rain seemed a little sour at first. He had made a face when you told him what happened . But you quickly came to find that he just hates when humans do these vile things. Rain scooped the kit up with your permission and looked at you. “Do you really want to do this? I need to know we are both committed before I get too attached.” Neither of you had discussed starting a family before this. It was time for you two to talk about it and be 100% sure you both were ready for the responsibility. But when you saw the kit fall asleep on Rain, you knew it was meant to be.

Sunshine: They didn’t really know you could just… do that? I mean sure, in Hell you can adopt any kit you find abandoned. But wouldn’t the humans get suspicious if they saw you both with a baby out of no where? Sunshine doesn’t think about it too hard once the baby is in their arms. they’ll explain to Papa and Sister eventually! Sunshine is admittedly a little scared to raise the kit in the human realm. They are still super new to human culture and is scared of raising a kit outside of Hell. But they trust you since you were summoned for way longer! Sunshine wants to introduce the kit to the band as soon as possible!

Aurora: She takes to the kit almost as fast as you did! You both realize later that your kit has quintessence as their element. No wonder! You three bonded so strongly it would be impossible to separate your new family. Aurora is not shy to immediately go to Papa and have a long list of supplies and accommodations you will all need. Papa is bewildered but can’t find it in him to say no to the confident ghoulette and her demands. All you originally wanted was just for your mate to be ok with adopting. But you won’t say no to all of the perks! It’s how she got you both a bigger living quarters, kit supplies, and even new furniture! The only thing you two end up bickering about is names. So far you might compromise on an Opera inspired name.

Sodo/Ember: He’s mad at first. No. NO NO NO NO NO! You can’t just come home with a FAILED SUMMON KIT! You both can get in serious trouble and- one angry look from you kept your fire ghoul from arguing more. But he INSISTS this is YOUR issue, not his! …. Until he realizes the baby is a fire kit… and also really cute… and awww, look at how the kit likes you already. Fine. Sodo eventually relents when it’s his turn to hold the kit and the small ghoul falls asleep in his arms. When you try to take the kit back he pulls away protectively. Eventually you hear a “Fuck you, babe, if you think I’m changing diapers!!”

[plumpybread]

i've been wondering, what are the culturally defined goals of the various nations (or tribes) in this AU? in real life societies, there tends to be a few goals that are "given" to us in society (for example, gaining financial success or getting good degrees in Western societies). these likely have to change if, for example, Fontainians tend to become too obese to work before long, right? so what do you think? perhaps they're more socially related, or something like that.

also, completely different but similarly related to society at large, do you think someone as obese as Aether saving the various regions is changing their perception of fat as a whole? I'd love to hear what you think! keep up the good work!

Great questions!

Fortunately, the answer is pretty simple, as the nations in Teyvat all have very clear ideals we learn about in the game:

Mondstadt: Freedom

The ideal of freedom lives through and through in the nation of wind. Venti, their archon, believes that people should be free to make their own choices and live their lives without heavy-handed governance, a belief that shapes their culture, where the people enjoy a relatively lax and democratic system. They enjoy festivals, and I found it to be one of the easiest nations to make one of the heaviest because of all this

Liyue: Contracts

As the richest nation, they value wealth and stability most, steming from the belief that contracts are the foundation of society. Trade, commerce and responsibility are all shaped around the ideal of contracts.

Inazuma: Eternity

In Raiden Shogun's quest to preserve Inazuma in an unchanging, everlasting state, strict laws are enforced to prevent any disruption of the societal order, which is why I wrote them to be the most distant from the very obese nations as they remain the most unaffected by the threat of obesity.

Sumeru: Wisdom

Knowledge is almost a currency in Sumeru, and the pursuit of it is central to their culture. The best scholars are either from Sumeru itself or foreigners who went to study at their Akademiya. They know better than to give in to gluttony, which is why they're the second thinnest nation.

Fontaine: Justice

Popularly known for their juridical system and the way trials are treated as theatrical spectacles, justice is the prevalent ideal imposed by Fontaine's Hydro archon. Laws and rules need to be modified periodically as the weights of Fontainians continuously rises every decade, and in this version of Fontaine, I'd imagine justice manifests in the need for fair access to resources and food to maintain their massive sizes or support the thousands who grow beyond hope. Thanks to their domination of the food industry in Teyvat thanks to their rich soils and way too skilled chefs, immobility retirement doesn't have too much of an impact in their economy, especially since each man retiring for immobility creates several job opportunities for others to work as their personal caretakers.

