#G'raha did not fall in love with the Warrior of Light

[snow-system-wol]

Fluffcember Day 8, Fall

You'd been constantly waiting for S'ria to tell you to tone down your enthusiasm – but somehow he still hadn't.

You'd gotten off to a weird start with S'ria, and you stood by all that commentary and praise you'd said to him, but perhaps you should've realized he was the Warrior of Light before Cid let it slip several days later. It was nearly… mortifying to realize.

But S'ria wasn't so scary as he sounded. By the fire, dressed down and casual, he was just another man. Just another man, whose hair lit up with the firelight, whose smile was a bit rare but so soft…but not the first who'd ever caught your eye.

No, the devastating part was how S'ria acted with you. You swore that even other researchers got tired of you if you went on long enough, but he wasn't stopping you.

Even as you reminded yourself at various intervals of social convention and tried to brush off how much you've talked, he'd simply shaken his head and urged you to continue, should you wish.

Should you wish? You could stay up all night, speaking with this man who seemed so interested in what you had to say, if he'd let you.

You'd made a dry little joke in your ramble, the kind that oft fell flat, and he'd actually laughed. You'd never heard the sound from him before and you felt a falling swoop in your stomach and a warmth in your face unlike the campfire – and oh no.

[zazter-den]

i’ll say the same to you! i’m greedy and i’ll hear as much about your pretty catboy self ship (or pretty elezen boy) as you want to share with the f/o questions of your choice. ☺️

Ahh, thank you Bunny! Answering these with my dragongirl Warrior of Light, Ondata. Alongside G'raha Tia. Spoilers Ahead (mostly ARR& ShadowBringers)

nose kisses or forehead kisses? Ondata likes to give Raha forehead kisses, especially when he's worried or has spent too many hours poring over tomes.

neck kisses or thigh kisses? Raha often comes up behind Ondata while she's crafting, typically wrapping his arms around her waist before peppering her neck with kisses.

spooning or one person laying their head on the other’s chest? Overlap question! She, Raha, and Haurchefant all share the same bed so usually the ones on the end cuddle into whoever is in the middle (Usually Haurchefant since he's tall and runs warm)

hugs from behind or hugs from the front? Ondata usually flings herself into tackle hugs from the front, G'raha is a little more worried about disrupting and nuzzles from the back.

“pancake” or “waffle” hand-holding?

Waffle, in every selfship unless mittens are involved. Which sometimes happens on outings in the perpetually frozen Ishgard.

romantic dinners at fancy restaurants or take out dinners on the couch? I mean,,,regardless the man is going to look like a kid at christmas- and from the taste of fish-based Archon Loaf, I can't blame him. I'm dragging him to every restaurant I can find, but I think he falls a little for Haurchefant with that first cup of cocoa like us all

constantly bragging about dating each other or keeping the relationship relatively secretive? Ondata is extremely proud of her loves. Raha never flat out says they're together, but the way he talks about the Warrior of Light, other scholars are like "Oh, so they've been married forever I take it".

playing with each others’ hair or giving each other back massages? Raha is constantly losing pins to keep his hair out of his eyes, until Ondata starts making them herself to give to him. Raha braids Ondata's hair every day as part of their morning ritual, and she gets in a down mood if the routine is messed up.

constantly saying “i love you” or only say “i love you” during really serious/romantic moments? Between ARR and Heavensward, Ondata is hesitant to say 'I love you' to anyone. After the events of the Crystal Tower/ShadowBringers? Ondata says 'I love you' as often as possible. After Endwalker? She is fucking them anywhere that has even a semi shred of privacy.

constantly hanging off of each other or keeping a tame distance in public? Raha is more hesitant to show affection in public, but Ondata is usually pulling his hand through the crowds.

stay at home dates or out on the town dates? Adventures, just as promised.

formal/fancy wedding or casual wedding? Let's be real, Haurchefant/Ondata/G'raha want a small private ceremony- Which Tataru immediately vetoes. She would blackmail so many nobles into giving gifts and favors, look into your heart, you know this to be true. At least she will never complain about the coffers again. Maybe.

(spoiler heavy) love at first sight or slow burn? Both. Raha honestly had Ondata's heart at first infodump about the Crystal Tower and all the crystal based magicks of the Allagan Empire. She was certain they would spend the rest of their lives together, which is why she took him leaving her behind so fucking hard. And when they finally did reunite, originally they both thought they were too late. From day one, Ondata recognized G'raha but knew he had grown to be a completely different person over his time in the tower. It hurt, but she gave him space throughout all of ShadowBringers, not wanting to dredge up the past. G'raha wasn't much better, but how do you tell the love of your life that you watched their entire existence for clues to stop their tragic end? That you loved them still, before you decided to meet a light-bleached death in their stead? No, better to act the uncaring thief than to burden his dear hero with love that stood the test of centuries.

value anniversaries/important relationship dates or nah? any and every major date is a cause for celebration. but there's 3 other dates that are also unofficially observed: the day the crystal tower was sealed, the day that Hades tried to take him, and that day in Ultima Thule. Clearly not a joyous memorial, G'raha never really notices the dates themselves- but he does notice the way that Ondata clings to his back when they wake up hours past sunrise, how she will refuse to let him do anything remotely strenuous, or insists that she treat him to an adventurous date.

There is very little that the Warrior of Light needs- but the Crystal Exarch is at the top of the list, tied only by the Commander of the Silver Fuller.

kids or no kids? Kids. It was kind of an 'Oops' situation after Endwalker. I think defeating [redacted] depression and reuniting would put any previous Heats to shame. I also think that despite being world saving heroes, that they would be scared shitless but genuinely happy and excited. G'raha's eyes are passed down to some, but as a limbal ring, and all of Ondata's kids have at least some of her pearly scales. Given how powerful their parents are, toddler years are a warzone. It's a future Ondata didn't think was possible for herself, and she loves her big family.

Thanks again for letting me rant about my ffxiv char! Ask Game

[crystal-verse]

Wolgraha week day 6: AU

[do you ever think about what would happen if the exarch succeeded in taking WoL's Light, but didn't actually manage to cast himself into the rift? the answer was my lightwarden crystal exarch au -- thus, enjoy]

The Crystal Exarch was a very beautiful man.

The Crystal Exarch was a very beautiful Lightwarden, too.

Pale white skin like porcelain, patterned in gold and dark black-blue like a decorative teacup. Crystal crawling along his right arm and down his hip, swallowing his right leg up to the knee, spreading across his chest and back to circle his neck like a gorget and creep into the feathers of those massive wings he had. Wings tipped in crystal and edged in gold, and there, too, was gold along his shoulders and hips, gold twining into his arms and legs and yet more arms, a Lightwarden so beautiful, so devoted to his cause, that his only altered features were the wings resting upon his back, the porcelain-and-gold colors his flesh wore, and the two sets of arms that floated in the air, that he might give yet more to help people.

Or, that was the assumption, you're sure. They were a very beautiful thing, that Lightwarden. Agape. A deep, selfless love.

Agape had eyes as red as the Crystal Exarch's eyes had been. The eyes on the back of the hands of those four floating arms were the same seaglass blue as G'raha Tia's eye had been.

And oh, what a pretty sight they made, Agape. Crystal Exarch encased in yet more crystal, a beautiful yet deadly creature. Even in this state -- Light torn away from you yourself and from your cousin, Light torn away from the two vaunted Warriors of Light -- the Lightwarden that had been (was still) your husband was calm. Docile. Content to curl up around you and rest his chin on top of your head, purring all the while, eyes closed.

He was only so content when around you, of course. They were still a Lightwarden. They gathered all the Light in the sky and devoured it until his body nigh on shone with Light held internally, the crystalline flesh glowing just as the Crystal Tower did. (Just as your own crystalline claws and fangs and blood did.) It made sense, of course -- G'raha Tia was a man devoted, and the Crystal Exarch even moreso, and it was a testament to that devotion, a sign of how much he was devoted, that even Light-twisted as he was, the Lightwarden Agape brought no harm to you.

They are small, for a Lightwarden. Only the size of a male Au Ra, lacking the horns but oh so much more deadly. You rarely leave the Tower, now. Your place has always been with G'raha, with the Exarch, with Agape, and the Scions may think you lost to madness but you think it is lost to love instead.

What else could be expected, of a god and their most devoted? What else could be expected of the oldest god and the highest angel? What else could be expected of you, Sae'pheli'ehva, who had brought the Tower into being, held your Raha within your crystalline ribcage for centuries? Who would ever think that you would not return that same devotion?

He was a beautiful Lightwarden. He was calm, if only in your presence. (You compare yourself to Vauthry once, in your thoughts. You do not do it a second time.)

The Scions are not allowed into the Tower. None are, save Lyna who enters every second day with a stubborn slant to her mouth, informing you both of the goings-on of the Crystarium, of the First.

