#My WoL Adjacents

[dragoon-mid-jump]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 4: Reticent

reticent (adj.): not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily.

Rating: G

Word Count: 189

As Tataru showed the newest Scions around the Rising Stones and introduced them to everyone, Krile could not help but detect a prickling sensation in the back of her mind, and the eyes boring into her back certainly weren't helping. She turned to address the Miqo'te boy behind her.

"Kouh'to, was it?"

His eyes were narrowed as if scrutinizing every little detail about everything he looked at. "What?"

"No need to be a stranger. We're all working towards the same goal."

"Hmph." He looked ahead and Krile turned around. In front of them, as Tataru continued to chatter while she lead them, Alisaie was looking at them with an eyebrow raised, eyeing primarily Kouh'to, then turned back forward. Krile looked between them and sighed.

That heavy reticence is masking a deep concern for his older sister, Y'dehlya and her involvement with us. Despite agreeing to join after Alphinaud's little speech, he still doesn't trust the Scions, and very likely only joined to keep an eye on both her and us. I should talk to him later in private; hopefully I can help put him at ease before something happens...

[dragoon-mid-jump]

OP I am Still Vibrating in my seat every time I look at this. You made my MSQ Cats look so good! Thank you!

the minor arcana, shuffled: 1/??

THREE OF PENTACLES; ⤉ collaboration, teamwork, determination, achievements

I made this way back in april but it slipped my mind to share here, so here is my swap gift for @dragoon-mid-jump ft. her three super cool cattes in my tarot card template. thank you for letting me pose them! :D

and thank you to @sasslett and the moderators for organizing the swap event!

[ofdragonsdeep]

5: Stamp

To provide with a distinctive character

Riennaut takes up the lance.

(mentions of general Gridanian racism)

Moving through Gridania was, in a word, exhausting.

Not that Riennaut was a stranger to moving through Gridania. Indeed, he had lived most of his life within the embrace of the Shroud, even if he claimed Gelmorra as his heritage before he would Gridania. He was more than used to the typical attitude.

This was different.

It had been some days since he had last heard from any of his Adventurer's Guild contacts, and longer still since they had heard from him. He had not anticipated becoming an honest-to-gods White Mage, complete with the capital letters, when he had last spoken to them, but he did not imagine they would be all that concerned so long as his healing still functioned fine enough. But Gridania at large did not approve.

He was a duskwight. Even the padjal were only tolerated as users of white magic, the idea that a duskwight might take up the staff was nonsensical. He had been accused of a great many crimes, since he had walked among the public. Theft, primarily. Blasphemy against the Elementals, which included theft. Lying, although that one wasn't new. Typical duskwight behaviour.

What was not typical was the assurances of the Padjal. Your average thief was not protected by all three Seedseers, and certainly not tolerated by the Elementals. E-Sumi-Yan had also spoken out on his behalf, though that, at least, did not surprise Riennaut.

It irked him that it was necessary at all. But it was more effort to hide the horns, and he was tired of humouring the thoughts of terrified reactionaries.

Life moved on, no matter what they thought.

---

His newfound position, as it turned out, was far from the least of his problems.

It had been a distressingly long time since he had last heard word from Ar'telan. He had, of course, heard the news of Titan's defeat, and had thus assumed that he was fine - it would have been at least mentioned if their hero had died in the act. But there was nothing. Not a word.

He was not concerned that he would need to stop adventuring, or whatever passed for helping Ar'telan with the many chores a variety of ungrateful heads of state threw at his feet, despite his status as a newly-minted padjal. A-Towa-Cant had been famous as the only travelling Padjal, and while he could not quite understand the whispers of the Elementals, they did not seem to be binding him to forest service like the more regular Padjali. What he did know, however, was that Ar'telan had been involved in research that had led to the healing arts of Nym. Indeed, Ar'telan had spoken to Riennaut a great deal about conjury, and even learned from E-Sumi-Yan in the hopes of deepening his arts. It was not, therefore, a poor plan for Riennaut to diversify his own portfolio.

As tempting as it was to leave the city to learn another trade, he did not much fancy the idea of being stranded somewhere like Thanalan should there be a development, either with his own powers or the situation that had led him to having them. The archer's guild did not much interest him, and that left him with but one option: the lance.

He received no fewer than ten suspicious glances on his walk from Stillglade Fen to the Lancer's Guild, and upon his arrival, a group of lancers were shouting down a harrowed-looking duskwight. It was not a good omen, but he doubted the archers would fare any better, so he strode past behind them and into the building.

---

He was greeted at the door by an incredibly puzzled receptionist, who was clearly unsure if he should even have been there, and was only saved from having to leave with naught for his efforts by the timely arrival of the Guildmaster.

"Ah, I've heard the stories. An adventurer, aren't you?" he greeted. "I'm Ywain, the guildmaster here."

"Charmed," Riennaut responded, and did not reach out to shake his hand. To his credit, the man seemed unperturbed by the snub. "I am an adventurer by trade, yes. You may call me Riennaut."

"An adventurer? But…" the receptionist began, but stopped when Ywain held up a hand.

"That's all the credentials he needs. Sign him up," he said. "If that is, in fact, what you're here for?"

"Yes," Riennaut replied, keeping 'against my better judgement' behind his teeth. They both heard it, though, and the receptionist looked nervous as she took his details.

An auspicious beginning, and not of the fortuitous kind, but he had weathered worse.

---

The first clash was, perhaps, inevitable.

It had been but a sennight at the guild when it happened. He was doing the same drills as all the others, despite the glances they shot his way, and the same trials that many of them undertook. It was on one such trial, a fairly by the books test of nerve in the central Shroud, that they first met.

Foulques was an angry man. Many duskwights were, if they spent too long near the heart of Gridania, but Foulques had turned it into an art form. Not a particularly engaging one, but there were points to be had for intensity.

"They'll sell you out," he growled. "Those horns don't make you special. They'll have done with you, and the Elementals-" He spat as he said the name "-will use you up and hang you to dry."

"A fascinating theory," Riennaut remarked. "I have some critiques." Foulques growled.

"You can critique the end of my lance," he snarled, lips turning up like a riled dog. "Keep your staff when I can see it and use a real weapon." Riennaut raised an eyebrow at the tirade, and drew his lance as requested.

"If you insist."

---

Foulques was dogged. He dragged recruits into helpless situations, and Riennaut dragged them out. It was clear there was something driving the man - some source to his rage beyond the background tarring brush all duskwights dealt with, something that led to him baiting Riennaut over and over again. Riennaut did not have time for childish shouting matches, and even less for endangering the lives of others, no matter how distasteful he found the other recruits.

Foulques was many things, but he was not, Riennaut thought, a murderer. Certainly his reckless behaviour could make one of him, but it would not be him that dealt the blow. He ranted about the treatment of their people, and acted just like everyone expected him to.

Wild. Uncivilised. Brutish. A danger to the good folks of Gridania.

He did not see the irony.

Trying to get the man to sit still for long enough did not produce results, however. Riennaut played by his rules only enough to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, but even outwardly respecting the rules o fhis ridiculous engagement did not give him opportunities for anything other than listening to a lecture. He had enough of those from the Padjals, and more coherant besides.

