#Thancred is technically here but also is he?

[anneapocalypse]

I'm also just... shaking my head at all the people going IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR HER TO ASK URIANGER TO DESCRIBE THE STARS BECAUSE STARS GIVE OFF AETHER! PLOTHOLE DING like... Y'shtola is not asking for tactical information here. If she was, she would've asked Thancred. She knows the stars are there, and yes, in the logic of her aethersight she can probably detect the aetherial trails they emit when she looks up at the sky. But she can't see them as she once could. She cannot experience the night sky as she remembers it. She is asking her friend, who speaks in beautiful poetic language, to describe the stars so that she can experience their beauty and wonder in a way that he can uniquely give her. And Urianger doesn't give a technical description, he gives an emotional and personal one (notice how he describes the beauty of the sky as forgiving) because he understands what his friend is asking for. It's a beautiful moment between them and to say it's pointless because stars give off aether is missing the point of it impressively badly.

[sparkliest-bard-bracket]

✨Round 1: Match 55✨

Ron Stampler Propaganda:

While technically a rogue, ron displays many bard traits. Hes the scrungliest little man, but manages to get the hottest wife ever. But, the reason he should be here is his musical talent. He wooed an entire concert with only his semi passable music skills, thus becoming a huge celebrity. He is the bardest (in spirit).

Thancred Waters Propaganda:

Calls themselves a “grizzled old bard” and talks about writing poetry and singing love songs (also he’s my husband who I love HE DESERVES TO GET IN)

[tobyfoxmademeascaly]

Dawntrail Part 9

Got an invite from Mr. President, let's see what that's all about.

Oh? Mr. President wants to see me it seems

Oh, Mr. President wants to fight me it seems (also new glam! because the bozja coat is both super pixelly and looks way too hot for tulliyolal)

EVERYBODY'S BATTLE-HORNY FOR ME

... maybe a bit of an understatement, but yeah

same to you, buddy!

ooohhhh the Dawntrail theme is great, never listened to it besides the CG trailer. Sound of the summer is what the kids are saying i think.

yeah I noticed he tried to pull off some super attack before having to stop because he is, technically, half-asleep. We've GOTTA see that before the story ends, am I right?

I'm literally a tank, it's my job to do exactly that

... well, to give a nuanced answer beyond the dialogue options: Her greatest strength is her willingness to learn, and work with people on their own level. She's young, yes, but I literally have two teenagers at my side at all times, so her being like 20 doesn't feel like much compared to that.

I mean, that's what the trials are for, yes? To give her real experience interfacing with people outside of the relatively controlled environment of the capitol. She's done pretty well, I think, llama phobia aside!

indeed.

You know what that means. Thancred, urianger, you GOTTA unbend that catboy

... also now realizing that I still miss yshtola. Where is my best friend yshtola : (.

Wuk Lamat desperately trying to keep her geriatric father from throwing out his back busting it down violence style

HOLD EVERYTHING. THERE'S A COYOTE PET NOW?? ITS RUN ANIMATION IS SO CUTE... i require this beast.

... nevermind i dont require it that much

(CLOWN MUSIC BEGINS)

... historically, if i remember correctly, those sorts of promises rarely work out well.

oh so its the entire circus over here

lets go daddy issues versus daddy issues

oh yeah he needed a good humbling. I mean, he's almost certainly going to make it everybody else's problem, but it's fun to watch while it lasts

third keystone obtained! Anyone else think they look kind of like fruit candies. little starbursts.

... that's sounding very Eulmore, I don't like it.

NO IT ISN'T

Hm. a pair of... twins, you might say? with a redder, more bold and brazen one and a blue, more diplomatic one? That sounds mighty familiar...

for you, alisaie, and krile i think its not gonna be face to face

BE NICE TO HER

shit? shit??? not shite? ...