Your Lightwarden has far more of his mind than one might think, you're sure. He thanks Lyna in a voice that echoes and sounds like bells and lute strings falling over one another. He holds you close and bids you rest, often. For all that you are god-and-angel, Crystal God and Crystal Exarch, Warrior of Light and Lightwarden, your body is mortal while Agape's is not.

You rest in the Ocular. You hold him close to you, tuck that porcelain-white head into the crook of your neck. Agape's purrs are much stronger than Raha's had been, somehow. Some part of being a Lightwarden seems to have changed the purrs, made them deeper, even more of a bone-rumbling sensation.

"Sleep." You say. "I'll be here to hold you while you rest."

They sleep.

[kalina-moonbride]

Mothercrystal + Religious

Context: Immediately after the level 89 quest “Her Children, One and All”. Spoilers: One of the most significant plot points in Endwalker. Warnings: None.

“Kalina? Beloved Moonbride…” Y'shtola did not ask are you there; even in the unlit andron, her lover's aether shone bright as ever, burning like a roaring hearth there upon the bed. “Will you have my company?” This was their space now, yes, and the door had been unlocked, but sometimes one needed solitude.

The reclining Warrior waved vague permission, though she said nothing. Y'shtola pushed the door closed, and walked quietly to her side. She stepped around pieces of armor carelessly strewn on the floor. “You left so abruptly after the debrief with Fourchenault. Are you well?”

“…No.”

There was no sickness evident in her aether, but dynamis, that could be a different matter, invisible to aethersight. This bodes ill. Y'shtola pushed down the sudden rush of alarm that chilled her spine, and willed herself to calm, as always. She needs you. Tend to her. She sat down on the bed, by Kalina's feet. “What troubles you?”

“Hydaelyn…” The Hrothgar's voice came so thin and weak, at such stark odds with her usual strength, as to be nearly unrecognizable. She lay half curled, her tail wrapped around herself, and put a hand to her mouth.

“Ah, yes.” She bowed her head, while placing a comforting hand on Kalina's leg. “We're all still coming to terms with it. I dare say it doesn't yet feel real, to most of us.” Her thumb stroked Moonbride's shin, an affectionate if unthinking gesture. “But you always were closer to Her than any of us could even dream.”

“You don't—you can't understand!” A shudder went through the Warrior's body, a tremor from her shoulders all the way down into Y'shtola's hand. “I was supposed to fix it! I knew She was weak, that She was… fading.” The euphemism rang louder than the voice speaking it. “But I was going to make it better! Restore Her strength somehow, save… save the…” She choked. Another shudder.

“Kalina, love, that was never Her intent.” Twelve, it hurt to see her like this. But Y'shtola dared not crack, herself. “She said as much. That She meant to test us, and impart Her gifts if we proved worthy. As Her final act of grace.”

“Test us!” At last a great sob broke forth. “Test us… it was supposed to be like in Elpis! An earth-shaking sparring match! And we laughed after.” She jolted half upright, bracing her back against the headboard, her legs flinching away from Y'shtola's touch. “Shtola, I killed Her. I was Her champion, and I killed Her!” She buried her head in her hands, claws pressing into the hollows of her eyes, gasping.

Y'shtola's heart pounded. What could she possibly do or say to bring Kalina back to herself? She found words that were true, but unlikely to be right. “Kalina… dearheart. It was not your spear that laid Her low. It was Her long and arduous service holding this star in tranquility, a labor at last ended. She would soon depart, no matter the circumstances. She chose to have us bear witness to it, that is all.”

Moonbride made no reply, only shook her head, bent nearly to her knees. Y'shtola could not see the smoky tendrils of despair, but she could imagine them, and it filled her stomach with ice.

A shaft of light split the room: the door had once more opened, admitting the hallway's glow. A familiar figure hesitated there, silhouetted in indecision. “Oh!” G'raha Tia lowered his head, abashed. “Is this… not a good time? I can…”

“No!” Y'shtola shot him a pleading look. “Come in, Raha, please. Close the door, but hurry.”

He rushed to his partners' company, pushing the door behind him. With a thump, his toe collided with an armored boot of Maiming, but he managed not to yelp or fall. “What's happened?”

“She's grieving Hydaelyn,” Y'shtola said. “I've tried to explain, this was Her lesson to us…” She shook her head and looked to Kalina, trying once again. “Our star, and the distant ones that perished. All things end, but it's in the strength of those who remain that hope flourishes—”

“Ah.” G'raha knelt beside Kalina and carefully, gently, folded his hands around one of hers, guiding it away from her face. She flinched, but only a little, permitting the movement. “I think… this isn't the time for explanations. Hope grows from sorrow, yes. But we still have to live through the sorrow when there's nothing to it but pain.” He kissed the back of Kalina's hand, and touched her face where tears wet her fur. “Kalina?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Is there something the Night's Blessed do at times like these? A ritual, a prayer?”

“Oh…” Thankfully, Moonbride didn't notice Y'shtola's brief why didn't I think of that grimace. “I… we… we could say the farewell from the Darker. Hydaelyn doesn't have a Heartstone, not exactly. Not here. But we still have the words.”

G'raha nodded and looked to Y'shtola. “You know what she means?”

“Yes.”

“Then you two can say the words together. I'll be right here with you.” He reached out, joining hands with Kalina and Y'shtola both. Taking his cue, they joined hands as well, making a three-person circle there on and beside the bed.

Kalina seemed to hesitate, so Y'shtola began the recitation. It took them a moment, but soon their voices found unison.

In the light, She was known as Hydaelyn. But in the dark, we shall remember Her always as Venat. We take this moment to offer Her our prayer.

We entrust Her now to the night's sweet embrace. In Darkness will She be free from pain and suffering, now and forevermore. May Her soul find peace in the sunless sea of heaven, and in the love we bear for Her in our hearts.

Kalina sobbed once more, and her beloveds held her as she wept, until her tears were spent.

[farfromdaylight]

first, i highly recommend reading the notes: it's lovely reading about everyone's wolships.

second, i am here to summarize 250k words of fic, so, you know.

I played through the entire game (which was up to 5.1 at the time) without shipping any of the characters with my Viera... but that didn't mean I wasn't interested in shipping. Enter catboy: I tossed a longtime OC into the game, made him a Miqo'te, and off we went.

Cálei spends most of ARR in a haze. He doesn't remember his past and struggles with his own identity beyond that of Warrior of Light. When he meets G'raha Tia, his initial reaction is dislike: he is not fond of fellow Seekers of the Sun, much less one so presumptuous.

But as Cálei wrestles with his own problems, he begins spending more and more time at Saint Coinach's Find, seeking a measure of peace and quiet outside of the constant errands the Scions send him on. And when it gets to the point that he can't ignore his own troubled heart, G'raha offers him much-needed support.

Cálei does not mean to fall for him, and takes some time to adjust to his feelings, but once they're there there's no avoiding it. He still does his job as Warrior of Light, but more and more he returns to G'raha's side. And when he's finally confident enough to share his feelings, he finds they're returned.

And yet, G'raha's gaze remains on the Tower.

While G'raha doesn't actively push Cálei away, his focus — and priority — are clearly on the Tower. He wants to understand his history. He knows he has an inescapable connection to it. And when the opportunity comes to make a difference à la the heroes he so admires, he takes it with both hands. He locks himself in the Tower, ignoring Cálei's pleas to stay with him.

Cálei is devastated. Not long after, the end of the ARR plot kicks in, and Cálei proceeds to withdraw entirely into himself. He spends the first half of Heavensward dissociating and trying to snuff out his broken heart.

During this time, he gets messy with Estinien. It is in no way a healthy relationship: they're both using each other to try and avoid their own problems. It tapers off after the Vault, as Cálei starts to regain himself and actively starts to recover from his heartbreak.

And for a while, it works. He doesn't exactly move on, but he processes the loss enough to be more functional, at least. The war with Garlemald is in full swing at that point, and he doesn't have time to waste on matters of the heart.

Then all his friends pass out and he goes to Norvrandt.

He knows who the Exarch is immediately. He tries to bridge the gap between them, and is firmly rebuffed. His heart aches, but he can't change the Exarch's mind, so he buries himself in his duty.

Of course, the Exarch's master plan doesn't quite pan out the way he'd hoped. And even with things uncertain between them, Cálei would stop at nothing to retrieve his lost love.

They make it through and come out the other side, and at long last they rekindle their relationship. There's still some speed bumps — returning to the Source, for one thing — but even that manages to fall by the wayside.

Then Endwalker happens, and things get crazy for a while. But amidst the depths of despair, Cálei makes his commitment to G'raha clear. Sometime in 6.x they get married and live happily ever after... for now, at least! We'll see where the future takes them.