He went to Ywain. Stated his thoughts, and his case. That Foulques was a danger, and mostly to himself. That he wanted to prevent the inecitable self-destruction his path was taking him down. Ywain listened, to his credit. It was more than most of those at the guild did.

"…Foulques is angry, yes," he said, which was quite the understatement, but it made the point fine enough. "It is not… entirely without reason, however." Riennaut folded his arms and waited. There was a story, and Ywain knew it - Foulques was clearly a lancer with guild training. He was not leaving until he heard it. "Though you may not like the history."

"With respect, Guildmaster, every time I walk into this hall I have stepped past at least three people convinced I stole the crystal that gave me these horns, and one other convinced the Elementals are but days from striking me down for my heresy. There is little you could say that would surprise me."

Ywain sighed at that, his face falling. He was a tired man at the best of times, but the lines in his face seemed haggard now.

"There was a theft from the Guild," he said. Riennaut thought he did not need to hear the rest of the story. "Foulques was involved, aye, but so too were some other men. Not that I learned that until too late." He folded his arms. "They'd made an agreement to confess to the crime. Foulques was first. The others did not follow."

"I'm surprised he was fool enough to give them the chance," Riennaut remarked. Ywain shook his head.

"Before the incident, things were… not good, but they were better. In the wake of it, it feels like the recruits have only doubled down on the blame, despite my best efforts." There was a saddened look on his face at that, though Riennaut doubted it had ever been good enough to be notable. "I only found out after Foulques had been disciplined and ejected from the Guild, and the Wood Wailers considered the matter closed. If I'd known it would lead to this…"

"No man is perfect," Riennaut replied. "While I understand the… concern this must have caused him, and the hurt, it does not excuse his actions now." He shrugged. "I will attempt to talk him down, though I think him deaf to most reason. We shall see."

"I can only hope you are successful," Ywain said, and his tone did not bespeak confidence.

---

Their final encounter, too, seemed inevitable.

It was a foggy day in the North Shroud as Riennaut answered his challenge - his walk through the woods to the location of what Foulques doubtless intended to be a final challenge blessedly unmolested. The Elementals whispered in his mind, as they always did, and though the words were incomprehensible, there was a notable undercurrent of concern.

Foulques was angry. Seething. More rage than man, like the beasts driven to madness by the spirits. Riennaut would not have been surprised if he began frothing at the mouth.

"What makes you so special?" he demanded. "Why do you get to-"

"Get to?" Riennaut cut him off. "Do you not have eyes in your skull?" That made Foulques pause.

"They wouldn't just let-"

"I did not ask for this," Riennaut snapped. "Indeed, when I got it none where more surprised than I was. E-Sumi-Yan had to assure me three times that I would not be executed on the spot for providing the assistance he requested of me, and he has had to earn that promise since. Do you think they trust me?" He scoffed at the idea. "I am a blasphemer. A heretic. A thief and a blemish. I cannot walk two steps in the city without some slur being screamed after me, and I am chosen by the Elementals. It changes nothing, Foulques. I am not specieal."

"Then why the hell are you allowed to-"

"Because I am not stupid enough to keep friends," Riennaut said, curling his nose in distaste. "Because I have been taught the hard way that the only one I can rely on is myself. And your desperate grasping for revenge has not helped with that, by the way."

Foulques paused. Put his lance up. Scowled like the devil had crawled out of a void fissure in front of him.

"They deserve it."

"Yes, I'm sure those helpless recruits you tried to feed to raptors were personally involved in your struggles."

"They were all complicit. All of them! Even the Guildmaster teaches of courage, and he didn't even have the stones to-"

"Foulques." Riennaut held up his hand. "You have treated me with nothing less than disdain, but I will offer you this regardless. Gridania is a poor fit for you - yes, you were guilty of the crime, but not alone. There is no work for you here, and no redemption, and so you have flung yourself into this mess in some vain hope of feeling… what, fulfilment? Reparation? It matters not." He shrugged. "I may have a Padjal's horns, but I am an adventurer by trade. For reasons that may be obvious to you, I prefer to spend my time outside of Gridania. So. My terms. I will duel you, and I will win, and you will join my adventuring party."

"And what if I win, you arrogant sack of bird shite?" Foulques replied, which was incredibly rich coming from him. Another shrug.

"Then you can do whatever it is you were planning to doKill me, and add murder to your growing list of felonies? Stage a righteous assault on the lancer's guild?" He took his lance from his back. "I do not intend to lose, so I had not paid it much thought." Foulques growled.

"Then you can shove it up your elemental-blessed backside," he said. Riennaut rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure."

It was not a quick fight, and it was not pretty.

Rage made of Foulques a man far stronger than most would be. He was rash, and reckless, and threw everything he had into the fray - and he would pay for it in the aftermath, though Riennaut had no time to think of it. The fog had made the ground slippery, and it soon churned into mud under their feet. But Riennaut had not spent the month training to lose to an angry whelp of a man.

Foulques hit the floor, lance clattering from his hands. He slid through the mud, up against the face of the cliff, and spat out a tooth.

"I will remind you of my terms," Riennaut said, the tip of his lance against Foulques' throat. "Come with me, or prove them right. The choice is yours."

"Fuck your choices," Foulques said, and kicked him in the shins. Riennaut saw him stagger backwards, scrabbling in the dirt for his lance - and the cliff rise to meet him.

"No!" he exclaimed, lurching forward, but he was but a second too late.

He would not even be given a grave. Marked a remorseless criminal, vilified by the Gridanians with nothing to stand against it, another notch on the tally chart of useless, criminal duskwights.

The earth moved.

There was a sound like cracking, snapping twigs, and the trees bent to meet Foulques' fall. The edge he had fallen from collapsed beneath him, and the earth reformed to shield him from the chasm below. With a yelp, the duskwight found himself enmeshed - a leafy net to catch him, and not the cold, unfeeling ground.

"What in the hells?" he managed. There was terror on his face, a hypocritical mask of the bravado-led villain he had tried so hard to play. He knew he had made a mistake. He knew death would have, should have been the answer. But it was not.

There were whispers in Riennaut's head. Soft, insensible, gentle. The spirit of A-Towa, resting inside the crystal that hung from his staff, seemed to chuckle.

Your worry. They felt it. Sometimes they answer.

Riennaut huffed, walking fowards towards his downed opponent.

"My terms," he repeated, holding out a hand. "Though if you wish to traipse home through the mud on your own, you are welcome to refuse me a third time."

"Fuck you," Foulques spat. "I thought you didn't have friends?" Riennaut shrugged.

"I have associates," he responded, "and acquaintances. You are welcome to pick which."

Foulques hesitated just long enough to hear the branch of the tree crack beneath his weight. He threw out his hand, not in thoughtful acceptance but in desperation, and let Riennaut pull him back onto solid ground.

"I shall consider that a yes," Riennaut remarked. Foulques glowered in response. "Now, if you don't mind, I've an appointment in Coerthas. You are welcome to come along."

Surely he couldn't meet worse, after all.

[heirbane]

Love imagining that in both my WOL ship and in an Estinien ship, Gaius is, in fact, not the space heater in bed: they are.

(Gaius absolutely snores and sleeps deeper than he has in decades when he gets to share a bed with either one of them. Their pure radiating warmth reminds him of times curled aside a ceruleum heater.)