Next up, urqopacha part two. and me finally getting to expand my gather/crafting repertoire

[rigil-kentauris]

URIANGER: 2,4, 7 OR 8 (whichever you prefer), 15-16-OR-17 (again, preference), 20, 23

RUBS MY GREEDY LITTLE HANDS TOGETHER HELL YEAH

urianger my beloved

okay let me go dig up my questions

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

I LOVE HIS THEE AND THOU-ING. I especially love the fact that. There's no reasons like culturally for him to be like this, most sharlayans talk normally, if not a touch more formally. he made himself like this. i adore it.

i forget here it is (if its an npc who says it or if its a lorebook thing) but i like the part where the lore says hes Like This because of all those damn prophecy tomes he was on as a little kid. so i just imagine tiny little urianger looking at Ye Old Prophies and COMMITTING. he is precious to me

Small thing: I also love his stupid two sets of goggles when in his Potato Sack era.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

hmm... i feel like if i just sent him off on his own, he would wilt a bit. i would want to put him in something that gave him a fun, relaxing time, and think if thats to be accomplished I would have to send some of his People with him. he's been alone an awful lot and i see those as times that have also been or ended Bad. i think that might be something he dwells on.

OH I KNOW. okay weird one. but. BUT. hear me out. i would send him to Roller Coaster Tycoon. I know that's just technically just like a theme park but when i build them they are the BEST POSSIBLE THEME PARKS IN THE WORLD. if he could bring than, ryne, and gaia along, i just know he'd be really fulfilled by having a Fun Family Trip. i kind of see him as the guy who happily holds the bags and waits at the end of the ride. and i KNOW gaias got bags. also i feel like he is taking pictures and making the kids wear silly Park Gear. they go to some of the slow like Sitting and or Show type rides for him.

also if he was in RCT i could pick him up and Dangle him. not like malevolently but with the same emotion as I would have if I was Rotating Him

also also i have. forgotten everything ive ever read played or watched so im sure i have a better answer rolling around in there but alas.

7/8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like/despise?

I don't actually know much about the fandom takes on Urianger. Most of what I see is people analyzing his actions w/ The Warriors of Darkness and in Shadowbringers, and I haven't seen it be unfair yet. I think, though, I am not deep in the Fandom.

OH you know what I do hate. Every now and again people will mishear a bit about 1.0, and start popping off about how ~~~~~~secretly~~~~ Urianger is ACTUALLY a millennial old WISE and SCHEMING IMMORTAL WIZARD~~~~~~. I cannot blame anyone for thinking that, but it drives me off the wall. hes a 29 year old weird PhD haver who went around at aetherytes and chanting his insane End Of The World prophecies, he wears EITHER potato sack OR a backless dress and the only thing he knows how to do other than is eat hot chip be bisexual and tell the most insane lies possible. actually come to think of it i feel like HE was the one who started the insane lie ' is ACTUALLY a millennial old WISE and SCHEMING IMMORTAL WIZARD' so. either that or it was a general team effort. im getting into the weeds here so i digress.

urianger is so weird. i love him.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

I'm on that Urianger/Than ship if the bit about the theme park didn't give me away lol. I also like Uri/Moen but if I had to pick one it would be Uri/Than. Uri/Moen makes me sad to think about...

16/17. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

Lol I havehit up the archive for this one. I'm genuinely not sure what the most popular ships are for Uri outside of Thancred. My guess is Uri/WoL, then Moen. But lets see.

lmao i opened the ffxiv tag and the first fic is an Uri/Than fic ive been reading which YIPPE! its updated!

okay im back its all than/uri and some uri/WoL. there are other ships but i got to the point where there were so few it would feel like kicking a life-raft to mention them.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I thought about this long and hard. I went at it from every logical angle. I took apart his characteristics, history, things he's done and to who. Interests, likes dislikes. I thought HARD.

I could NOT shake my immediate and initial thought of Estinien. I haven't got a stick to shake at my pile of evidence I just feel this in my heart.