(last photo is by @shepherdtostars, thank u again 💗)

...i realize now that i barely actually answered the question, lmao. i was drawn to G'raha immediately because he resembled one of my OCs, and I loved the way his story developed in Shadowbringers, but since I didn't ship him with my first WoL (they are firmly BFFs), I had to go about shipping another way. i did not expect that catboy would take over my life, but, well, here we are.

And really, the more I thought about how they would get together, the more I wanted to explore it. It's no wonder I've been writing about these catboys for years, at this point.

Another random WoLQotD/OC question

I thought I'd ask this while I worked on my other questions. :)

If you're a WoL x NPC shipper, what drew you to that ship and why? What makes that ship the pinnacle for you and your oc? Is it that you love the canon character you write them with, you find their dynamic interesting or something in between?

If you're not a WoL x NPC shipper, but you have a ship with another person, how did that come about? What makes that ship fulfilling for you? Has the ship impacted your relationship with that other person? Feel free to gush, I wanna hear it!

Oh, and pictures are a must (if you have them).

[yzeltia]

Wolgraha Week

Chapter 8: G'raha Day Characters: G'raha Tia, Keith Summers Rating: T for Teen Note:

Dearest Lyna,

I hope this letter finds you well. Forgive me for not opening up a line of communication before now. It did not occur to me that I might take advantage of those who can traverse the aetheric sea that separates us. Keith mentioned you were curious about my day-to-day well being. I'm afraid he isn't the most articulate fellow, and I wanted to assuage any worry you might have by detailing a regular day for myself.

I wake up most days just after dawn. This gives me time to start my day in peace while Keith remains in bed snoring. Eventually G'khenna wakes as well and climbs into our bed to jump and make noise until Keith wakes up to make our breakfast. 

After we eat, we head our separate ways for the day. Keith usually takes G'k to Idyllshire on his way to Great Gubal Library to visit her friend. If not, she comes with me to the Annex and works on her studies while I focus on mine. I expect she'll be accepted into a Studium program at some point. She definitely takes more after me than Keith in that regard. 

Just before midday I have tea with Krile. Her partner joins us now and then and we mostly catch up on what our fellow Scions are up to before returning to wherever our studies take us at the time. I'm currently engrossed in research regarding Eorzea's deities. I have stood in their Heavens and Hells before them and have watched Keith and the Warriors of Light engage in friendly combat at their behest. It has been the adventure I've longed for…though not who I imagined myself with. 

A bell past midday Keith returns with lunch. We eat together as a family then G'khenna retires to one of the Annex's rooms to be taught by a private tutor leaving Keith and I to take care of whatever requires our attention. Often he assists me in researching while he exercises. What he lacks in wisdom, he makes up for in being a sharp eye when he reads. He says that he was well on his way to being a full medic until he dropped from the Studium to pursue an attempt to join the Ala Mhigan resistance. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it was over by the time he arrived and he found himself on a path to adventure, and by extension me. 

As the day winds down, we both take time to engage in physical activities together. Usually this consists of running around a district called Tranquility which takes up most of the city’s campus. Afterward Keith does sets of calisthenics. I try to keep up but I do not have the boundless energy he does. That is not to say I am out of shape. My body here on the Source is much younger than the one you grew up with. Why, I might be younger than you in terms of physical form now that I think about it. 

Day’s end brings us all back together. Keith cooks our dinner and then we do something together as a family, usually some sort of game with G’khenna until she gets tired out. Afterward, she makes Keith tell her stories until she falls asleep while I return to our room and read privately. It’s all very routine, and wonderful, though I imagine adventure lies just around the corner and will open up a new chapter of our lives. 

Anyroad, I’ve kept you longer than I intended. Keith plans to visit you soon with some gifts from me. Should further testing of his ability to traverse the realms prove fruitful, he might bring G’khenna along with him. Y’shtola, Master Matoya as you know her, is looking into other ways to return to the first. Perhaps one day soon we will be reunited. 

All my love, 

G’raha Tia - Summers

“What’s that?”

G’raha looked back as Keith peered over his shoulders. He smiled then folded his letter before applying wax to the seal. 

“A letter to Lyna for when you go visit her.”

“Anything about me in there?”

“Not a word,” G’raha laughed before lifting on his toes to steal a kiss before taking the other’s hand to lead him to their bed.

[lightparty-fullparty]

Okay but I do need to talk about Edda.

I've been obsessed with her ever since my first run of Tam-Tara Deepcroft. Not hard mode. She's been living in my brain rent free since the very first time I saw the cutscenes with her after doing the level 16 normal mode dungeon.

She's like this strange allegory for the burden of responsibility. In my opinion at least.

Edda was the groups healer. A conjurer who, outside of using her magic, was seemingly also responsible for gathering adventuring supplies for her party members as well re: dialogue outside of Sastasha.

Averre mocks her for not using her own money to pay for more healing potions, but it's only mentioned that *he* gave her gil to begin with. Not Payo-Rayo, not Liavinne.

Just Averre. After which the burden immediately falls on Edda to use her personal funds for the group supplies. She is expected to forfeit anything she way want or need, because she's the healer. It's her job to heal them and provide for them right?

Even when Averre dies, and it was clear that it was entirely his own fault for rushing ahead of the group and out of Edda's spell range, Liavinne chooses to blame Edda.

It was her responsibility. It was her job to help them and heal them and she failed.

Her group abandons her.

And the WOL watches. Unable to help her.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to view her as a warning or an omen for the WOL of what they fear could happen if they fail the expectation of those around them. If they can't do their job right people will die, and it will be their fault. They're the WOL. It's their job to save everyone. To put themselves on the line and bear the burden of it all.

Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) is the omen of what happens when you let guilt and grief consume you. When you can't let the past go. When you'd do anything for the person you love regardless of how good they were to you in life.

Edda is blinded by love, and guilt for letting Averre die. She sacrifices so much to try and bring him back and doesn't even care when she gets a voidsent monstrosity instead. That's still Averre to her.

This comes after you lose a lot of the scions, most importantly Noraxia, to Livia's raid. Where you almost lose Thancred to Lahabreaha. Depending on when you choose to unlock the dungeon as well, you may have lost Moonbryda, or G'raha Tia, or watched the twins lose their grandfather again.

The WOL is riddled with loss. Loss they blame themselves for.

Because they're the Warrior of LIGHT. It's their job to save people.

The idea that Edda serves as this massive warning sign for what the WOL could easily become if they didn't have the support surrounding them is fascinating to me.

Especially when Palace of the Dead throws at you special encounters with past foes. And again Edda herself. Someone who failed her role. Who you couldn't save. Who you didn't save.

She prepares the WOL for all of the loss ahead of them. Makes them aware of what is at stake if they fail. At the point you meet her you're still just an adventure. Sure you've done a few big things for the city you started in but your fame and standing are still subjecting to your future efforts. Your still vulnerable. Still just an adventure like Edda and Averre were.

You could have ended up just like she did.

[linelpisffxiv]

Lin sought glory in ARR. It was what she thought she wanted. It's what A'lin wanted, but at the time, she didn't know she wasn't A'lin. The more she sought glory, the more she realized it came at a price she couldn't give. Herself. It felt great to be a hero, but at the same time, the more heroic she became, the more people needed her to be the one because they wanted to make sure the job was done with as few sacrifices as necessary.

This gave birth to her great fear at the Bloody Banquet, the Weapon of Light. (A term used twice in the DRK quest, but the DRK quests are crucial to Lin and metatextually shaped her in my hands into a very different character than I had going in, Specifically the 80 capstone quest and a silly little line of hers I had her say and my reply to it. That reply is also wrong, but also more right than what Lin said)

Lin is petrified of losing herself, so when she got to Ishgard, she tried to shed the mantle. She was just Madam Greystone or Madame Graeme depending on the person. She tried to mix with the nobility, she tried to be just a soldier helping them, but then Sormr and Ysayle spoke to each other and the worst happened so she had to become the Warrior again, recollect her ties to the deeper parts of the blessing. She hated it.

But these fears of the Weapon existed, and so she kept seeking peace of mind when she could. With and without the Sword and A'lin's crystallize memory within her (Still not knowing that's who Fray is)

The Weapon fears kept rising and falling (Rising at the end of 4.0 and Falling with the DRK quest. Rising in 4.4 but falling through ShB. Rising with the Ilsabard Contingent (and specifically "In from the Cold." FUCK "In from the Cold" because of what it did) And falling, once and for all, with "Is that not so, Adventurer?" (To which her answer is a resounding "LOL, no.")