[dragoon-mid-jump]

Y'dehlya's main color family is purple, fuchsia being her favorite. She also has red and blue on the side, red for her hair and blue for her mantle as an Azure Dragoon. Purple in general serves as the eventual middle ground by the start of Stormblood, symbolizing her progress in reclaiming aspects of her pre-Calamity personality as she puts the mantle to the side. Although, she did have a falling-out with fuchsia after Eulmore and didn't start wearing it again until roughly halfway through Endwalker. On top of all this, her Ancient self's eyes were fuchsia.

U'reksh's main color family is red, more darker than lighter; his distinction from G'raha and Alisaie. He did dye parts of his hair a dark-ish red before ARR. Gold is another main one for aesthetic reasons. There's no big reason behind why red, aside from it's a bold and hot color, like U'reksh himself.

As for Kouh'to, it was initially darker blues, but green got added to his main colors thanks to the Summoner gears. He doesn't mind green, but his own preference is blue.

the vibes are rancid tonight, so if you shall indulge a little wol question,,,,

what color do you associate most with your wol/oc!

is it their hair color? their eyes? a color they wear often? does it hold some personal meaning in their story? (bonus points if you also include their favorite color, regardless if it's the same or different) <3

[livingshadowss]

.

[dragoon-mid-jump]

What does your soul smell like?

Tagged by: @sylaurin

Y'dehlya:

U'reksh:

Kouh'to and Byron:

Tagging: You if you see this, if you wanna.

[koukouture]

Kou's AO3 ffxiv fic rec list

I am so insane and I literally have only been reading FFXIV fanfics for like the past four or so months so here r some of my favorites

I will split it up into three categories: reader inserts, WoL OCs, and then yk fics with only the characters.

WARNING: I read lots of unsavory shit so please heed the tags in the links as I will not be going over those in this list.

*length of fics will be rounded to nearest thousand

Reader insert's

The Rise of Emperor Solus zos Galvus by amandaterasu

(Emet Selch x reader) Length: 25k Status: Complete (one shot) Review: You don't understand I think about this fic at least once a day oh my fucking LORD. 25k words just GONE in an instant I read this in like under an hour. Actually gigging and kicking my feet this shit bro liiiiiike the way this author writes Emet Selch... ouuuuughhh. I love it when a man is just so insane for his woman that he finds her in another life and immediately starts courting her. Honestly, this shit is just so good it reads almost like a historical drama in the best ways possible. Yeah it's romance (and smut) but it's also politics (kinda) and idk about you but those are my two favorite things. I now need a full length novel about Emet Selch's rise to emperor of Garlemald but yk what this shit is just as good. Bonus points for this author for introducing me to fanfic reading extensions to replace certain terms I will be using this from now on.

Tremble, Duck, & Weave by OwlEspresso

(Estinien, Aymeric, Haurchefant, Urianger x reader) Length: 31k Status: Incomplete Review: This inspired my current big project, Hellbound and yeah idk something about Ishgardian politics man. I'm gonna warn you right now a lot of these reader insert recs WILL be yandere/yandere-adjacent with a lot of unhealthy themes, general debauchery, and doves ranging from beaten to dead so uh... yeah. That aside, this is just a really fun time. Seeing everyone interact with the reader insert and all the different ways they show (or think about) their twisted affections... hnnnng it makes me a little insane okay. Also, shout out to pervert Haurchefant you will always be near and dear to my heart. We were ROBBED in the English translation

Captivate by samsaur

(Aymeric and Estinien x reader) Length: 41k Status: Incomplete Review: Remember what I said about doves ranging from being beaten up to dead? Well, the dove is definitely dead here, but it's rlly juicy because this shit really does feel like a horror story. I am not qualified to speak on it, but I think this is a great portrayal of Stockholm syndrome and the way it's written really puts you into the shoes of the reader insert and you kind of feel that hot and silent shame of being held captive like this. Also, one of my favorite niches of FFXIV fanfics is apparently villain Aymeric. Idk why but he is so good as a villain probably because he had every single reason to turn out one, and he would be a far more terrifying villain than Thordan. If Aymeric wasn't our ally during Heavensward, he would undoubtedly be a huge threat to us and this fic kinda takes that and dangles it over your head. Because, yes, Aymeric is holding the reader captive but he is also helping Alphinaud and Tataru out. It's this balancing act where we know Aymeric is capable of really fucked up things but he is still playing at the perfect image of our noble ally. You find yourself yelling at everyone else not to trust him because you, the reader and his captive, know that he is a piece of shit in this AU and I think it's glorious. Uhhh Estinien is there too ig. It's no fault on the author's part but I just don't really vibe with Estinien as a love interest. Though, his dynamic with Aymeric and the reader is extremely interesting to me. I can't say too much without spoiling all the fun, but I think in a way Aymeric has him trapped under this thumb too.

I'd Ask For Your Soul, But It's Already Mine by Dotharl

(Zenos x reader) Length: 29k Status: Incomplete Review: Guys it's fucking Zenos PLEASE read the tags on this one. Anyways I love my porn kjakjfjkjakhshjfjhk. Okay but genuinely I always say this, but Zenos is surprisingly genuine as a love interest because he doesn't put WoL up on a pedestal and just loves them for all of their worst bits and THAT is the appeal of enemies to lovers. This fic plays with that, especially with the reader insert being a Dark Knight WoL where Fray talks some sense into them and helps them recognize their self worth. I won't lie to you, this fic starts out with VERY fucked up Yandere fuckboy Zenos energy with all of the dubcon included, but I kinda don't care + it's just genuinely well written at times. The dynamic between WoL and Zenos is very nice here, bc yeah it starts out... like that and then it evolves into mutual respect when the reader realizes that Zenos would treat them well and not yk use them as a weapon. Albeit, it does go kind of quick but eh, it's like 4 chapters so I can't fault the author THAT much. Besides, not to diminish the fic, but it IS pretty clearly just kind of a pornfest and that is A-Okay with me! This shit was also last updated in like 2022 so I'm pretty sure it's abandoned.

Not a Champion, Just a Knight by Kei_Cordelle

(Haurchefant x reader)

Length: 23k Status: Incomplete Review: This one is in kind of a weird position because this is an AU where WoL dies at the Vault instead of Haurchefant, so there isn't exactly any HaurcheWoL action to speak of. But, WoL definitely haunts the characters' actions. Bro, when I tell you, the worst part of this fic is actually Alphinaud being very NOT OKAY bc WoL is dead. He is just a baby what the fuck do you mean he watched his friend, confidant, and hero die in front of him???? Yeah sorry I love Alphinaud a normal amount. (that is my SON) Anyways, this is written in first person which is weirdly a turn off for some people? I don't get the hate tbh, because first person just opens up so many fun opportunities! You can break the fourth wall much easier and directly address the reader, and you can also have the vibe that this is a retrospective of what the character saw. The later is definitely the vibe this fic gives. It's like, if the Heavensward memoir was written from Haurche's perspective in this AU. To me, I like to think that this fic is Haurchefant telling the tale of his greatest love and regret in writing. I feel like the action scenes could use some work but they're not terrible. It's just that they're literally one to one recounting of the Heavensward trials and it's just not the best. I think there's also the issue of the cast becoming slightly bloated so it is a bit rough to account for everyone's actions during fight sequences. I really do love this fic though because I think it's really interesting to see how everyone is unraveling. Obviously, we as the WoL take on a lot of things that are almost impossible for everyone else so to see them take on the monumental burden of the hero is very interesting. How would our companions react to certain things? Since during most trials in canon we take it on alone, how does everyone else fit in? Are they all doing the mechanics correctly? All in all, solid fic and I am holding out hope for that fated final fifth chapter since the last time it was updated was back in January and it was started back in 2022 so one day I hope that this will be complete and I get to see the final mental breakdown as the squad completes Heavensward with the legacy of WoL looming over them ✨