I guess I was very impacted by uh... when was it. The Scions were in the Rising Stones, and Uri was mentioning he was going to get some books or something to try and share with Estinien to get to know him. It was the most endearing shit I have ever seen and it cut me to the bone. I think probably that attempt did not work but I do not care. GO FOR IT URIANGER! i also, i suppose, wonder how many friends Uri has every actively tried to make himself. like in childhood it seemed more like moenbryda Selected him, and that not many other kids liked him. his complicated history with the scions is complicated, but i think obviously he has to put in active effort to maintain those relationships (ESPECIALLY SINCE HE LOVE HOT CHIP LIES), but a lot of his character development w/ the scions seems more akin to 'hey this is the guy on our team we've known each other for like a decade so we are friends now' and less akin to 'hi my name is urianger can i show you some cool books'

its just intriguing to me why he did that. i hope so much it works out.

also come to think of it i dont know how many friends ESTINIEN have sought out of his own volition. he actively avoids aymeric half the time. orn kahi appears to have also gone the moenbryda route of Mine Now. tataru and krile had to actively hunt and Blackmail him into the scions. certainly i would call him friends with us now, and he cares a lot about alphinaud, but as far as Who Reached Out To Who, i think he is actually in the same boat as uri. huh.

vrtra, i think, is it. though i haven't had enough review time to say who lead that one.

now i want to see uri and estinien sitting silently in a room doing their own separate silent tasks (uri is reading a Tome, estinien is Caring For Weapons) SPECIFICALLY so i can caption it 'tag two blokes who do fuck all'. maybe its alisaie sneaking a bad blurry picture over her shoulder with her front camera and sending it to alphinaud.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

oh man i dont know. theres so much good ingame content and there SO MUCH GOOD ART and i do not have ANY of it tagged by character. let me go look.

OH NO I KNOW this is my favorite image of urianger of all time i want to cry every time i look at it. the fucking. expressions. i cant possibly describe in words how MUCH i feel when viewing this image. im going to pop.

[karoiseka]

obligatory 💙 for the kiss meme but also 💕!!! any combination of your bard trio. also 💜 for kar'a and hyth

You are a menace and I love you. lol Sorry for the delay, but here's all three!! A bit smaller each, but I think they all came out to be about the length of one of the prior prompts once combined!

obligatory 💙drunken kiss / tipsy for the kiss meme but also 

((Micro-fic for this one. lol))

The bottles swam in front of Karo’s vision as she tried to focus on the Doman Prince across the table from her.  This was probably not a wise choice the night before battle, but, she had needed to unwind, and for once felt safe enough to do so in the company she was with.

A long blink later, and she realized she was being carried to her bedroll in the corner near the twins.  Hien pressed a kiss to her forehead as he tucked the blanket around her, pointedly leaving a glass of water just within arms reach–but not close enough to spill if she flailed in her sleep.  Curling onto her side, his watchful smile was the last thing she remembered before dawn.

💕kissing somewhere other than lips!!! any combination of your bard trio. also 

The warm water was a very welcome and pleasant change from the chilly air of Sharylan, and Karo couldn’t get enough.  The fact that it was completely private and isolated away from all responsibilities was a boon, and the overwhelming thought that all this land was hers, well, that was a thought for another day.  There had been enough guilt for pushing and pulling everyone on the Star as far as she had–yes to save literally everyone–but it didn’t make the flexing of that power feel any better.  Getting rewarded for it in this fashion was–a little unsettling–yet the benefits were starting to wear down at her frugal mind.

“You, my dear, are not supposed to be thinking that hard right now,” the words were spoken after strong arms bore her to the surface of the water, wrapping around her and lazily keeping them both afloat.  An affectionate kiss was nuzzled into her neck by Thancred, as she belatedly realized that her lack of paying attention had led to her quietly slipping underwater while she was thinking.  Not that this was a problem with the blessing of the kami, however, it was a tad embarrassing.

G’raha glided over to where they were floating, butting heads gently with her, and kissing Thancred on the cheek.  They both had of course come with her when Tataru had dropped her off on the island initially, seeing as she was still technically recovering.  This was a last little adventure for the three of them before having to buckle down on more serious work–Thancred going exploring with the ever patient Urianger, and G’raha starting to take up full time duties with the Students of Baldesion once more.  

For now though, it was time to enjoy the sun, and her loves–so that was what she planned to do.

💜 surprise kiss / impulsive kiss for kar'a and hyth

Amethyst eyes popped open as Ikarus leaned over her friend and lover, a good-natured scowl crossing her face.

“That sight of yours makes it very hard to surprise you, did you know?”  Closing the gap, she finished the motion, kissing him as he chuckled.