Through that time, she found out who Fray/A'lin is, and that she isn't A'lin. She's a reincarnation of sorts. And so she sought answers of what made her different. Found she was far more capable with magic compared to A'lin ever was, that she cherishes different memories than A'lin and it isn't just that she had a change of heart. But still it is peace of mind she seeks, and thankfully those around her mostly facilitated that. At least, those closest to her. G'raha, Alphinaud, Alisaie, Y'shtola, Thancred, Urianger. They saw her almost torn apart, they want to see her put together. They manage to convince the Alliance such, if only because a better weapon is one that's cared for, and that if they treat her purely as one 100% of the time, then she'll revolt. (Not something they're proud of saying, but at least they knew the self-interest would get them to understand.)

She loves to travel, to seek inspiration, to learn new skills, whether martial or crafty. To read books and write songs (She's still a bard at heart, even if she became a Red Mage and later a Viper as her primary form of combat. Songs and Stories are her true self.)

I don't know how to describe all that as something she seeks in a pithy way, but she does. Novelty, perhaps? She isn't Terspichore. She ins't A'lin, but she has a lust for travel, and as of the end of Dawntrail, she will travel under her own power and desires, and while occasionally she might come across a fight or two, she'll always have companions with her (Friendship, her husband, and her future children) and is never the pin holding the world from destruction again.

(She doesn't care about what the deal with the Key is. It has a different answer in my canon. Maybe Teri told her through her dreams, maybe it's just "Huh, weird" But other than just keeping her hands on it because she's the best guard of something like that, she doesn't care the hows or whys of it.)

wolqotd

What does your WoL seek in life? Do those goals change throughout the msq?

[umbralaether]

I dont think I sent you one back so "apologizing when you call them and hear their deep, sleepy voice answer."

(Pls ignore if I did send one already lol.)

With the Final Days upon them, she was asked to assess the state of the world back home - namely, the blasphemies that had been sighted in the other city states. G'raha was hesitant to let her go alone, fearing what she may have to face without the help of himself and the other Scions, yet he knew he had no choice. He could not have her stay behind for his own benefit.

He focuses instead on the efforts in Thavnair in her absence, securing the townspeople, hunting down rumors of other blasphemies, and worst of all -- waiting. When there was nothing else left to do but rest and wait for her return, he could not quiet his thoughts. She was capable, he knew this to be the undeniable truth, but still he worried. She had promised to send word when she could, but when night came and went once again he was left with another day full of unanswered questions swirling through his mind.

"She'll be okay, G'raha. She most likely doesn't want to worry you with what she's discovered," Alisaie tries to comfort him, yet her reply still leaves him anxious.

They have always asked so much of her, sending her to her death again and again. It’s a miracle each time she comes back, battered and bruised but alive by all meanings of the word. Though he admires her willingness to dive headfirst into danger, he loathes that she even has to - that the world seems content to place all their burdens on her. If she had not been the Warrior of Light, however, they would not have met. This love he has for her would cease to exist and he thinks that must be the greater crime in the end.

Another day of silence and when night falls, he cannot take it any longer. The pacing, the anxiety, the sleeplessness - he needs to hear her voice. Even if only for a moment.

The linkpearl connects on the third attempt, "Mmmh… Raha?" Her voice is heavy, laced with sleep.

"Eisha… I- I didn't mean to wake you…" He sighs, trying to hide the relief in his voice. He all but sinks into the bed behind him.

"'Tis okay. What's going on? Are you alright?"

He suddenly feels foolish, "I… simply needed to hear your voice, is all."

"Oh. Oh. I made you worry, didn't I? I said I'd call sooner… just been a lot going on here. I'm sorry."

"There is no need for apologies, Eisha, not from you. I-" He runs a hand through his hair, trying to keep his voice steady, "I should let you sleep."

"Raha?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I miss you too."

[owlespresso]

May I please request Thancred Waters + “I want to tell you I love you until my throat bleeds"? Thank you for your time!

“I thought you were all dead! Again! And it’s all his fault!” the rage in your voice falls to a strained gasp. warnings: possessive/obsessive behavior, G'raha gets punched, no spice or anything like that

The anger feels like your head is being split in twain. The rage feels like it’s hatching—like your body was simply a vessel for the monster growing inside. As cliche as it is, you see red. Red, red, red. The red of the Exarch’s hair as you yank his hood back. The red of his wide eyes right before you plow your fist straight into his nose. The noise he makes—an agonized cry of pain, satisfies you deep in some instinctual, animal place.

You’re torn down the corridor by strong hands, away from the obstreperous sound of Lyna’s caterwauling and the Exarch’s hurried reassurances. His mantas of ”I am fine, this is my fault, she is not in the wrong—” follow you all the way down the hallway and into your quarters at the pendants. You’re not even conscious of who's dragging you until they toss you inside of the room, the door slammed and locked behind you by one, remarkably harried-looking Thancred. 

Your chest heaves, your eyes wide, fists balled at your side as you come down from your fantod. Thancred’s expression is caught between incredulousness and outright anger. One of his hands is still clenched around the doorknob, his weight slowly leaning against it as he takes measure of you.

“What… what was the meaning of that!?” he begins, sounding utterly flabbergasted. Like he hasn’t seen you perform more audacious feats in your career as the Warrior of Light. “I know you don’t like the bloke, but you can’t go around assault your allies for simply getting on your nerves.”

“Five years. He stuck you here for five years.” your voice rattles out of your body with barely contained fury. The tense line of his shoulders slumps, hard lines of his face weakening. You did this for him. Surely he’s realizing that, by now.

“I… I’m well aware, and I’ve made peace with that. We’ve been over this.” He brings his hands up to rub at the space below his eyes, which close. The weariness adds another few years to his face. “I don’t need you to get angry on my behalf, much less assault our best chance at returning home.”

“Shut up.” Is that your voice? You feel your lips moving, but you don’t quite recognize it.

“Pardon?”

“You don’t know what it was like, Thancred. I-I watched him steal you away, one by one. I didn’t know where you were. I didn’t know if you were still alive. All I knew was that my soul could be sucked away to god knows where at any time, leaving the entirety of Eorzea with no one to help them should the Garleans press forward or should there be another primal summoning or any other number of things the entire continent has decided to let us handle all alone!” Somewhere in between your ramblings, the crackling of your voice bursts into a screaming, howling inferno. The mere memory of that constant, pressing fear and confusion and pain makes your head throb and your heart feel fit to burst.

You’re advancing on him. By the time you realize it, you’re already on him, hands curled into the thick material of his jacket. Your arms shake and your eyes burn with unshed tears, but your lips curl into a snarl.

“I thought you were all dead! Again! And it’s all his fault!” the rage in your voice falls to a strained gasp. Wetness rolls down your cheeks as you slump against him, all of your weight pressed tight against him. You want to melt into him, you think absentmindedly, you can't stand there to be an ilm of space left between you both. He’s left his body armor off, today. The material of his black button up is thin and breathing, letting you feel the warmth of his body. You take greedy inhales of him like a creature starved, sandalwood and sweat and spice. It’s a reminder that he’s here, so truly here—free for you to sink both claws and teeth into.

“...I’m sorry. I should have thought about it from your perspective.” He exhales a deep, rattling breath. A warm hand spreads on the small of your back. Thancred’s lips are soft as they brush above your left brow, his breath a warm, shaky sigh against your skin. 

“I love you,” you murmur. The thought of being parted from him yet again, is too much to bear. Having him so unceremoniously stolen from the Source was terrible enough. But to learn that he’s been imprisoned here for five years? Left to survive in this cold, cruel, practically dead world with no clue as to when you would arrive? The rage nearly swarms back all at once, buit you keep it at bay with indulgent huffs of his scent, with the knowledge that he is warm and alive and in your arms. 

His hand freezes. His spine goes stiff, and you briefly realize that this is the first time you’ve told him that. His expression is frozen, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. You can’t even tell if he’s breathing, but you kiss him on the chin all the same, hands eager as they wrap around him.

“I love you. I love you—I could say it until my throat bleeds.”

[cinnabun-faerie]

G'raha Tia Childhood Friends to Lovers Headcannons

General FFXIV Masterlist ↳ here

Y/N: This is exceptionally long more of a story? It's kind of childhood friends to crushes to strangers to lovers it seems. My apologies, but do enjoy.

You'd been friends as long as you could remember

You had defended him from kids who picked on him over his heterochromia

And you threatened to beat up those other kids to a pulp

But little G'raha didn't want you to hurt your hands

"Don't listen to them. I think your eyes are pretty like that!"

"Really?"

"Yes. Trust in me. I'm Y/N by the way. And you?"

"G'raha Tia."

He'd admired you ever since that moment

Quite possibly little G'raha loved you from the very beginning

And from then on, you two could almost never be separated

Always connected at the hip or the hands

He was always worried when you didn't show up to class some days

And at lunch he'd slip out of school to go over to your house

Your parent/guardian would tell him that you were sick and he'd be sent back to school

Frustrated that you're sick, he would work hard to make you some soup so you can feel better

"Please make sure Y/N gets this!"