WoL OC Inserts

Coerthan Traitor by Cascanora (@cascanora here on Tumblr)

(Zenos x OC, a bit of typical Emet Selch and Azem reincarnation messiness) Length: 190k (GOD DAMN-) Status: Ongoing Review: The author of this fic is highkey like a celebrity to me bc I gobble up their art like it's fucking Christmas morning. Imagine being God's favorite and being blessed with the ability to draw AND WRITE??? Fucking insanity bro. Also, their OC, Crow is fine as hell like one chance ma'am pleeeeeeaaaaaseeee goddddddd- Anyways onto the actual fic, I am admittedly only on the first arc which is kind of like the childhood arc ig. But I really love it so far because I've just never seen anyone really write Zenos being kind of young and vulnerable and playful? That's a lie, I think I've read like one Zenos fluff that I'll have to dig through my AO3 history to find again (bc you'd best believe none of my bookmarks are fluffly...) so I just really like the change of pace. Zenos is obviously always put in more enemies to lovers type scenarios so I kinda like this different angle because yeah maybe he was something resembling normal at one point. Obviously he's very fucked up for a reason, but he was a kid too. He didn't always go off about biting jugulars and drinking blood or something, he got fucked up. I am so far absolutely living for a lot of the political stuff bc as I've said before, romance with a side of politics (or vice versa) is my cup of tea and nobody pulls this shit off better than fanfic authors. I'm really interested to see where the political stuff goes but it's like 2am (sheesh) as I'm writing this so I will have to delve further into this fic later. Anyways can I take a moment to talk about Crow and Zenos? Because they're so fucking cute I love themmmmm. I feel like I'm coming at this as someone who has seen a lot of Cascanora's art so I see when Crow and Zenos' relationship develop into when they're adults, so seeing the early stages of it is really cool to me. I don't quite know how to explain it? But anyways I am raving about this fic bc I think it just builds them both up so well and again, I don't see Zenos written to be playful and yk act his age the way he does around Crow. They just work together so well and while at the point of the story I'm at they're definitely just friends, I think that's the beautiful thing about friends to lovers. Regardless if it's romantic or platonic love, Zenos and Crow are a package deal. Also, Emet Selch/Solus in this fic is perfect. I LOVE my geriatric old man telling stories about his past. I would go off about how I am very captivated by the whole Galvus family dynamic but I will save that for the other fics bc this review section is already super fucking long and you had BEST BELIEVE I'm scouring the internet for Galvus family fics. I lied I will talk about this a little more because this strikes an odd chord with me as someone who wrote a lot of my own longform OC x Canon growing up. I kinda shamed myself off doing that kinda stuff as I got older, but diving into FFXIV where everyone becomes fucking Shakespear with their WoLs has made me let go of my fears of being a cringefailure and embrace the OC x Canon. To see really well written and thought out OC insert stuff is very comforting to me bc I often worry abt my own OCs being shitty and not really fitting in but fics like this assure me that hey, maybe I can make cool shit and that really is the most beautiful part of fanfiction and fandom in general. Fandom is this incredible loop of finding amazing shit and thinking "wow, I wanna do that too" and it's just really rewarding.

Save the Last Dance For Me by lalahganaja

(Alphinaud x WoL OC) Length: 11k Status: Complete (yatta!!!!) Review: ALPHINAUD MY BEAUTIFUL SONNNNN AAAAAAAARRRGGHHHSJGFKJGSGKHJHJF. This fic is so delightful bc it feels like I'm cheering on my children to kiss. A'tahja is so fucking precious and her and Alphinaud just bounce off each other so well. This fic also has the other Scions making an appearance and I fucking love it so much. Found family will never NOT make me absolutely batshit insane. Like yes, Y'shtola mamma cat <3 anyways *chews on Alphinaud and A'tahja* This is just so insanely fluffy and it made me slam my desk every few minutes bc cute teenage love story!!!! How can I not!!!! Alphinaud just acts like an adult a lot of the time and gets put in a lot of adult situations, but in this fic he just gets to be a little guy. A'tahja too, obviously as the WoL she's often off doing insane shit that no teenager should ever have to do and bearing burdens that are too much for a little skrunkly such as herself. But here they just get to be silly little kiddies who are very down bad for each other and it's adorable. I think another thing I really liked was A'tahja getting more in touch with her femininity? Idk how to put. But basically she had really short hair for most of her life bc she pretended to be a boy while in poverty, so to see her be A) pampered and B) learn to take care of herself and be more girly was super cute to see. Also, I am just always really surprised whenever I remember that Alphinaud can drink lmao. Like no, you are a baby (I was the same age as Alphinaud when I started playing this game) put the beer down and go sip on a capri sun or smth. God. Kids these days...

Canon character fics (?)

and i'm your clone, your strange creation by egg(strwpup)

(Fortemps familial angst from Artoirel's pov) Length: 6k Status: Complete (oneshot) Listen to me, I love this fic beyond words, but for the sake of my mental health I will NEVER read this shit again. My daddy issues go fucking DEEP like this is utter insanity. Don't get me wrong it is beautifully written and I love complicated family dynamics- but by god this fucked me up so bad. See, I like to personally believe that Edmont was a good, albeit flawed father but his sons know that he loves them and they love him in turn. But I know deep down in my heart of hearts that it is so much more complicated than that because you know, we can't have nice things here at Square Enix. It just personally fucks me up because I too, like Artoirel in this fic, am a momma's boy at heart and I... kinda hate my dad lmao. Basically, I kin Artoirel in this fic. Oldest child who has it out for my father + hates that I'm kinda like him. He loves his mother but holds contempt for his father, perhaps unfairly but can you blame him? (yeah I'm not only describing Artoirel here...) Edmont is a less than stellar father in this fic but you can tell he loves his kids and aaaaaaaaa I'm tearing up again. The complicated family dynamics + the drama of what happened in Heavensward is just so fucking delicious bro. 10/10 this fic destroyed me in every sense of the word and I do not want to go through that emotional reckoning again. However, I will be writing Edmont as a shitty dad in my fics now. Sorry but I am always just so insane for that sweet sweet eldest child and father dynamic because it's always so disastrous. Having parents is just so strange.

