#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.

[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.

[ainyan]

She moved too swiftly for sight. One moment, she stood there glaring at him, the next she stood before him, the front of his robe clenched in her fist as she drew his face down to hers. “I am the Warrior of Light, G’raha Tia. Such a sacrifice is my most likely fate. But I will be damned if I see anyone else I care about sacrificed in my stead. I am so damn tired,” she rasped, “of losing those I love because they judge me more important.”

He gazed at her across the ilm separating them, his allegan red eyes anguished. “You are more important, Ainyan,” he said. “You are the most important person in the world.”

She scoffed. “It’s not like Hydaelyn can’t find another Warrior of Light.”

He hesitated, then, “I didn’t mean because of that.”

She stiffened. “Oh.” Her fingers loosened in the folds of his robe as she searched his face, her brow wrinkling with her slight frown. “Oh,” she repeated, and he started to pull away. Her fingers tightened, preventing his escape, and her lips curved in a curious smile. “‘Tis good to see you awake, G’raha Tia.”

The same words she’d spoken to him after the defeat of Emet-Selch, when he’d first proffered his apologies. Now, as then, he felt his eyes fill, spill over down his cheeks. “‘Tis good to be awake,” he whispered.

She searched his face a moment longer, then leaned in. He felt his breath still in his breast as her mouth touched his, a testing brush of lips against lips. At the spark that speared down his spine, he sucked in his breath and heard her gasp in kind. As he reached for her, she released him, only to slide her arms around his neck and draw him in, body to body.

His arms wrapped around her waist; it was difficult to remember to be cautious of his crystal arm, to ensure that he did not bruise her - especially as her mouth fastened on his, hot and hungry. As he responded in kind, he felt her lips part, her tongue flicking out testingly, and he closed his eyes and let himself go.

Let himself fall.

WolG'rahaWeek2023 1 - First Kiss

OC: Ainyan Dreamweaver

NPC: G'raha Tia, Crystal Exarch

For the whole tale of their first kiss, see the story here on Ao3.

[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.

[oathofpromises]

anger has its place. anger has fire, and fire moves things.   // g'raha @ stella c :

Stella grimaced as she did her best to bandage her knuckle wounds. So much blood was shed, and she was always the one who had to direct their rage at their foes. When will it all end? Sometimes she was even surprised by how much anger ran through her blood. Most people only saw the lovely Warrior of Light. The individual who would put others' needs before her own, thereby sacrificing her own.

The Au Ra sighed, knowing that the wounds on her arms would remain for some time despite the healing magic she was applying. Though it's also possible that she was feeling guilty about having to kill so many people, She closed her eyes as the burden of her obligations grew heavier in her heart. Before the tears that had been threatening to run down her face all day could, someone knocked on her door. It was late, and she assumed that the rest of the scions were already in bed. Stella quickly collected herself after taking a breath before moving toward the door. She was getting ready for whoever was waiting behind the door and for whatever job they might need her to help with at this late hour.

"G'raha, I wasn't sure who was knocking. Come in." She said this, stepping aside to enable the red-haired Miqo'te to enter her chambers. It wouldn't be the first time he had dropped by to see how she was doing. She was accustomed to him keeping a careful watch on her wellbeing, which did matter a lot. Nobody seemed to recognize how much she had been struggling lately. She couldn't grumble, though, because too many people had high expectations for the Warrior of Light.

"I apologize for the bloody mess. It took some effort on my part to help certain wounds heal while I was trying to tend to them."

Avoiding G’raha's gaze was difficult. The woman had returned from missions before, always covered in blood and wounds. It was the sacrifice she had to make in order to fulfill her job as the Warrior of Light. The wounds would heal, at least physically. Inside the Au Ra chest, there was so much rage. She even once questioned why she was chosen to be the Warrior of Light. There are undoubtedly many more people who would be more suitable for the job.

Despite all efforts to maintain the Warrior of Light's serenity and composure, G'raha's worried expression could not be avoided as the two sat on the side of the bed. He appeared both concerned and eager to speak his mind. Since she got back, Au Ra has avoided eye contact and gone straight to her room. Normally, she would spend some time updating everyone on her most recent escapade, but she was visibly fuming with rage.

"I…can't run from this forever, but my heart is filled with grief and hatred. I've tried to act as if everything were fine, but the deaths I've caused to protect the safety of so many others are too much to bear. This makes me wonder if they picked the appropriate individual to be the Warrior of Light."

Stella found it difficult to conceal the fact that she was struggling to cope with so much from those she cared about. Anyone who genuinely paid attention to the woman could tell how heavy the burdens she carried were. The way it was gradually robbing her of everything she had If she was meant to be a hero, why did she have so much anger? She abruptly perceived G'raha speaking. His voice was as calm and unjudgmental as it always was.

'Stella, anger has its place. Anger has fire, and fire moves things.'