And he'd hug you so tight when you return after a few days or so

Gosh it felt like forever without you

And you were equally as antsy when he didn't come to school

You'd make sure to copy notes and get his assignments to take to his home

You always climbed through the window of his room

"Make some room on your bed for me!"

"Y/N!? You can't be here! You're catch my cold!"

"That's okay. I just don't want you to be alone."

Your parent/guardian never thought you were missing when they found your bed empty

Your were probably with G'raha

They never worried as they trusted him 110%

Even as you both grew older

That trust was never lost

"Y/N, I hope you find a nice boy like G'raha."

Cue the eye roll

Why need to find a boy like G'raha when you had G'raha

Wait. What?

"Hey, Y/N. Have you ever kissed anyone?"

You'd blink as your best friend asked you innocently with shining eyes

"No. Have you?"

"No."

". . ."

"Do you want to be each other's first kiss?"

"Sure."

Nothing would change between you two right?

It was just a platonic kiss between best friends

No feelings whatsoever

Right?

"I don't know what to do."

"G'raha, really."

And you'd move in close to him, pressing your lips to his.

Like all first kisses, it was awkward and weird

And there was a lot of giggling going on between the both of you

But you continued to practice with each other

Nothing changed. That's a big fat lie.

You realized just how in love with him you were

G'raha's love for strengthened, keeping it to himself as he didn't think that someone so amazing as you would fall in love with him

But you did

And once you two were adults, you did different things but always kept in touch

That is, until you became the Warrior of Light

Then you lost track of each other for a while

Your hearts ached

But you were always on the other's mind

Your heart swelled with happiness when you heart the familiar voice calling out to you

And you could tell he was smiling from his hiding place

When you two were finally reunited, he was all smiles

"Did I not say we would meet again?"

But you could not get over how much he had changed yet so little

One thing was for sure, he was much more handsome

And like nothing had changed, you two went on as if no time had passed

But it had and you were wanted to tell him how you felt

Sooner rather than later

And like you feared, time seemed to not be on your side

Especially as G'raha found his purpose

That being said, he intended to seal himself inside of the Crystal Tower

"G'raha-"

"Don't step any closer, Y/N. I must do this."

This was the one place that you couldn't go with him

Before you knew it, you'd be separated from him by the door

"I love you!"

You fall to the ground, heartbroken as you were sure that you'd never see him again

But he'd heard you, wanting to shout it out to you that he too felt the same

"I love you, Y/N."

Barely a whisper but his words were full of emotion and truth

And it would be ages before you'd see him again

But ever were there reminders of him everywhere you'd went

No matter how much time had passed and how much you'd go through, he was always somewhere in your mind

You'd even dream of seeing him sometimes

And you'd wake up happy

You were sure of one thing

You'd find a way to get him back

And when you were summoned to the first, you were confused

Maybe a little scared

But you knew

You knew as soon as he spoke

that mysterious exarch fellow

It had to be him

It had to be your G'raha Tia

You would not mistake his voice for anyone because there was no one like him

Well, not in your eyes at least

So many times did you want to rip back the Exarch's hood and see if he was who you really thought

But you also were seeing a new side of him and you weren't entirely sure you liked it

The exarch was a little different from your G'raha

You wanted to get close to him but he always seemed to keep you at a distance

It hurt your heart a bit

Perhaps, he wasn't G'raha after all

Maybe after all that time of missing him, you were projecting your hope onto this person

You were angry at yourself

and you were angry at the exarch

And one day your emotions had come to the surface

"Stop it! Just. Stop talking. I can't bare to hear you anymore."

"I'm sorry?"

"I can't listen to you anymore. Send me on another mission or something. But I cannot bare to be alone here with you! Don't you understand that hearing you talk hurts me!? You sound just like him! But you're not him!"

". . ."

"If you were him, he'd know better than to play these stupid childish games with me! But you're not. So spare me the pain. Please. If you need anything from me, ask someone else to relay the message."

And you'd leave, slamming the door behind you, tears in your eyes as you'd go back to your room

And he'd be left in the Ocular, alone and hurt

He did not intend to deceive you nor did he want to hurt you

"I need to save you."

Even at the end when you were about to turn into a Sin eater, he kept his word

His goal was to save you from death even if it meant his own passing

But when his hood finally flew back revealing what you'd already known, you called out to him

And the last thing you two would think of before you saw black would be the three little words you had so longed to say to each other face to face

. . .

Skip forward a little

. . .

You would go back to the Source and wake G'raha from his slumber

Your hearts would be full as you would kiss him

His arms would wrap around your middle as he deepened the kiss

"I love you."

"I love you too, G'raha. But don't even think of leaving me again."

"No matter where I go, I'll always come back to you."

[galpalaven]

I think I fall under the very small minority who actually loved the expack so let me put my writing degree to use and break down what exactly it was that I enjoyed so much about it --- and acknowledge some places where it fell a little short.

Obviously it goes without saying, but lemme put a big ol' warning just in case.

Spoilers for FFXIV: Dawntrail

I'll be the first to admit that I was apprehensive as hell in the lead up to this expansion. G'raha's last minute backing out of the trip really took the wind out of my sails in that last patch before the drop, so the first... third of the expack was soured in my head.

I'll also be the first to admit that, as someone who is RPing in my mind, the angst of my WoL being upset because her boyfriend decided without mentioning it to her that he wasn't coming after she'd already pledged herself to the cause of helping this stranger on her quest was juicy.

It's possible that this low expectations for the pack actually colored my overall opinion, when it turned out to not be absolutely terrible writing. Still, let's get into some of the drawbacks I felt while going through the MSQ

Cons

SLOW

Now, this is both a curse and a blessing.

After Endwalker, it would have been REALLY hard to keep going at that level of danger and drama. It is just not possible to keep something interesting story-wise when you keep it at that level constantly. You have to let your characters and your audience breathe -- it's just a fact of good writing.

In Japanese, there is a concept known as ma, which is described as the silence between claps. It's also used as a fundamental part of the story beats of Japanese literature. Think of any Studio Ghibli film, or even any anime with random beach episodes -- these are things that include that breather in the story, to allow the story to grow and breathe, and allow the audience to rest. If you don't, you run the risk of your readers developing compassion fatigue and getting bored.

THAT being said -- it is quite slow at the start. A lot of running little errands that feel kind of meaningless that made a lot of the beginning of the adventure feel like a chore. While this fed into my RP angst quite a bit, that was me making it more palatable for myself. It dragged for a while, even though I felt like it picked up as we got farther in.

No Scions :(

I understand from a writing and technical standpoint why they decided to distance the Scions a bit from the central storyline, but that doesn't mean that I liked it.

One major complaint I have of A Realm Reborn was that it is just so inherently lonely -- the Warrior of Light has no friends and no constant companions at that point. While Dawntrail at least gives us a new set of companions whom I have come to love, it did bring up those feelings of loneliness again. I'd have liked the Scions to be more active in the story, though they do end up showing up near the end of the expack. I'm not sure how they would have done that, however, though it would have been nice for maybe at least Estinien to have come along with us and the twins and Krile.

Still, I am glad we got to have a reunion at the end of the expack. It was nice to have my boy back, at the very least.

New Characters are New

TBH, this isn't entirely a bad thing, but the new characters are new and change is often something we rail against naturally.

While I personally really like the new characters, they are not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Wuk Lamat is overbearing and naive, Erenville is "dour and ill-tempered", Koana is stubborn and stoic.

That being said, I didn't like most of the Scions until Shadowbringers, so while it makes it hard to stick with it, it's important to note that these characters are at the beginning of their story. We should give them the same time that the Scions had to grow on us before we make any forever judgements.

We're Not The Main Character

I also felt the disconnect in this story that I didn't feel through the last several expansions -- not since ARR have I felt like my character isn't quite connected to what's going on.

This time, though, it's intentional.

While I think it was a necessary step to take to bring the story down from Endwalker, it can make it hard for the audience to relate and care if they're not the central character. Playing the side character to Wuk Lamat's MC is tough for some people, and it's a valid reason to feel disconnected, even if it's really hard for our character to realistically be the Chosen One forever.

Pros

Solid Plot

I know people who didn't and don't care for the story of this expack won't agree, but from a technical standpoint, the story hit all the beats it needed to. The first half of the story following the contest for the throne has a much lower-stakes but technically sound rising action into the smaller climax of the early story.

Then, crossing the threshold into the other part of the continent, we cross into the rising action leading up to the real future plot of the series. And it really left me feeling interested in where we're going to go from here! I knew based on the patch content past 6.0 that the future of FFXIV was likely going to involve the other reflections, and we got confirmation here.

Maybe it's the Azem in me, but I'm super excited to see where they go with it. After the amazing payoff of SHB and Endwalker, I have faith that they will be able to build up a good story again given time.