mon corps, le mien; mon coeur, le tien by steelthighsvoideyes

(Aymeric x Haurchefant x Estinien with a side of angst + Haurchefant survives the Vault AU) Length: 43k Status: Incomplete Review: I also started tearing up while writing this review because Haurchefant just does that to me okay? I feel like with a lot of Ishgard trio ship fics Haurche is always kind of left out? Or, he feels a bit tacked on to the Estimeric dynamic. That, or he's just sitting there with unrequited love bc clearly this man has not suffered enough. With this fic however, it definitely feels a lot more balanced. Like yeah a majority of the fic is just Haurchefant and Estinien bonding in the hospital, but Aymeric still feels present because of their shared past and how it's constantly being brought up. (in a good way) All three of them get the spotlight so you don't really lean towards one pairing. Romance aside, I really like the Ishgard trio's established dynamic in this fic because they're just guys being dudes. Besties who were in the military together. Like, Aymeric balances the trio out, Haurchefant is the sort of boisterous youngest member and Estinien is gruff and sarcastic and the banter between the three of them just flows so naturally. It's an actual friendship dynamic that serves as a solid foundation for what will hopefully be a romantic dynamic later on. Once again, friends to lovers is so good for this reason because the foundation is already there. You appreciate them as a person and you are aware of their flaws from the get-go, so when it turns romantic you skip a lot of the awkward exploration phase and can just be comfortable with each other. Anyways as for the crying part- the Fortemps familial drama follows Haurche throughout this fic and it does make me a little, tiny bit crazy. Not gonna spoil it, but the way Haurchefant feels about his family in this fic is just so real and visceral because of course it's super complicated. Once again, I like Edmont being a good dad, but realistically, it's shades of gray. Another thing about Haurchefant that not only this fic does but a lot of other people also head canon, is that his selflessness and willing to give can be self destructive at times. Once again, not gonna spoil, but it's just super heartbreaking to read Haurchefant be almost hypocritical, telling his friends to take care of themselves only for him to almost completely disregard himself. That's kind of what he does at the Vault in the first place, like that man died knowing that he did the right thing and protected his friend and oh god I'm gonna cry again I should stop talking... (I am not even kidding when I say that I will eventually write a Haurchefant character essay...)

Unicorn's Favor by Neyasochi

(Aymeric x Haurchefant x Estinien, yet another Haurche survives the Vault AU) Length: 34k Status: Complete Review: So, this is one of those fics where I feel Haurchefant is kinda just taped onto the Estimeric dynamic, and that's fine, it's whatever, I'm here for the porn and the banter. The premise of this fic is that Haurche helps get Estinien and Aymeric together and then smutty gay things happen. And that's all well and good BUT I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE FORTEMPS BROTHERS IN THIS FIC!!! *holds them gentle* For me, the best part of this fic was Haurchefant's relationship with his family which for a change, is NOT super angsty and complicated. It's all very heartwarming to see how in this fic the brothers get along very well (contrary to canon where unfortunately we know they were never very close) and to see Haurchefant really appreciate that he's still alive and gets to be around the people he loves more. It's just super cute and fluffy and now I just need fics like this in general. Yeah whatever it's not canon that the Fortemps bros actually like each other this much BUT IDC!!!! YOU NEVER SEPERATE TRIOS!!!! Speaking of trios, the Ishgard trio dynamic in this is yk it's fine it's whatever. In this particular fic, I find it quite cute that Haurche had a crush on Aymeric as a kid, so even if they aren't all buddy buddy in this fic there's still that lingering admiration and it's cute. I also completely swear by pansexual Haurchefant bc that man does NOT discriminate. Okay enough abt the French I will talk about the Italians (Romans) now.

Far colder on the earth than in the heavens by Altimas_Bane

(Galvus family things) Length: 7k Status: Complete Review: I told you I love my familial angst. No, I'm NOT okay. It DOES make me absolutely rabid that Emet Selch as Solus couldn't help but have some hope for the sundered because of Lucius because can you fucking imagine that??? Your son who gave you a little bit of hope for the broken, shattered people who replaced your brethren dies and that is the nail in the coffin. That is what makes you fully believe that they are unworthy. It was briefly mentioned in the short story "Through his Eyes", but Emet Selch had a little bit of hope for Lucius, and he was probably distraught when his son died. This fic goes over that agonizing feeling of watching someone slowly waste away from sickness. It is slow, it is painful, and it is gut wrenching. Idk man, just read it.

Son, Father, Emperor by January Blue

(Varis reflecting on his life and especially his relationship with Zenos)

Length: 12k Status: Complete Review: Heyyyyyy do you bitches remember when I said that Varis probably loved Zenos when he was younger but eventually held contempt for the monster he created? You all probably thought I was crazy for reading them like this BUT I'M NOT!!!!! Anyways fatherly angst strikes again (I am in shambles and this fic goes onto the list of fics that I will never read again for the sake of my mental health) LISTEN TO ME AND LISTEN WELL; Varis and Zenos' relationship isn't so black and white. No I'm not defending Varis- but come on the entire Galvus family is fucking crazy man. Anyways, to quote the comment I left on this fic because I do not want to repeat and retype it myself: "Varis, in a lineage of men that are strong, born into the arena that is politics, is WEAK because he is EMOTIONAL. Solus/Emet Selch calls him emotional in the cutscene he was introduced in (unless I'm hallucinating) and that SENT me because I was forced to rethink all of the information we had been shown of Varis until then. I wrote him off as a shallow villain but I did some digging and Varis is surprisingly the most empathetic in the Galvus household and it SHOWS whenever Solus berated him in cutscenes." Varis had emotions, he had morals he had a line that he would not cross. He has been shown to be merciful (when we parlayed with him in the Ghimlyt Dark) and it's known that he at least cared for his late wife, Zenos' mother. Obviously, he would extend that to his son at one point, right? Perhaps when he was still young and unmarked by the world- right???? See, I really like this fic because it frames Varis' absence from Zenos' life as unintentional, but at the same time, it does not absolve him of the fact that he is a terrible father. I don't want to say too much because I would very much like it if YOU, my dearest reader, took as much emotional damage reading this as I did- but I digress. Varis and Zenos' relationship is not as simple as "Varis hates Zenos" there's obviously some shades of gray here. I personally believed that there's no way Varis hated Zenos because Zenos' mother died in childbirth, and clearly, other people think the same. Listen, you don't just hate your own flesh and blood, at least, not from the very beginning. It's a slow process, and I know it in my heart of hearts that Varis regretted what he let happen to Zenos This fic is just so wonderfully written and I was actually kinda bouncing around my room reading this. Once again, major daddy issues, so maybe that's why I like believing that Varis loved Zenos once upon a time. Something, something, father's love their kids until they grow a mind of their own.

And that's my list! In the future as I make my way through fanfics I have marked for later due to spoilers, I might make another one of these because I think people need to read this shit!!!!

If one of your fics is on here please send me an ask so that I might go back and edit this to tag you!

[dragoon-mid-jump]

Aw, feel better!

For the most simple answer, the only thing Kouh'to really knows about Kastor is what Y'dehlya and U'reksh told him: A younger Ancient who often worked in Poeiten Oikos. He was known to Venat, Persephone, and Ares, but less so Hades and Hyth, and that he was often in the company of Polydeukes, his twin sister. He doesn't know about how Kastor lost her to Zodiark after an argument over whether the Convocation was in the right, but it does explain Kouh'to's own protectiveness of Y'dehlya.

As for the WoLs themselves:

Both U'reksh and Y'dehlya have been gradually learning more and more about Ares and Persephone through the memory shards and also actually meeting them when they went back in time. They met the Azems right after the Ktisis Hyperboreia incident, both fully expecting to pay their mentor a casual visit, not discuss the End of the World and what happened after in their Shards' time. But the experience was an eye-opener for the WoLs, finally learning that the Azems are the reason why they've been as driven as they have been so far.