Pink hues widened at his comment; he was attempting to encourage her. Let her know that it was all right for her to feel angry. Everything was moved by the fire. Which some people have already likened her to. Then she felt her chest begin to ache. An image from the day her parents perished in the fire appears. She felt tears beginning to fall. As a matter of fact, Stella felt as though she were sinking farther and further into that abyss of nothingness.

"My apologies. I have no right to be sobbing right now. You are correct in saying that fire can move things, yet this rage has destroyed so much. I just don't think I have the right to be the Warrior of Light anymore," Stella murmured as she attempted to calm herself down, but it was too late. Her suppressed anguish and wrath were slowly rising to the surface. This wasn’t fair to G’raha, he had merely only come to talk to her. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do, yet the Au Ra had denied herself that for so long.

[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.

[thuriweaver]

When did your OC first know they were polyamorous? 

How many partners does your OC have? How did they all meet?

So I'm answering these for my Warrior of Light from FFXIV, R'aelyn Vahe. She's a Keeper of the Moon miqo'te (catpeople) with a Seeker of the Sun father. And since I have a "canon" version of her and several AU ones, depending, these are based around the verse @maplelantern and I call the "PolyAm AU" which is an alternate version of Etheryis that's more fantasy adventure without the calamities and ascians and MSQ plotline going on. So we can just have fun and play.

When did your OC first know they were polyamorous? 

So miqo'te culture is canonically rather interesting--there are two main clans, the Keepers and the Seekers. Keeper family groups are traditionally the mother and maybe a few other adult females raising their young together and only seeing males to mate. Seeker family groups are like lion prides--one or two males and a group of females.

R'aelyn grew up in a Keeper group with her mother, her mother's sister, and another female who was her mother's partner all raising all their kids together. And she's aware of how Seeker society works, too. So while she loves romantic stories and tales, she never had that societal expectation that monogamy was the only way. She didn't consider the logistics of her own particular polycule until it developed, but it was no great surprise to her to fall in love with more than one person.

How many partners does your OC have? How did they all meet?

Three total! And strap in, this gets LONG

The first is R'egan, @maplelantern's OC. R'aelyn was playing her lyre in a tavern when some of the drunk patrons got fresh--and R'egan jumped in to defend her, not realizing R'ae had a couple of long daggers hidden under her skirts. They ended up fighting back to back and R'aelyn helped clean up R'egan's bloody nose after. They got to talking and started traveling together and hiring on as caravan guards and other basic adventuring things--though they weren't together at the time. If one of them saw someone she liked, they'd spend the night with them and then move on. R'aelyn was definitely attracted to and interested in R'egan, but since R'egan had never shown any sign of interest in her, she was content to love her platonically instead.

Second is G'raha Tia (because if you dangle a short redheaded little shit in front of me I cannot resist them, OMG, yes I have a type, blame the Alanna books), though when she first meets him he's in disguise as an older Hyur (human) named Dahn. He claims to be a rich traveler and treasure hunter and hires her and R'egan to guard and guide him on the search for the "Unei's Shrine" where he's hoping to find the mysterious "Coffer of Unei".

They find out partway through the journey--when he helps in a skirmish against some bandits and overreaches himself, breaking his illusions--that he's actually miqo'te about their age, whose right arm is made of crystal--and that the coin he promised them was in fact a bag of rocks. He explains that his family has an affinity for artefacts of the ancients, and he messed with one that gave him a lot of magical power, but also is slowly turning him into crystal. And that he only wants the Coffer, they can keep whatever else they find in the Shrine.

Against her own better judgment, R'ae likes him, and agrees to help anyway. They find the Coffer, it manages to give him control over his power and reverse the crystallization--aside from a patch covering his palm--and they fall hard for each other in the process. Which is when R'egan gets jealous, realizing maybe R'aelyn meant things to her she didn't realize, but also that she likes this G'raha, too, and emotions are bullshit. But eventually they work it out and travel together and have their own little pride which @maplelantern talked about here.

Third and final is Haurchefant Greystone, an unfairly handsome elezen (elf). They meet him when working as guards for a larger caravan going through Coerthas. He's an experienced adventurer/mercenary, who is in charge of the caravan guards--and immediately starts flirting with all three of them, because they are a fascinating little pride and also it's what he does. R'aelyn flirts very happily back and catches G'raha doing the same, and while R'egan seems oblivious to his flirting, she's been staring at him every chance she gets. So the three of them have a meeting about it, to confirm they're all interested and what would they like to do about it? So when the caravan reaches its destination they ask if he has plans for the night and they spend a week or so in bed together. While some noises are made after about going their separate ways, they all blow past it very quickly and their trio becomes a quartet.

(for the "Polyamorous Ship Asks" meme)

[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

---

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

---

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)

---

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...