Natlan: War, but specifics depend on the tribe

Natlan is a nation constantly in a war against the Abyss, and yearly pilgrimages are held to find warriors from different tribes to take part in the Night Wars to fend off the Abyssal army. But outside of this, each tribe lives by very different ideals. This wasn't ever really digged deep into in the game itself, but if I had to think of something;

Nanatzcayan: Mining

Sounds a bit random, but most people in Nanatzcayan are fine miners, jewelers, forgers, and general appraisers of gems as they live inside mountains. Physical strength and harmony is needed for them to fulfill their jobs.

Huitztlan: Agility

Living high up suspended over a mountain cliff, they love extreme sports like bungee jumping or mountain climbing, and agility is the most valued skill to have to live the true Scions of Canopy life, which is why wide love handles are seen as favorable as their bodies hug the harnesses they wear while doing their activities much better that way.

Meztli: Leisure

The most sedentary and relaxed nation of Natlan, gaining huge amounts of weight due to poor diets and lack of exercise has become such a norm that it's the encouraged standard. Most people just spend their days taking baths in the hot springs, fishing near the shores, or dancing in the plaza, all if they're not already sharing decadent meals at restaurants and growing fatter week after week.

As for your second, Aether-related question, there could be some potential for that, maybe!

He starts getting chubby in Mondstadt, and becomes pretty hefty after Liyue. I don't think there's much impact for this, he's not alarmingly big or anything and there's people much larger than him everywhere.

It's probably in Inazuma where his size is first a shock to people as Aether is starting to get visibly obese. I can imagine some civilians being curious about him. From that one huge Aether journey loredrop post: "They never said anything to him about it, but some Inazumans envied Aether's carelessness for his body and how he was eating so freely he didn't even realize he had grown obese."

During Sumeru he passes the 600 pound milestone, and his weight starts to become the main talking point when referring to Aether and his achievements. I can imagine a small sentiment growing in some guys seeing someone as heavy as him be able to fulfill his job as a hero despite his clear morbid obesity. Maybe some men who were dealing with their own obesity are inspired by him and learn to be more forgiving about their situation, some maybe even going ahead and stopping to feel guilty about gaining too much weight.

As for Fontaine, I can't really imagine it changing much more than Fontaine itself irreversibly changing Aether. No size is too big over there, but people surely love Aether for giving in so hard into the gluttony and getting so massive so quickly.

His impact would likely be more pronounced during Natlan after Aether has become a walking pile of lard. I can imagine his status as a hero despite his absurd size to have some ripple effects, mostly in Meztli, where I can see the ideal weight for men suddenly spike up thanks to Aether's influence, and seeing his previous visit was Fontaine, open up the doors to import more food from that nation.

[shadowdunsparce]

giant oc sheet be upon ye (text under cut)

Arkadiusz Caelum (they/them nb) -Xaela Au Ra from The Azim Steppe -28 -sch/smn -altruistic, charismatic, compassionate -co-wol with Yadokkya until after EW -from the Mol tribe, Temulun's visions of their future started their journey -an accomplished arcanist whose ruby carbuncle is also an emotional support companion (named Cinnamon) -gravely injured at the end of EW, retires

Ophioukhos (they/them agender) -Ancient Ark (Azem) -??? y/o -smn -perfectionist, erratic, imaginative -specialist in reptiles, created lizards and snakes -also studied stars, aetherically tattooed constellations they observed onto their skin -frequented Pandaemonium as their creations were often unfit for the wider world

Yadokkya (they/them trans nb) -Shetona from Shaaloani -40 -mch/smn -cheeky, tactical, reticent -co-wol with Ark until after EW -was primarily a miner, left to collaborate with Ul'Dah's miner guild -collects rocks/ores from places they visit -takes up the primary WoL mantle after Ark retires

B'nyanya Pepper (he/him cis) -Seeker Miqo'te from Southern Thanalan -32 -rdm -flirty, romantic, insecure -terrible at hunting which led him to leave his home, ends up studying conjury -returned to Ul'Dah and learned red magic -a little lost in life, keeps changing jobs