To U'reksh, Ares is honestly the coolest person he's ever met and wants to learn everything about him and from him. Yes, even his backstory in relation to Pandaemonium. It just explains so much more about why Ares is as emotional and big-hearted he is about certain subjects and U'reksh inheriting that. Ares, in turn, has treated U'reksh like the son he never had.

Y'dehlya finds Persephone interesting, especially in how much carried over into her during the Sundering. Their dynamic is more distant than U'reksh and Ares. As sociable and personable as Y'dehlya is, she finds herself having genuine difficulty talking with Persephone. Her Ancient self is the one making all the moves and calling all the shots, running just about everyone else in circles, winding them up, and wrapping them around her finger. She finds herself craving her past self's approval, another very new and strange feeling, but as it was pointed out to her in Ultima Thule, she already has it, noted by the sustained manifestation of a mini version of Persephone's battle form over her own clothes.

Probably the most awkward thing the WoLs have learned about their past selves was the fact that Ares and Persephone used to be lovers in a polycule with Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus, as not only do Y'dehlya and U'reksh not feel that way towards each other, but also have their own romantic partners.

A WoL question for the day, since I'm home sick and feeling awful:

How much does your WoL know about their Azem (or their ancient if they weren't Azem)? Have they unlocked the memories in the memory shard? How do they feel about their past self? Gimme your lore.

[wolpromptaday]

In reference to this mornings prompt.

Writing like all art, is a form of therapy. While this was not intended specifically to reference 9/11 I didn’t hesitate in posting it today for my own reasons.

There are people out there like me who lost people on 9/11, not just in the USA but all around the world in the other attacks. I lost friends from FFXI in the Twin Towers and I’m close enough to DC that the smoke from the pentagon reached my home. For that much, 9/11 has been a rough day for me personally since a decade before the attacks. Some of us have continued losing people for years after in adjacent military campaigns. Some of us know people who were on one or all of the ground zeros. Some of us have never been allowed or able to process our emotions.

If the prompt does what it’s supposed to and makes people think then it’s served its purpose. Perhaps it gives people the space to grieve, releases a long held anger, or lets them cope with their feelings in other ways. Art is therapy.

There isn’t a random draw bot that pulls from a list. I write these prompts for the month ahead of time, meaning I have a list that I make at the beginning of the month and post from each day. I purposely put that one down for today and I won’t apologize for the timing. Yes it’s difficult but it stirs up the emotions needed to be an effective writer.

Yes, sometimes art offends people and sometimes it draws upon strong feelings. In the end you have to realize how much media nods back through history. Take Star Wars for example, the galactic empire was based on Nazi Germany. We turn a blind eye to this because of how popular the saga is. In a few weeks the world will celebrate Halloween and play a song that talks about a massacre in Ireland simply because the song is titled “Zombie”. Never mind that it’s about the events of April 24-29, 1916. It has nothing to do with Halloween. But people continue to turn a blind eye to its true meaning.

The purpose of artists is to make people uncomfortable.

I understand that you and maybe others have a problem with that prompt being on 9/11 but it wouldn’t have an impact on Christmas or New Year’s or any other plain day. For that much it could have been posted on December 7th, or August 6th and no one would have said anything. Because no one really remembers what happened on those days.

I chose a day where the entire contemporary world saw evil and learned the definition of tragedy. Much like the survivors of the previously mentioned dates. Today is a day that has living people who remember what that feels like, the emotions are still raw. Not just in the USA but people who survived attacks all around the world on 9/11/2001. It is far more impactful than any random day. (Though most if not all of the people who have had issue with the prompt were not alive yet or too young to remember the events of September 11, 2001.)

I hope in the end that you are able to respond with an open mind. Tragedy surrounds us every day. You can let it hinder you, allow yourself to be blind to it, or expand your mind and do something that contradicts the intended outcome. Someone wanted the world to fear them. Will you let him win? The world was attacked that day, how do you cope in parallel to your WOL/D?

You do not have the right to not be offended. These prompts are meant to make you hear, feel, think. Our emotions are what make us who we are. If this is something that haunts you and makes you emotional, then I only succeed in our goal.

You’re welcome.

- Griever Worship

[mimble-sparklepudding]

Hey! With people sending in suggested ships both cursed and sincere I wanted to stick my oar in with how 👀I've been at the idea of a Humble/Aymeric ship on that sincere end of things. Especially when I saw your musings on the kinds of ship tropes you were potentially intrigued about, all of which I think would lend themselves excellently to a ship with those two;

Friends to Lovers - there's a lot of canon support for Aymeric coming to consider our characters a good friend if Humble's adventures map onto those of the MSQ, but even if they don't I feel very strongly that Humble is the kind of person Aymeric would love to be friends (and then potentially more >:3) with.

Secret Relationship - care/concern around political implications given Aymeric's (and potentially Humble's - I realise I'm not sure whether you consider him to be The WoL or not in your stories!) position in the public eye and how gossipy and judgemental Ishgard can be, as well as it maybe just being nice to have a secret thing that's just theirs on their own terms and they don't have to worry about how they're coming across or what other people think.

Dude in Distress - Again, if canon MSQ is being followed the WoL canonically busts this guy out of jail and then he helps the WoL out when they're in trouble at Ghimlyt. And there's loads of other points in the story where the two are on the battlefield together and could come to each other's rescue, and many other plot points that could easily be nudged in that kind of direction whether MSQ relevant or adjacent or not.

I told myself I wasn't going to write an essay here lmao XD But as always, I'm just really curious and excited to see your own continuing musings around all this, and what ends up feeling right and fun for you! <3

Wow thank you for all the thought you put into this @orime-stories.

Aymeric is definitely a potential ship for Humble that would work well I think - they are both noble, self-sacrificing and somewhat repressed. There are are some interesting contrasts, with Aymeric being fully aware of social mores and Humble... being not so aware. Plus Aymeric's confident oratory and Humble's tendancy to leave his actions to do the talking would make an interesting contrast.

Plus I do have a bit of a thing for the chivalrous knight and rugged barbarian pairing - as it's rich in romantic (and, ahem, erotic) potential.

I think you're right that Friends to Lovers would work for Humble and Aymeric - or at least slightly reserved acquaintances to friends to (eventually) lovers. They are both quite romantic I suspect, or at least Humble would try to be.

Secret Relationship would also have potential, as I suspect the various gossiping aristocrats (and the tavern rumourmongers of The Brume) would assume that Aymeric would be entering into a politically convenient marriage with a noble lady... A romantic entanglement with an hulking bearded Hellsguard would probably upset quite a lot of people. To say nothing of the diplomatic implications of the leader of one Eorzean city-state being in a partnership with the Warrior of Light. So I can imagine a lot of repressed passions until the doors were firmly shut on the outside world.

And yes definitely they could take turns being the Dude in Distress for shipping purposes, although strong as Aymeric is, he might struggle to carry Humble in his arms for any distance.

Plus being apart for extended periods of time would give Humble plenty of opportunity to practice his letter writing, which hopefully Aymeric would be able to decipher given sufficient time...

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

[dragoon-mid-jump]

FFXIVWrite 2024 Day 2: Horizon (Modern/Band AU)

horizon (n.): the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet.

Rating: G

Word Count: 466

It wasn't fair sometimes.