[minnowtes]

SO! Y'know how in the G'raha Tia voice video, sometimes there are little notes in the corners bc I simply cannot contain myself wELL

The way the Exarch says "Break" and "Il Mheg, the faerie kingdom" are two of my most favourite goddamn lines PURELY because he just feels so smug and like how he was in CT and it's so,,,,, I love him anyway point being, the way you drew that scene even in one page alone is like 500 bajillion pages in my heart, if that makes sense.

I love his smile when he casts the spell as well as when you see Ran'jit just sitting on the ground like ">:(" while The Exarch in the background is like ":3" his little smile is so,,, not "squiggly" but like just the subtlest ":3" that I've seen. It's so endearing.

Vivi looks so cool in the Crystarium armour. Did you intend to exclude the shoulder armour, bc it looks really good, like he looks like,,, a prince,,, but like a faerie tale prince. Like in the purest sense, he looks so nice in it,,, ough

I can almost hear them being out of breath, with Thancred sharing what's been going on and Vivi's laugh in the panel below even as he's running away. Ryne looks so curious to see him. I wonder what Thancred has told her about Vivi.

Alphinaud doesn't look the least bit concerned about roaming the mist forever while Alisaie looks so annoyed asdhjk I can see it in like just the slightest tilt in her lower lip as she talks, she is Not having a good time but Alphy is just going along with it. He's so lighthearted compared to her, I like the contrast between them in Il Mheg here.

The little shock crown next to Alphinaud's head when Ali implies that he's boring ;w; I imagine he's weighing his options for response and the fact that he chooses to ignore her comment is *chef's kiss* Often Alisaie is the one who gets a rise out of him, so this is a good show that Alphy isn't always the one being bullied asdhjk

Ali's face when she's like "ignored?!" is so good XD I love how expressive everyone is in your comics

All the pixies coloured in your comics look like light being split in a glass shard. They're so,,, prismatic and colourful and vibrant. How do you choose to colour them? :O

Feo Ul is back!! I love Feo Ul, have I told you that yet? I love how they describe human nature, as if it's something so wonderful and good. Like I said in the previous feedback, this is a world that is falling apart and it's further divided by region before the night skies return. It's very sweet that Feo Ul thinks this of people, esp bc FFXIV doesn't pull its punches abt how Bad they can be (and playing as a character who sees so much of that bad).

And how Vivi meets this optimistic view with something almost... not cynical, but his smile looks almost plastered on. He looks tired thinking abt the things he's seen (it's the line under his right eye, on the viewer's left, it really shows tiredness very well)

Feo Ul pouting ;w;

Oh, I noticed Vivi's hair is down :O I love the detail you add that when he's lying down, his hair tie is off.

"You little monster" Oh I can hear how endeared he sounds when he says it asdhjk their friendship is so sweet and warm ;w;

"I bask in you like one basks in the sun" The Warrior of Light is always compared to, well. light. The Exarch refers to them as his guiding star and. well just their entire title overall, but there's something inherently warm about Feo Ul comparing Vivi to the sun-- something that is essentially a source of life.

A bit of a ramble, but it's more special bc there are many notable moments where the Warrior of Light is compared to a herald of death, such as (but not limited to) the dark knight quests and Elidibus' jabs at them in the patch quests. Also the fact that most of the time, when you have to save a life, you often have to kill.

Ofc you did say before that Vivi has grown numb to the suffering over time, and if I remember correctly you mentioned that putting down monsters specifically is an improvement to Stormblood, which is totally fair. In ShB context, you're (ideally) putting the people who turned into sin eaters out of their misery while also saving those they will hurt later.

It's more or less just that the WoL has killed so many people. And ofc even though Vivi is hailed as a hero who protects, it still comes at a cost, and the fact that he is numb to it at all is just... really sad ;w; yknow?

Anyway, point being I think it's its own sweetness and warmth that Vivi is being Directly Compared to a source of life in the most positive of manners, and coming from someone who sees the best in humans (but ofc they aren't blind to the worst). Sometimes you need someone who loves you to tell you that you are good.

"I wish I could see the sun again" I also love this, because I don't remember anyone in ShB mentioning how they miss the sun bc they just get so much light in Norvrandt (corrupted light, but light all the same). I imagined the First being somewhat chilly, like the temperature is like cloudy weather chilly. I think this also has a lot to do with the colouring being somewhat on the colder side, so it feels colder, if that makes sense?

I talk a lot about warmth in my comments asdhjk

Vivi's expression is a little difficult to describe for me, mostly because there just feels like there's so much in it. Is he surprised because Feo Ul compared him to the sun, or because they mentioned that they wanted to see the sun again?

Is it understanding? Logically, of course Feo Ul has been affected by the light as well, but they hardly show it. Is it hearing them say this out loud that puts this expression on his face?