Fjola Sjasaris (she/her cis??) -Viis from Fanow -75 -lnc/gnb -dutiful, curious, cautious -a skilled hunter and lancer -left the woods with the Scions after they returned the night sky, to help them -now travels Norvrandt helping people still in need

Arkja Kisne (she/her cis??) -Veena Viera from Limsa Lominsa -53 -war -bubbly, friendly, stalwart -picked up the axe to protect her friends -worked as a Yellowjacket before branching off to adventuring -loves cute things, especially moogles

Dumplingway (he/him genderqueer) -Rava Viera from Mare Lamentorum -28 -ast/pct -kind, gentle, curious -raised by loporrits, served as an envoy between them and Sharlayan -a gleaner, specializing in strange plants -reincarnation of The Watcher

Astraeus (he/she genderfluid) -Ancient Dumpling -??? -archivist -studious, organized, perceptive -chief archivist at Anamnesis Anyder -close friend to Venat, providing her with whatever knowledge she required -a landscape painter in his free time

Agriópapia (he/him trans) -Ancient Erenville -??? -researcher -inquisitive, pragmatic, diligent -works under Loghrif, observing new creations in Elpis -especially fond of the flying creations -keeps to himself most of the time, often absorbed in his work

Eldgjá (he/him cis??) -Rava Viera from Dravanian Forelands -23 (dead) -hunter -ambitious, foolhardy, eager -traded hunts and stories with the people of Tailfeather -became an adventurer because of their stories (mostly hunting for clients) -joined the Void Ark expedition but was killed

Neit (he/him cis) -Keeper Miqo'te from The Thirteenth -47 (+12000 years since "death") -drk -standoffish, strong-willed, calculating -lived in the forests of the Thirteenth's equivalent of the Shroud -soldier in the Contramemoria, known for his ruthless efficiency -succumbed to the Flood of darkness, became a voidsent

Neit (he/him cis) -Voidsent -~12000??? -drk/vpr -cold, manipulative, cunning -arrived in the Source via a gate opened by the Void Ark -possessing the corpse of Eldgjá -sought to kill Diabolos but Cait Sith beat him to it

Khona'a Relanah (he/him transmasc) -Keeper Miqo'te from North Shroud -35 -mch -kind, bold, impulsive -fond of tinkering with machinery (creates bullets for Zinnia and performs maint on his arm) -can do basic conjury/combat first aid -worked with the Resistance as a scout and mechanic until after Ghimlyt Dark

Zinnia (he/him cis??) -Rava Viera from The Burn -~80 -gnb -stoic, protective, cautious -blind in right eye, prosthetic right arm -struggles to manipulate aether -Garlean conscript but escaped after Ghimlyt Dark -name given to him by Khona'a

Pumpkin Roll (he/they nb) -Rava Viera from around Gelmorra -at least 600 -blm -withdrawn, collected, devoted -can see spirits and ferries them to the aetherial sea (also guides them when the veil is thin around All Saint's Wake) -learned black magic from a Mhachi ghost he met while exploring ruins of Amdapor -took part in the Eureka expedition

[this-is-ris]

Thank you for the tags everyone! Take a seat, or grab her hand for a journey into some Ris Lore Basics!

B A S I C S

-Name: Ris Dei-ijla -Nicknames: Haven (as called by her partner, Qara) Glasses (by a friend, named Fish) and Rissy (Dinky Dinky’s name for her) -Age: 55 -Nameday: 12th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon -Race: Rava Viera -Gender: CIS Female -Orientation: Pansexual -Profession: Gleaner, Herbalist, Fledgling Apothecary

P H Y S I C A L    A S P E C T S

-Hair: Thick wavy blanket of dark brown hair, absolutely fluffy and soft. Always woven with fresh flowers and herbs. -Eyes: Bright jade, constant glow to them. Wears red-hued eye makeup around her outer and lower lids. -Skin: Tan, freckles all over from head to toe. -Tattoos/scars: None to speak of, will on occasion wear body paint reminiscent of her tribe.