Y'dehlya sat under a tree on the beach curled up in a ball away from most other visitors and stared out at the duskfall horizon, watching the waves lap upon the sand, ears flat upon her head.

She and her bandmates were preforming at a nearby concert plus taking a few days to themselves, so they rented a beachside villa. As a bonus, their partners were all able to tag along.

Well, all but hers.

Byron said his work might prevent him from joining the rest of them in the first place. Plus, even if he were to come, they were still bound to their secrecy, and this trip contained a more open public venue. They'd be hard-pressed to enjoy the trip together without getting potentially hounded by reporters and paparazzi except for within the villa.

Her heart hurt. It was a product of their circumstance, but she should be allowed to resent it sometimes, right? She sighed wistfully and buried her head in her arms.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I noticed you sitting here all by yourself. Is there anything I can do to help?" Came a man's voice beside and above her. It was smooth, gentlemanly, and most of all, familiar. Her ears immediately perked up and she lifted her head towards the owner: a Viera with wavy dark purple hair and loving brown eyes dressed in swim shorts and an undone button-up shirt smiling down at her.

"Byron!" She jumped up and hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest. "I thought you weren't going to make it..."

Byron hugged her back just as intensely and pet her hair. "I thought I wasn't going to, either. But I'm here." Y'dehlya lifted her head and beamed up at him. She rubbed a tear out of her eye and he dried the other one. "When I got to the villa, the others told me you'd gone off to the beach on your own. I even tried calling and texting you." he continued.

"Oh." She looked at him apologetically. "I...just wanted to be alone for a bit."

"I understand, my beloved, I understand." He pulled her in for a long-awaited kiss. "If you had returned before I could find you, one of them would've just called me, and I would see you back at the villa. But, I'm happy I did." He stroked the side of her face, and she leaned into his hand, laying hers on top of it and smiling at him. Byron could hear the low rumble of her purring.

They turned towards the horizon. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Y'dehlya commented.

"It is."

"Stay with me a while? Hold me?"

"Of course. That's why I came all this way." When Y'dehlya turned back to him, he kissed her again.

[dragoon-mid-jump]

Both Rhikta siblings carry the scent of salty sea air and spray with them no matter where they've been or what they've been doing, even subtly; an undertone.

Y'dehlya also carries the scent of fragrant flowers even after only a year/year and a half in Gridania, roses most prominently if she's wearing perfume. Slightly of gunsmoke if she's just been in GNB mode.

Kouh'to also smells of the forest, but less floral and more tree-like, thanks to his research's main base of operations. He also will smell of certain things that invoke whichever Primal he's currently channeling/has just channeled. A deeper scent of the ocean and of rain with Leviathan. Burning and smoke with Ifrit. Specifically lotuses with Lakshmi. Crisp winter's air with Shiva. Etc.

U'reksh meanwhile smells more earthy, arid, and clean. His desert birthplace clings to him. He also smells like burning campfire, gunsmoke, and metal at times.

WoL/FFXIV OC question!

What does your WoL/OC smell like, and why? Do they smell like roses and morning dew, or is their scent more earthy and grounded? Or perhaps they smell like salt and sea from years of fishing and sailing?

[thelittlestancient]

give me your thoughts on wol!elidibus. like, say he's not Zodiark's heart; maybe Emet is instead? he can be still one of the unsundered or a sundered reincarnation who gets his memories back or whatever, i'm intrigued by what you might come up with....and i don't think this is one we've talked about already

Oh wow, I have so many thoughts about Elidibus as WoL-adjacent or WoL/Azem companion, but I haven't really thought about this one in depth, and the reason why will be my first point! I usually let Loghrif be the Heart of Zodiark, here.

In spite of his earnestness, he's not actually that good at being Azem, and Elidibus' Seat gifts lend themselves to a very different style of WoL than canon affords us. He yearns for it, but he's no adventurer really: he'd be better suited to be a travelling magistrate.

That doesn't stop him from taking up the blade, the axe, the staff, the cane, the bow. He leaves the imprint of his knowledge on every job stone, and imbues his fighting styles with the memories of his Convocation brethren. Lahabrea, the Summoner. Emet-Selch, the Dark Knight. Nabriales, the Viper. Loghrif, the White Mage. Hythlodaeus, the Bard. Azem, the seeker of the new, the Machinist.

(The Heart forgets, but Elidibus remembers. There is none of Hades' mournful, yearning sentiment here: the memories of Elidibus are reflections in colorless pure crystal. What was and what will be are indistinct from each other. Elidibus lies between at what is, in his own mind less a hero than an arbiter of fate.)

The Black Shroud is a strange place for the Warrior of Light to make his home, but he swears the woods sing to him, and it's far enough out from the bustle of the city that the emotions of others encroach little on his mind, leaving him free to contemplate the state of the star when he is not otherwise required, a pale, white-robed figure standing alone in the misty forest, where even the sylphs do not go.

Above all, the Warrior of Light is hope, and hope is not merely what Elidibus knows how to be.

It is what he is.

Thanks for the ask! I prefer to think of him here as Zodiark's Chosen, rather than Hydaelyn's. Maybe a role-swap of Ascians and Scions? I read a wonderfully delicious AU of that once...

[lookbluesoup]

I know shippy stuff and canon-adjacent stuff is popular and I'm certainly not dissing those. I like them too, they're a lot of fun! And AUs are great, I have so many!

But man, I wish there was more... idk, emphasis and exploration of the FFXIV lore, and those moments that have to have happened but aren't shown on screen - talked about and written about and illustrated here on tumblr.

That's usually been my favorite part of fandoms, discussing the lore with other fans in-depth and sharing theories, and seeing how everyone's characters would handle those big or quiet moments from the story itself. Exploring how a game mechanic/boss fight would feel from a story perspective, and what it would mean to the characters.

It's not entirely absent from here, but even when I make my own meta posts, even if they get lots of notes, I tend to see very little discussion added compared to what I'm used to from other fandoms. And when new patches come out, there's not a lot of deep talk about the story itself circulating. Maybe I've just been lucky in my previous spaces!

But... I want to know how the WoL and Graha bonded during the Crystal Tower raids. Did they sit around the campfire at night and talk? Did they drink and sing and laugh and argue?

What was it like, recovering from Ultima Thule? How did it feel to set out on the road again, leaving the title of Scion behind? Did they give their friends a tour of Ishgard? Did they visit Edmont? What was it like in the trenches of Ghimlyt Dark, for these characters who have never seen war before, versus the ones who have? Did the WoL help stabilize Lakeland, and tend wounded after the sin eater attacks?

I want late night study sessions with the twins, bittersweet work in the hot sun rebuilding Ala Mhigo, learning to fight on dragonback, Hraesvelgr's brood visiting Ishgard on diplomatic forways. I want snarking with Emet Selch while you help people with "side quests" in Norvrandt. I want gentle moments with Ryne on the road because if anyone understands the suffocating feeling of immense responsibility Hydaelyn and Minfilia have dropped on that child, it's the WoL.

What was it like for the WoL to fight the pirates in Sastasha? To see the women taken captive there? To see the Drowned mutilated by Leviathan's tempering? How did they handle the narrow tunnels and rickety elevators in Copperbell, and the giants angry after centuries of unjust imprisonment? Did they step in Aurum Vale's goldbile and have a shoe burnt off? Did they bring a pet korpokkur home from the Arboretum? Do they carry scars?