I'm looking forward to seeing Ryne again and Zero and seeing what roles they'll have in the future, because I'm sure there's no way we've seen the last of them. I've been so curious about the remaining shards and what kind of worlds they are, what kind of lives and civilizations are built there, so I'm happy that it seems like we're leading up to learning cross-dimensional travel. I'm also super intrigued by the Lalafell revelation? Are they aliens? What the fuck??

As central as every other race has gotten to be, I'm glad lala fans are going to be getting their moment moving forward.

We're Not the Main Character

I dunno about you, but it was kind of nice to have an adventure where my WoL got to just indulge in being an adventurer, and not have the weight of the entire universe on her shoulders. I like that she was an unknown in Tural, and that she was more or less just there for moral support. It did more to make her feel like a person than the story of ARR ever did -- for once she was no more or less important than anyone else, and that felt nice.

Upset as I was about G'raha not coming along, getting to kind of roleplay being an adventurer at a normal time in history, when the major problems are just wildlife or local feuds, felt good. Felt fresh. And yeah, I got a bit bored doing the fetch quests, but there was a part of me that kind of appreciated it (while wondering when it would start to pick up -- and pick up it did!).

THE CHARACTERS

OOOOOHHHH the character writing HIT as good as it always does.

Granted, it didn't really start to hit until about midway through, but it did hit. And let's be honest, the beginning of every story might leave you feeling a little disconnected or unsure -- that's just because it hasn't had a chance to hook you yet.

Wuk Lamat, Koana, and even Bakool Ja Ja all get lovely character arcs in just the first third of the expack.

We see Wuk Lamat grow from a naive, silly young woman to a humble, graceful leader -- who still has a lot to learn, but her favorite thing is learning, so that's great! Truly, she takes the power of friendship to its extreme. Plus, there's something nice about being this almost all-powerful adventurer and taking a back seat to help someone grow and learn and show them what you have learned works best for helping people and helping whole entire civilizations grow and find prosperity.

Koana starts off as Mr. Gentrification, and throughout the course of the contest learns that even though some technologies are good and helpful, tradition and culture is what makes his people them. And he learns to love them and he sees for the first time that his baby sister has the right idea, upholding this peace and working to better every community within their borders while upholding cultural traditions. Plus, it's adorable how he seems to get a lil tiny crush on the WoL (even if my girl is in a happy relationship with G'raha).

Even Bakool Ja Ja, who I wasn't really expecting much of anything from, got his own character arc. I really do love "villain becomes your best friend after you knock him out good once" as a plot device, and this is no exception. Plus, the entire story arc of the Blessed Siblings was so deeply fucked up that it really shook me because I was not expecting it at all, but I'll talk more about that in a bit.

Erenville, my love, he is my WoL's new best friend who I wasn't expecting to like that much but deeply and truly won me over by the end. I cannot begin to tell you how hard I cried in the Golden City when his story arc got fulfilled my god -- I am so easily swayed by good character writing, and the only other expansion that has made me weep like that was Shadowbringers, so I know that it did something right, because I'm not actually often moved by fiction like that. I hope he sticks around for a while, because I think his dour demeanor is such a fun addition to the team makeup. He's a quiet, calm presence that I think my WoL really appreciated, especially during the early parts when she was still upset about G'raha's decision to stay behind.

Fathers: The Expack

Maybe I'm biased, but familial trauma, ancestral trauma, and family ties that go above and beyond blood -- those are some of my favorite narratives to explore. And that really wasn't the direction I was expecting it to go, but it felt really good to get away from the heavy war overtones we had the past several expansions to get to something a little closer to home for a lot of us.

It was so interesting to really see these different family dynamics -- from Wuk Lamat and Koana, who grew up loved and happy and feeling worth existing despite how we find out that Koana was abandoned, and Wuk Lamat... wasn't abandoned, but believed she was -- to Zoraal Ja, who clearly internalized his father's love for his siblings in the worst possible way, and felt so entitled to his love and acceptance that he believed his siblings lesser and he believed that he was the only one who deserved his father's love and his father's throne. And it's so bizarre to see how his own insecurity bled into his own child, into the idea that he didn't deserve to be a father because he hadn't a kingdom and a legacy to hand down.

(We won't get into what other things I think about Gulool Ja's conception, as it's.... quite dark.)

Bakool Ja Ja and Mamook was also an insane twist that took me off guard. The fanatic worship of the Blessed Siblings turning into forced conception and likely forced weddings among the people who lived there was so deeply disturbing -- not to mention the catacombs of cremated babies like.... my god. Suddenly the desperation he had to win, and the way he had no idea what he wanted with the throne should he get it made complete sense. His father clearly hadn't raised a leader -- he'd just raised him as a warrior. How could he complete the tests Gulool Ja Ja set when they were all about community and learning to appreciate others, when his entire life he'd been raised to be perfect and superior, with no room for error lest he lose the love of his family that he so desperately craved?

The last few expacks were much more plot focused, which was fun and wonderful, but this one was far more focused on relationships and family and culture, and it was a really interesting shift that left me feeling so refreshed and, as we lead into the next series of patches and the next part of the story, I'm ready and eager to see where we go! As a writer myself, I am all about character, so it was a lot of fun to get to see these characters and see the story Square wove with them.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I think overall this was a good start to a new story.

I think it's a hard shift to swallow at first, especially since we've all been used to very plot-heavy story-telling so far, but I really do think that this expack didn't completely fail. I think it is a beginning, and so we can't appreciate all the pieces we've put on the table yet. Think of it like an unfinished puzzle -- how can we appreciate the full picture, when we've only got the edge pieces put together up to now?

Yes, maybe keeping in mind that this is a start and not a finish colored my impressions the whole time -- but I think that's kind of the point? Don't compare this to the full, finished product that Shadowbringers and Endwalker were, compare it to the start of our story -- to A Realm Reborn, which is the equivalent here.

The story had all the strong character writing that Square Enix has given us in the past. The plot was slower, because they are trying to start another slow build, and so the pacing is different. The world was still beautiful, we had a lot of really fun gameplay, and I think we have an interesting hook to move forward on.

I think FFXIV Dawntrail was a success in all the places it mattered.

does anyone want my opinions on dawntrail

[fate-bound-in-crystal]

Twin Stars Bound in Crystal

Here are some information on Ziero and Zeryde, my current Warrior of Lights, and 'twin' Azems (in which the seat of Azem was held by two ancients and the stone split in half).

They exist in a canon-adjacent timeline that follows the MSQ almost exactly, with some alterations (mostly that Estinien's dragonblood is woken up by Nidhogg possessing him and changes him physically)

Ziero Gahjewesfv - Gleaner of Light

A Veena from Sharlayan in his early thirties who just wanted a simple life, damnit. When Ziero was sent out on a gleaner mission, he did not expect to take several years to go home to Sharlayan.

Dutiful to a fault, Ziero is a caring man who falls hard for those who look at him like he's the sun in their sky. He often tries to bottle up his anger and frustration, until his darkside rises and he explodes in rage. He also believes he's cursed with killing his lovers; his lovers keep dying off on him and he's very sick of it.

First Encounter With the Scions: Post Killing Ifrit

Notable Relationships:

Zeryde Azdaj: Found family, something more than 'adoptive sister'

Alphinaud: Found family, little brother who he's very proud of

Alisiae: Found family, little feisty sister that is helping him dabble in magic again

G'raha Tia: Ex-crush/bedfellow, fucker who LOCKED HIMSELF IN A TOWER AND THEN TRIED TO SACRIFICE HIMSELF. AGAIN.

Haurcefaunt Fortemps: Ex-boyfriend/support network, GODS DAMNIT WHY DO MY BOYFRIENDS KEEP DYING

Notable Storybeats:

Meets Zeryde mid Titan fight

G'raha's sacrifice almost breaks him, but Ryde keeps him sane

He becomes very protective of Alphinaud during Heavensward

Haurcefaunt is sort of a rebound relationship that affects him VERY hard

He takes up dark knight post Vault

Ziero handles most of getting Hraesvelgr to fight Nidhog while Ryde is kidnapped by said dragon

He forces himself to keep Hien at arms length bc he's sure that Hien will die if he gets with him (yes, he thinks he's cursed)

Alisiae starts teaching him red magic once she's well enough

Ziero takes the brunt of the light corruption, and Ardbert is one of his shards

Primary Classes: DRK, RDMish

Formerly: SCH, SMN

Non IC Classes: WHM

Currently IC: G'RAHA TIA I SWEAR TO FUCK--- ALSO ELIDIBUS FUCK OFF

Currently in-game: Shadowbringers patch content, currently dealing with Elidibus.

tags: #gleaner of light

---

Zeryde Azdaj - Scalebound in Light

A monk of the Radiant Host, and unwitting spy for her shatrap in Eorzea. An ancient Allagan experiment long put in stasis, Zeryde isn't exactly sure when she 'woke up', and generally will tell you she's around 20 to 25 summers in age. She is sent to Eorzea to 'learn and grow' and stumbles into the limelight almost by accident during an Adventure Society mission in Outer La Nosaea.