F A M I L Y

-Parents: Ceres Dei-ijla (mother) -Siblings: many sisters (some known, some unknown) -Grandparents: Unknown/Deceased  -In-laws and Other: self adopted brother Bem Dei-jla. -Pets: Rabbit named Pancake

S K I L L S

Abilities:  -Channeling aether, for use with summoning or healing magicks. -Use of a guard stick/glaive -Use of tomes if practicing summoning magicks.  -Aethersight that can read one’s emotions/aura to an extent.  Hobbies: -Gardening/Foraging, Reading, Dancing, baking sweets and preparing medicines for her friends and loved ones.

T R A I T S

-Most Positive Trait: Selfless and willing to help just about anyone. -Most Negative Trait: Worrying too much for others’ safety and wellbeing where it may seem she loses sight/trust of them being able to handle themselves just fine.

L I K E S

-Colors: Purples, greens, blues -Smells: Jasmine, oud wood, vanilla, moss -Textures: soft delicate flower petals, dewy moss on tree bark, velvety tuft of fur, smooth leather cover of a well-loved notebook. -Drinks: Teas, botanical beverages, fruit juices

O T H E R   D E T A I L S

Smokes: Doesn’t go out of her way to, but has done some experimenting with special grasses she may come across.. Just for science. Drinks: Socially, with friends and at her favorite taverns when passing by the area Drugs: only drugs being of the medicinal variety she tests for herself (to check for side effects) aside from that, not recreationally unless we’re talking special grasses again..hehe Mount Issuance: a chocobo she was given a great deal on during her first time visiting the Shroud, named Lilah. Ris prefers traveling on foot, so oftentimes Lilah will just be her trail companion to share company with and be in charge of carrying their food and blankets. Been Arrested: No, but she has been (self) exiled! (:

This was super fun and I know I am a bit late so won't try and tag too many if I have seen one for you @justatheo @the-white-snake @prudentfolly @bemsbigboom (no pressure, but just in case~)

[wildstar25]

Tell me about your wolship! Are G'raha and Y'shtola romantically involved together, or are they just friends dating the same person?

I've vaguely written about this before, but, to ramble about them some more it since it's been over a year since writing that response:

Their relationship is a secret third thing tbh? They (G'raha and Y'shtola) grew to love each other as they spent more and more time together. It's more of a comfortable, subdued love than a passionate, burning desire for each other. They are regularly intimate together with Arsay and definitely enjoy it but neither of them are enthused over the prospect of doing it with out her involvement. When it comes to big romantic gestures they'd rather conspire with each other to do something nice for Arsay; but little things like making the other tea without asking or bringing back a tome that would be to their interest is common place between them. When the three started talking about marriage Y'shtola joked that, since Arsay had (pretty much) proposed to her, and G'raha proposed to Arsay, she should propose to G'raha to close the loop. A very flustered G'raha responded that they should all just propose to each other at the same time and call it even. They consider themselves part of the same tribe. They are family. Their bond to Arsay does admittedly take priority but that does not negate the bond they share together! I still don't think they'd really say "I love you" all romantically to each other (not yet at least) but they communicate their affection comes through in how they talk about and to each other. In private they absolutely drop the tribe letters, they (mostly Shtola) tease each other, they constantly refer to the others expertise on aetheric and historical studies, ect. Idk its kinda like they had skipped the honeymoon phase of their relationship and were already in old married couple territory?? if that makes sense lol.

[lavandulawrites]

I just finished the genshin archon quest(hadnt yet started on the following tribe quest or Mavuika story quest) AND WE STILL DIDNT GET HELP TO MEET ABYSS AETHER/LUMINE

bro...😭

I feel like if Capitano was still alive we would've gotten a WHOLE LOT of info about our sibling😭

Yeah, hopefully we’ll met our sibling in Dain’s quest. Some leaks say he is still alive as he is still breathing and his curse of immortality is still there (the shade of death didn’t remove his cures as it went against her own principles). The lord of the night said that his soul is now connected with the ley lines. He is currently soulless but not dead. Plus his game model literally says the same as all the playable characters. Plus. I hope he comes back🙏🏻 If not I will be so disappointed. It’s a waste of well written character. Hoyo could earns so much money from him.

I think Mavukia’s quest has some info about our sibling, but I haven’t done it yet (no spoilers please)