Do they take the manacutter out for joyrides? Did Grani recognize the color of their soul, and choose them over the tempered twist of Emet Selchs, or did Emet charge his familiar with looking after them? Have they ever been robbed in Limsa Lominsa? Did they ever buy loinfruit?

Does that goobbue sproutling grow up? The coerl kitten become a battle steed? The wolf pup a guardian? Do the sylphs play games with the WoL when they visit the Shroud? Do they carry a polished shell to remind them of their Clutchfather? Do they stop by the guild to check on the Deftarm whenever they're in Dravania?

What was it like trekking the spindly mountains of Othard, riding a Yol for the first time, seeing the endless plains of green, and the dead white of the Burn?

Do they still have nightmares about Haurchefant, or are they good dreams remembering his smile? Did he teach them to make hot chocolate? Did they stay up all night when the Scions lost their souls, waiting by the bedsides with a candle and feeling helpless?

Do they visit Amaurot, even after Emet Selch is gone? Are they still trying to remember? Did they look up at the night sky in Elpis and feel an indescribable sense of loss?

Was there ever a moment in Endwalker where they almost became a Blasphemy themselves? Did they ever answer Venat's question? Do they know that the love their friends had for them, saved them?

[alicesadventuresinffxiv]

My FFxivWrite2024 Entries

This is the first time I’ve done the FFxivWrite challenge - or indeed, any writing challenge for that matter! And when I began, I was torn between doing completely new and self-contained stories or writing scenes from the middle of the elaborate AU timelines I already had in my head.

So in the end, I went with a mix of both kinds of story. 

For explanations on the various (Fordola-centric) AUs I write, including a list of the To Catch a Falling Star scenes in chronological order, see this post here!

And for a list of all entries I did for this year’s challenge, see below! 

TL;DR: Lots of Fordola/Lyse, with a scattering of other NPC/NPC ships too. I’ve made it my goal to write each of the top 10 F/F NPC pairings at least once, plus some even rarer ones besides!

.

Week 1

1. Who wants to steer the Reaper? (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse, M'naago)

M’naago begrudgingly goes hunting with the Skulls, only to discover she has more in common with Fordola than she thought.

2. Narrow Horizons (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse)

Fordola struggles to tempt Lyse with freedoms she already has.

3. Visitors to the Tempest (Canon-adjacent, Ryne/Gaia)

The illusory Hythlodaeus welcomes Ryne and Gaia to Amaurot.

4. Uncharacteristically Reticent (8th Umbral Calamity, Fordola/Lyse)

Lyse can’t quite hide how much Fordola’s execution has been affecting her.

5. Stamps from across the Star (Canon-adjacent, Arenvald/Alphinaud)

Arenvald reflects on his collection of letters - most of which are from Alphinaud.

6. Those Fleeting Halcyon Moments (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse and Fordola/Yda (one-sided))

As Lyse and Fordola lie awake, Fordola reminisces about her feelings for Yda.

7. For a Morsel of Acceptance (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse, Charlet)

Lyse goes grocery shopping and discovers that being accepted as a Skull has some downsides besides the obvious.

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Week 2

8. Wicked Hearts Aligned (The Empire won :(, Yotsuyu/Fordola)

After the Ala Mhigan and Doman revolutions both fail, Yotsuyu receives a new bodyguard.

9. Field Notes on Misija, Part III [Lend an Ear] (WoL was out fishing, Fordola & Misija)

Field Note style "transcript" of Fordola visiting Misija in her cell.

10. A Stable to Hubris (Canon-adjacent, Sadu/Cirina)

Cirina and Sadu investigate Magnai’s mysterious new “horse.“

11. Surrogate Hero (Canon-adjacent, Alisaie/Tesleen)

Alisaie and Tesleen during a brief, peaceful moment of rest.

12. Take our quarry alive! (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse)

After being taken prisoner at the attack on Rhalgr’s Reach, Lyse attempts to escape.

13. Butterflies atop the Butte (Canon-adjacent, Lyse/M'naago)

M’naago takes Lyse to explore a hidden forest.

14. A Telling Emotion (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse)

Lyse is jealous of Fordola's new gunblade, though not in the way Fordola expects.

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Week 3

15. A Nostalgic Adventure (WoL!Fordola AU, Krile)

Krile finds a strange crystal in Galuf’s office.

16. Third-rate Azem (WoL!Fordola AU, Krile & Fordola)

After defeating Elidibus and returning from the First, Fordola has some pointed questions for Krile about their shared abilities.

17. Sally forth, to endings unwritten (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse)

Lyse makes her own choice as she and Fordola flee the Resonatorium.

18. Not hackneyed if it's from you (Canon-adjacent, Krile/Tataru)

Five times Tataru designed a Pictomancer outfit for Krile.

19. The Girl Whose Hand Was Taken (Fairytale AU, Yotsuyu/Yugiri)

Yugiri encounters a young Yotsuyu, in the style of a creepy fairytale poem. Or possibly a dark folk ballad.

20. Aftermath of a Duel (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse)

Specula Imperatoris falls and Lyse becomes a commander… but not the way it happens in canon.

[Dawntrail spoilers!] Bonus snippet: Lyse about to duel Wuk Lamat

21. A Different Shade (Canon-adjacent, Y'shtola/Zero)

Y’shtola and Zero hanging out and having a very definitely academic conversation.

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Week 4

22. Of Parents, and of Family (Canon-adjacent, Krile & Wuk Lamat)

[Dawntrail spoilers!] Krile and Wuk Lamat discuss some feelings about being adopted.

23. Walking on cloud nine, trying not to look down (Canon-adjacent, Athena/Hegemone)

One possible (and very lesbian) explanation for why Hegemone kicked off the whole Pandaemonium plot.

24. Plans Hatched Behind Bars (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse, Conrad)

A lucky chance affords Lyse and Conrad another opening to escape - at the cost of Fordola’s life. Lyse comes up with a different idea instead.

25. Innocence in Perpetuity (Canon-adjacent, Wuk Lamat/Sphene)

[Dawntrail spoilers!] Having burned her bridges with the real thing, the Endless Sphene contents herself with simulations of how her relationship with Lamaty’i might have gone differently.

26. Zipping around the Hinterlands (Canon-adjacent, Lyse/Y'shtola)

Before the colony is abandoned, a very young Lyse and Y’shtola get up to trouble in Sharlayan.

27. Falling through memory, hand in hand (WoL!Fordola AU, Fordola/Lyse)

After Elidibus’s starshower awakens Lyse to the Echo, Fordola starts behaving strangely around her.

28. Deleterious Relations (TCaFS AU, Fordola/Lyse, Anamika)

Just when things seem to be going right for Lyse and Fordola, everything suddenly goes very, very wrong. Or: Lyse fails to prevent a primal summoning.

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Two More Days!

29. Changing Tack (Canon-adjacent, Merlwyb/Kan-E)

When the Admiral receives a message from the Elder Seedseer taking her to task for her reckless actions, she knows how to read between the lines.

30. Two heads (at each other's throats) are better than one (insufferably self-absorbed) (WoL was out fishing, Fordola/Yugiri(?))

Yugiri and Fordola get off on the wrong foot, and now it’s Lucia’s headache to deal with.