Ryde is stoic and quiet for the most part, keeping her desires and wants to herself. Overtime she learns to open up, and becomes aware that she's incredibly naive to the way the world works. She can be jealous and greedy when she lets her baser instincts take over, and absolutely vicious in combat. Estinien is the one outlier, the who seems to be able to read her at all times and brings out something primal in her soul.

First Encounter With the Scions: Mid Titan fight, quite literally

Notable Relationships:

Ziero Gahjewesfv: Found family, more than a brother though she's not really sure 'what' they are, really

Alisiae: Found family, will protect with her life, kinda has a thing for her

Alphinaud: Found family, also will protect with her life, has less of a thing for him than his sister

Estinien Wyrmblood: It's... complicated. They're bound together in a way she can't explain, and he awakens something in her blood that roars for his presence.

Haurchefaunt Fortemps: She loved him, though tried to not get in the way of him and Ziero's relationship. Until he made the first move.

Notable Storybeats:

Meets Ziero and the Scions mid Titan fight

She encounters Estinien one evening on a walk in Corthes while they're dealing with the heretics (he pins her in the snow, all snarls and sharp edges, and all she can say is "by the twelve you're gorgeous")(yes that one scene from princess monoke)

She finds G'raha mildly annoying, but is amused with how enamored he is with both her and Ziero

Midgarsomrs' blocking access to her blessing actually wakes up her blood -more-

The Crystal Braves' betrayal comes at no surprise to her, and while she's furious with Alphinaud for his naivete, she also can't fault him for it (bc she's naive too)

She falls HARD for Haurchefaunt but keeps it to herself for moons

Traveling with Estinien is a whole experience for her

Nidhogg kidnaps her when he over takes Estinien and she essentially is his prisoner for most of the post HW story

Nidhogg - and by extension Estinien - lay claim to her and awaken her dragonblood

Estinien going AWOL does not help her as they go into Ala Mhigo and Doma

Being shunted through time and space ALSO DOES NOT HELP. Raha summoning her into the First breaks the soul bond between herself, Estinien and the reminants of Nidhog inside Estinien

In doing so, she ends up rejoining with her shard from the 13th, and goes reaper/monk

Her voidscent manifests as her dragon half

Her voidsent is a sassy little dragon

Primary Classes: MNK, RPR

Formerly:

Non IC Classes:

Currently IC: There's a lot of brooding going on and she is sticking close to Ziero as they try to bring their friends home. She was notably absent when Estinien did his check in

Currently in-game: ARR, lead into Titan

tags: #scalebound in light

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Other WoLs that are being played on an off:

Kakaji Kaji - Shortstack

Smol popoto who stabs with a spear bigger than she is. Not sure where she fits in or if she's in a different AU yet. But she's got purple and white hair in a punky undercut

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Retired, more or less:

Arym Neim'leif: Tbf she's just stuck at the lead into to Ultima Thule but I haven't had a muse for her in a year

W'eleneill Bernd: I have a complicated relationship with her and her FFXIV character, and she's happy to sit on her island retreat with her giant wolf. I haven't even done recent patch content with her, though will probably revive her briefly to go through the next expansion (as one does)

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LAST UPDATED: April 11, 2024

[elizabethrobertajones]

36. Do they enjoy going camping together?

57. Who stays up too late and makes stupid jokes?

93. Who makes the other breakfast in bed?

(Pick a different ship for each :D)

Hiiii :D

I'm thinking Frogmeric for 36... Based on my zeal to steal Aymeric away and get him out of the office... I think he would enjoy it a lot simply for that reason and being with the Warrior of Light on a bold adventure (escape from paperwork and fend off talking about work for 72 hours). They decide on the Sea of Clouds because it's safer than the Churning Mists by far and there's still people nearby to ask for help; they absolutely end up in a Vundu trap by morning anyway no matter how careful Frog was about choosing a nice spot and securing it, and then once Frog's managed to get them out they have to smooth over the diplomatic incident because who knew the Lord Commander would be sleeping rough next to a small fire and snuggling in the hollow of a tree with a scruffy warrior? Frog says next time they will camp on top of Moghome because what's the worst that could happen there, and Aymeric heartily agrees and then like another year elapses before he can be pried out of the office again >.>

57 is definitely Frogcred. Frog and Thancred tease each other all the time anyway because their vibe is BFFs (drop kick each other if they see each other in the store flavour), but they've only rarely ever spent a night together so those nights were really special. They'd stay up and talk and joke because who knew if they'd ever get a chance to do this again, especially when they always tell each other any time they have hooked up it's entirely a one off (again?) and this will never happen again (for sure). I love the thought of them being the sort of people to come up with a really stupid in joke and when one of them is right on the edge of falling asleep, the other pokes them and whispers it to them again and they crack up and start laughing and set themselves off again for another few hours. Their collective IQ drops many points when it's just the two of them :)

93... Awww, made me think of G'raha and Erenville (I'm still pushing that agenda :D). G'raha absolutely is the sort of person to want to make breakfast in bed and between thinking of their resources at the Baldesion Annex and Sharlayans in general, I can only hope they're buying the superior bread that we invented in the alchemy/culinarian line, because otherwise Erenville is waking up to Archon Bread toast with some jam on, and a mug of black coffee. It's okay, it's the thought that counts. But also, this may only happen once, and then they will make the effort to get dressed and go down to the Last Stand no matter how sleepy they are because this attempt did not go over well...

[bard-of-light]

Muse(s) List

Mehna Nuwu

The main Warrior of Light. She grew up in a small village outside of the Black Shroud with her older half brother. Her mother died in childbirth and soon after, their father abandoned them. She ran with a local gang until she was 17 and she hated her brother for "abandoning" her when she was 16 to make a fortune as an Adventurer.

Starting out her journey at 18, she met her friend Allane on the carriage ride to Gridania. She originally is reckless and she has no regard for her own safety. After joining the Scions, she learns to care for others and to open up to her friends.

After her defeat by Zenos' hand the first and second time they fought, she learned to not be so reckless and arrogant. She harbors a grudge on her brother for leaving her alone when she was 16. She also has PTSD from when she was corrupted by the Light.

Her romances are Alisaie, Hilda and Y'Shtola (depending on what AU).

Isert Fiecoy

A merchant's son from Limsa Lominsa, he grew up in a loving household but he longed for adventure so when he was 20, he left to join the Adventurer's Guild in Ul'Dah. A skilled Paladin, he quickly rose in the ranks of the Immortal Flames. By the time he is 25, he is a Captain and he has many campaigns under his belt, including leading a squad at Cartenau during the Calamity.

He is a terrible flirt and his fellow adventurers, Inako and Akoko tend to tease him for his flirting habits.

He was originally in a relationship with Haurchefant but after his death, he was determined to be alone until he fell for his fellow Azure Dragoon, Estinien.

Inako Urabito

Born and raised in Namai, she grew up under Imperial rule. At a young age, she was trained as a Shinobi by her parents. When she was 22, the Liberation front tried to take back their land by the Garleans but they were thwarted by Zenos. Urged by her parents, she fled to Eorzea. She felt like a coward and vowed to get stronger to avenge them.

She loves to learn and she is basically the mom of the group. When she gets feelings for Lyse, she begins to panic and tries to avoid her. After awhile, she permanently moves to Ala Mhigo to be close to Lyse.

Akoko Ako

Akoko grew up as an orphan near Camp Drybone so she learned how to fight at a very young age. She is the spitfire of the group. She will set someone on fire if they call her cute or look at her wrong. She's a Black Mage, Astrologian and Samurai and everyone teases her for being a chaotic Healer.

While she is a chaotic gremlin, she is a huge softie around Nanamo and eventually, they start a secret love affair.

Ewe'ya Masku

Mehna's older half brother, he did his best to raise her but she was in trouble a lot. He wanted to bring her with to Gridania but she denied him. He promised to come back but two years went without a word.

He rose in the ranks of the Twin Adder as a White Mage and many of his missions were long and dangerous. By the time he was free, he heard rumors of the Warrior of Light being missing in action. He rushed to find her but there was no trace. He eventually made it to Ishgard but by that time, Mehna was in Doma.

While in Ishgard, he trained to be a Machinist and became close friends to Hilda. After hearing that the Scions were whisked away to the First, he traveled to Mor Dhona.

He and Mehna eventually patch things up and he starts to fall for G'Raha Tia. He is playful and affectionate. He loves to give hugs. While Mehna is laid-back and stoic, he is hyperactive.