“Sorry, little bird,” gracefully, she sank the rest of the way to the ground next to Hythlodaeus, curling up around him as he wrapped an arm around her.  It had taken her longer than she liked to admit to find him, hidden away in a favorite clearing in the part near his office.  Said office was of course the first place she looked, it being one of his working days, but she found the room empty besides abandoned concepts, yet to be reviewed.

She wasn’t supposed to be in Amaurot currently,  as she was assigned to a task half the star away to survey the farms there.  The rest of her friends and compatriots in the field were scattered for the time being, busy with their own missions, so she had been alone.

And alone was not how she wanted to be this night–for it was night where she had teleported from, bleary-eyed, and desiring comfort.  It was a silly thing to feel so lonely when she was so respected and cared for when out in the world–yet here she was.  Desiring someone to call her Ikarus again, not Azem.

When she awoke, Hyth had already slipped away, most likely to return to his daily duties, however, she wasn't alone.  Emet-Selch, Hades, sat a few feet away, guarding her while she slept, oblivious to the world around her.  How like Hythlodaeus to get one lover to watch the other.  Her co-worker was reading, his own reports it looked like, so still not off the clock despite being dragged away from his desk. 

Rolling over, Kar'a crawled the few feet to his side, peeking over his shoulder as he scowled at her–not as fiercely as he used to, but still at least pretending to be annoyed. 

"Thank you," she leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment as he sighed with great exaggeration. 

"Thank your partner in mischief," he turned back to his work as she chuckled.

"Ah, but you did come when he asked, so my thanks shall go to you," her childhood friend sighed again as her spirits rose.  Moving quickly, she pressed a kiss to his cheek before he could jerk away, teleporting away immediately after.  As the park disappeared around her, she could see him turn to watch her, expression softening to an exasperated fond smile.

[woaddragoon-nadya]

15, 25, 26, 38 for nadya heh

I’ve never received an answer to an ask game before!! Normally I just save the questions so I can write answers for them in my private file. Thank you so much! I’ll try not to be too detailed with it but I am very rambly when it comes to writing. For that reason the answers are under the cut! Also I have only played through Dragonsong, so that’s what my answers are based on. So there will be spoilers.

What is your OC/WoL's love-life like? Who were they in relationships with? Describe their relations.

Nadya is very messy when it comes to love to be honest. Here are her romantic interests/partners in order

Minfilia, she was more of a crush. For a time Nadya would have done pretty much anything for her. However, while she still respects and cares for her, she realized Minfilia didn’t return the feelings or really care for her beyond being a tool. 

Estinien, the connection between them as two azure dragoons certainly helped. But as they began to establish a connection and Estinien came out of his shell, her own life fell apart. Ever since then they have been dancing around each other. Meeting again to run around Ishgard is the closest they ever got to making it a real relationship

Ysayle, Nadya was completely entranced by her. By the time they met, Nadya felt like such an outsider to regular people. The pressure and isolation of literally being the most powerful mortal walking around was getting to her. Ysayle being almost as powerful provided a welcome relief to her, and her willingness to help Ysayle after her isolation brought them together.

Thancred, technically this started first. When she first was invited to the Scions she decided to move to Ul’dah from Gridania. That meant her and Thancred ended up spending a lot of time together. Nadya wasn’t really bothered by him going with whomever he pleased, as she tried to consider him more of an occasional distraction. After the fight with Lahabrea however, she really shut off from him. She felt it was her fault that she didn’t save him earlier. She started to talk to him again after Moenbryda’s vigil. Unfortunately they didn’t have too much time to make anything happen before the Red Banquet. Now that they are reunited following Dragonsong, she’s been desperately making attempts to convey that she really wants something serious with him. 

Who is your OC/WoL best friend?

Her best friend is Yda. They both started off as great fighters, but still bubbly and ready to have fun. I imagine they spent quite a few nights going to bars and taverns together. They both have hardened up now, and gone through a lot. When they are together though, a bit of that unburdened happiness comes back.

Who are in your OC/WoL's circle of friends? (Can be a mix of OCs & NPCs)

I would say her closest friends are Yda, Thancred, Estinien, and Alphinaud. Although she considers Alphinaud to be moreso her little brother. 

Would your OC/WoL's significant other(s) love them if they were a worm?