Is it compassion, not in the sympathetic sense (not to say that he doesn't feel sympathetic, but that it's not the first thing he feels atm), but part of the understanding aspect, like he is seeing that they also have a longing?

Also the flowers and the grass framing his face make him look so soft,,, like warm soft. Like when winter ends and spring takes its place and it starts to warm but it's still chilly and there's dew on the grass, but your clothes aren't terribly damp, you're just. Comfortable. VIvi gives me gender envy.

It's not a Jaye comment if I don't talk about how much I love their smiles, and I have a little more time to really get into it this time >:'3

I love the Exarch's confident smile to his :3 it's so,,, 🌷

I love Thancred and Vivi's smiles when they're talking while they're running, how... not carefree, necessarily but they just look so light (weight-wise) here 🌷

I love how relaxed Alphinaud's smile is in Il Mheg, you can see how calm he is here for the moment 🌷

Feo Ul's warm smile talking about the wonders of humanity 🌷

Vivi's tired smile, and then his little playful one when he's teasing 🌷

The colours are all done wonderfully, the character's outfits, their eyes and expressions and how everything is so bright (even the fog!) and magical, even if we've seen Il Mheg once before. Something about the place just always feels so wonderful no matter how long we are there. I love how you draw it.

Wonderful chapter as always. Thank you for sharing! 🌷🌷🌷(flowers for you!)

✧✦✧ "Fragments" - episode 30 ✧✦✧

This hero's deaf to the loud cries for salvation, but a gentle plea of a friend will reach him. Probably.

New reader? Start here: @ffxiv-fragments

[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.

[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).

[oathofpromises]

“Your absence has gone through me like a thread through a needle. Everything I do is stitched with its color.”

( my absent lover starter for the WoL from the Crystal Exarch )

Stella held a hand to her heart, as she listened to G'raha speak. How long she had yearned to hear him say he missed her. That she wasn't the only one who suffered during the other's absence. It had been unbearable to see his back fading. The tears that had slipped passed her eyes, as the Au Ra tried to remain calm. Her heart, a whirlwind of emotions. He always did have a way of making her feel such affections. The two were alone in the Ocular at this point, the rest of the scions retired for the night.

"Raha....you want the truth? My heart burned for you since that day. There has never been anyone else that I feel like this for, despite the stories written. I can’t think of anytime I didn't think about you. Seeing you here, in the first...I'm left with so many questions. How exactly did you end up here? The amount of pain you suffered just to get to this point...I can't bare to think of you alone all these years."

It made her heart ache, imagining him enduring all of this without anyone to lean on. Yes, he was the Crystal Exarch to the people of the first, but to her he meant the entire world to her. Slowly, she walked closer to the other, his hood down now. They had no need hide anything from the other.

“Your absence shook my very soul.. There wasn’t, nothing I wouldn’t do to bring you back…even if that meant losing myself in the process. You mean the universe to me..I chose you Raha. It's always been you."

Her hand slowly reached up, cupping his face, feeling the cold of the crystal against her touch. Oh, how she missed him..no matter how much time had passed, he was still the beautiful man she had fallen in life with during the Crystal Tower quests. The one person that could cause such a stir of emotions within her chest. This was new to the traveler, no one had managed to work their way into her heart to the point she could hardly think of anything else.

"If I could've given up everything to join you back then, I would've in a heartbeat...there wasn't any day that passed that I didn't recall our adventure into the tower. How quickly you managed to warm into my heart. I didn't want to let a single person that close...usually anyone near me ends up getting hurt, or worse..."

Stella glanced away, a sorrow behind those pink eyes. Her mind wandering to the moments she had lost dear friends. They had given up so much just save her. Why was she worth so much to everyone? Is it because of her title. That only she could prevent the darkness from consuming the world. Surely, the weight was starting to tell.

"I am not worth such affections Raha...no matter how much I love you. In the end, you will only suffer more being close to me..." A part of her didn't mean that, but could she risk losing him all over again? No..the very idea of saying goodbye did nothing to soothe the storm inside her chest. The others were gone, surely it was okay to be a little vulnerable around Graha, but he had so much on his shoulders too. Her body refused to listen to her mind though, as her forehead leaned against his chest. Fingers grasped at his robes, as her face was hidden from his view. It wasn't like the warrior of light to show such emotions in front of anyone. People expected her to be the hero, so no matter what she would always put everyone else first before her own needs.

'I missed you...my heart it aches just knowing how much you went through to keep me safe. Why did you go far for someone like me? Raha.." muttered the Au Ra, as she allowed tears to fall down the sides of her face. It hurt to keep acting like she wasn't hurt by all this. That she didn't want to be close to him always and the further apart they had been the emptier her soul had felt.

"Please don't leave me again..."sobbed Stella, as her tears hit his chest. It was moments like this that the Dancer would allow herself to show those deeper emotions, but only to him. To her Raha.

[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.”