Avere Storme(I will update once I have a decent picture of him)

A member of the Resistance in Ala Mhigo, he was only 12 when his homeland was taken over. After fleeing, he went to Limsa Lominsa where her trained as a Warrior. He eventually learns to be a Summoner, Scholar and Monk before rejoining the fight in Ala Mhigo.

During Stormblood, he is taught how to be a Ninja by Inako and he begins to get feelings for M'Naago. He is a stoic person but once he trusts someone, he is loud and happy.

Azha Nuwu

Mehna and Alisaie's adopted daughter, she grew up with a lot of love and at the age of 5, the Echo was awoken in her. She has no talent for magic or music but she is a talented Monk and Dancer. She begins her journey at the age of 16 and she has Alisaie's sass and reckless nature but she is also very kind and protective like Mehna.

As her journey goes on, she pleads for Thancred to teach her how be a Gunbreaker despite Mehna's insistence.

[karoiseka]

Starlight

((5.3 Spoilers!! I figured this should take place before the events of 5.4, just... because.  Have a sappy, Happy Starlight story!))

"It's snowing!" G'raha's surprised, yet excited voice carried to where Karo was still buried in a mountain of blankets on the large bed in their suite at the Rising Stones.  He had gotten up to tend to the fire, but the odd light from the windows had called to him, beckoning to view the world transformed by the thick layer of snow that was continuing to pile up.  He stood transfixed by the sight outside, red tail swishing--betraying his emotions as he lifted his right hand to the glass-paneled door leading out to the balcony.  Even though they had made the trek North to Coerthas since he had returned, and there was plenty of snow there, Mor Dhona had not received more than  a light dusting, melting almost as soon as it had fallen.

His braid, messy from sleep, whipped around as he turned to face the bard still in the warmth of the bed.  Karo noticed that he was rubbing his right arm again as he fully turned to face her--she was sure it was a left over habit from when it was solid crystal and almost completely without feeling.  She smiled at him, still not fully awake, watching as he self-consciously stopped and with a calming breath walked back over to the bed to perch on the edge of it.  Leaning over, he cupped her face with his hand, kissing her forehead then lips gently, fingers running along the crystal hair tassels that never left the ends of her braids.

“Happy Starlight, my Star,” G’raha’s voice had dropped to the quiet calm tone, the one sounding closer to when he wore the title Crystal Exarch.  The melding of his two personalities was going well, the older of his memories grounding the enthusiastic youth that had never left the Source.  The joy in being back, and alive, seeped into all of his actions though, making every venture new and wondrous, optimism overflowing.  

"It looks like some gifts have been delivered under the tree," the boyish mischievousness was back in his voice as he continued to play with Karo's hair as she slowly came to full alertness--the Warrior of Light happy to be somewhere that it was unnecessary to do all at once. It had been one thing after another almost consistently since she had joined the Scions, so she reveled in the occasions she could take time to be lazy. It was definitely one of the first Starlights in several years that didn't feel overshadowed by melancholy or missing friends. Leaning into his hand with a small sound of contentment and a murmur of a ‘Happy Starlight’ in return, Karo smiled, her expression matching his.

"Well then, let's see what the Saint of Nymeia has left us!" Wriggling out of the nest of blankets took a few moments, as playfulness on both their parts didn't make for an easy job of it--wrestling and tickling, burning off early morning energy before finally grabbing a blanket to wrap up in and moving down the loft stairs to the main room where the decorations glowed in the early morning light.  Karo rushed the last few steps down, blanket falling to the floor, as her eyes caught one of the waiting gifts, glowing faintly on the table next to the tree.

“Raha!! How?  But--these are from Rak’tika!!” Karo stumbled over the words as she carefully picked up the vase of blue flowers, the same that lit the path to Fanow, now here on the Source in her home.  G’raha beamed at her, his voice full of pride that she obviously liked the gift.

“You may be Feo Ul’s [sapling], but your [branch] still likes to do nice things for you, and being near you, she could hear me call as well.  I remembered how you told me you loved these flowers, and wanted to make sure you had a bouquet.  She enchanted them so they will always smell that sweet and will never wilt.  Her only request is that you don’t forget to call on her.”  Karo had the good grace to look abashed at that, knowing how many times she had frankly forgotten the pact she had with the Fae, or even just in ignorance of how much she could safely call on them.  Taking another whiff of the blooms, Karo placed the vase down on the fireplace mantle, mentaly sending a burst of joy down the connection she shared with the Fae King before clearing her throat and turning with a package in her hands for G’raha.  The paper it was wrapped in was not smooth, or secured well, but it covered the gift adequately.  Holding out to him, her ears dipped and her tail twitched nervously as he closed the distance between them to take the gift from her hands with a smile.

“I know it’s not much, and you’ve probably already heard and researched it all before, but I hoped there would be at least a few insights you hadn’t heard yet,” Karo’s babble had started as G’raha had peeled the paper from the journal he now held in his hands.  The brown leather cover was embossed with the red Star that had caged the ancient primal, and inside was a neatly written account of her personal thoughts and discoveries, including rough sketches of the wonders therein.

“I did my best to remember all we had found about Bahamut when exploring the shards of Dalamud, and I got Alisaie and Alphinaud’s help with some of the details near the end.  There was a lot of Allag technology in there that I haven’t seen elsewhere, and I know I gave a report when we were done, and you might actually remember more than I learned--” G’raha stepped forward closing the distance between them and stopping her rambling with a deep kiss.  Karo froze in place before leaning into him, relaxing and letting her nerves dissipate.  

“It’s amazing,” the scholar beamed at her, holding the tome to the side as he pulled her into a tight embrace.  “No matter what I’ve learned so far, having your first-hand account, along with notes from the twins about what you found there is priceless.  I’m going to enjoy reading this.”  He kissed her forehead as they were so close then looked back down at the book, running a hand across the cover, smiling.  Placing it carefully on the table, they headed back to the little kitchenette for some breakfast before getting ready to head out for the day.

                                                   --K--

Donning their warm Starlight robes (G’raha had received one as a gift this year), they headed down to the main rooms of the Rising Stones, hand in hand as they greeted their friends.  It seemed that the newest Scion wasn’t the only one to receive a home-made robe, as each of Scions were bedecked in a rainbow of colors all of matching Starlight garb.  Tataru in her typical pink was buzzing from group to group, ensuring everyone was fed and happy before the core group headed outside in a fit of energy to help clear Mor Dhona’s streets of the piled snow--especially around the aetheryte right outside their doors. 

The snow was still coming down lightly, sun peeking between the clouds making the whole town sparkle.  Not to anyone's surprise though, when the work was nearly done and the afternoon stretching on, the first snowball was thrown, sparking a heated battle.  No one would admit to starting it, but the group paired off with Alisaie, Y'shtola, Krile, and Karo on one team, Alphinaud, Thancred, G'raha and Uriangier  rounding out the second. 

The mock battle lasted several bells, with the townsfolk cheering on the Scions in waves, occasionally joining in. Every time it seemed to be winding down, someone else would get a lucky throw in, and the melee would begin anew. Finally winded, cheeks red with glee and exertion, a truce was struck--as the Warrior of Light was tackled into a snowbank by the combined efforts of G'raha and Thancred.  The three of them lay there laughing, Karo holding them fast to her, enjoying having them close.  Kissing them both on the cheek, she took the proffered hand from Alisaie helping her out of the snow, and pulled the younger girl into a hug before they all gathered around a fire that had been set up.

By ones and twos the group slowly retired for the evening, Karo and G’raha left alone to watch the flames flicker in the twilight.  The Miqo’te pair leaned against each other, tails twinning, worn out from the snow battle from the afternoon.  As a shiver ran through the Bard, G’raha hugged her extra close before standing and tugging her up after him.  Naught a word said as he led her back into the Rising Stones, and above to their shared suite.

                                                    --K--

“Comfy?” G’raha looked down at Karo who was now sprawled across the couch they had ended up on, head resting on his leg.  They had both changed into something that wasn’t soaked with snow, and settled in for the evening curled up together to end Starlight as they had started it.  Karo nodded almost imperceptibly, however the slight purr of happiness reached her lover’s ears as all traces of tension left her body.  He knew he didn’t have much energy left either, but the draw of the journal gifted to him earlier was not to be ignored.  Opening it, he reached down to caress one of his shining Star’s ears, amazed once more that she was at his side after all that had happened.  This had truly been the most magical, amazing Starlight he had celebrated.  Getting to stay at her side, watching her laugh, he wanted more.  To get to know her even better, know what kept that smile dancing upon her lips, to know what made her heart race, and her favorite everything.  Using a tendril of magic, he tugged at the blanket at the other side of the couch, using the magic it to cover her without having to move or disturb her one onze.  

“Happy Starlight, my love,” he whispered, turning to the book in his hands, letting her take him on yet another adventure with her words.