I…I don’t think so honestly. I think Thancred would do her the mercy of killing her if she was turned into a worm.

[autumnslance]

Metal Gear Scion

"We're in Garlemald!"

(Technically IC, Dark & C'oretta did accompany WoL Aeryn to Garlemald. Also Behemoth Heir minion FTW as Violet's winter weather model. Violet did NOT go to Garlemald IC, however, she stayed with Iyna elsewhere.)

I really love the intro to Garlemald and the long duty for it. Everyone gets a good moment in the battles to protect the caravan or to face off with Vergilia; A-Ruhn, Emmanellain, and Sicard command their units well, holding off the hexadrone with axes and sheer Marauder stubborness. Then we get Pippin showing he is his father's son and unleashing Tizona's fiery power, and Sadu gets to show off her Ritual of Falling Dusk.

Magnai gets to be the butt of the joke as Cirina ignores him to gush over Sadu. Sorry, Sun Bro.

The Scions get their moments, but this is Thancred's show. Despite having Maxima, Rostik, and other elite members of Lente's Tears and the Bozjan Resistance, he "lone wolf" stealths into the supply depot for one of the more fun solo missions in the game.

Seriously, slightly more of this, slightly less of the "sneakily follow a target" quests please. Variety is good and this is the only mission we get like this so far. I actually did worse on it my second playthrough, due to impatience--fitting, as I was on Aeryn--but this time, I took the time to play in Gpose and also took my time in the stealth mission. There's more than enough time to get through the depot, cutscenes, and then the combat duty.

The stealth mission almost makes up for not getting a single accompany quest with Thancred (yet). Everyone else and the beavers, sometimes more than once, but not--

*the blogger is handed a bowl of chocolate ice cream as mollification...and incentive to get on with the post*

Anyroad. We actually have to do one of the side quests to do get the original name of this little town on the capital's outskirts; it was Laterum, but the Eorzeans call it Camp Broken Glass, thanks to the sound of shattering, crunching ice underfoot.

Emet-Selch gets a particularly long introductory narration here, in three parts; the first is a short bit as we travel by air to the Magna Glacies. The second, about the Garleans driven to this hard land, sounds arrogant and angry, harsh in its delivery. The third focuses more on Solus's rise to power, sounding more smugly amused. At least until the end.

Emet-Selch: Ilsabard…divided in twain by a vast mountain range. Those who would traverse its jagged peaks face peril at every step. But why go by foot when one can simply fly? On the outskirts of the Imperial capital, in the frozen wastes of the Magna Glacies…The winds howl in icy protest, as if to warn against further trespass…

Emet-Selch: “So cold and unforgiving.” Thus spoke Emperor Solus as he gazed upon his barren domain. Eight hundred years it had been since the Garleans first set foot here. Bested by the Corvosi after centuries of war and driven from the fertile southern pastures into the blasted northern wastes. In that garden of desolation, they clung to one another for warmth. Freezing, hungry, desperate. Hated. The chosen forsaken.

Emet-Selch: In the year 1513 of the Sixth Astral Era, a young legatus named Solus single-handedly sparked the magitek revolution. How did he conceive the machina that feed on ceruleum? Once a common, soft-spoken soldier—how had he so quickly ascended through the ranks? Like so many others, those who knew the truth are gone. Taking in the capital with his eyes for the first time, I recall thinking to myself…”Far colder on the earth than in the heavens.” Yes, far colder indeed…bitterly so.

[arteliertrionfi]

Originally posted on my twitter & insta Nov 15th for a late Pocky Day treat!

MY OT3!! ThanTriRaha! Or RahaWoLCred, technically. I adore them. Just hashing out the relationship dynamics. I realized I made the pocky day pic with them in mind and even though I know I'm NO where near this point in my fanfic (which i REALLY need to get back to writing), I still feel like hashing this out:

Thancred & Raha: flirty rivalry. You want to know how Thancred got real good at gunbreaker, both with and without aether cartridges? 2 years of training with the Exarch, & fighting to pin him down to get the hood off, but never coming out on top. Now, that G'raha is back in his younger body, the memory is there, but not the muscle. So, of course more training is needed, and who better to help with that than a certain hunk-breaker? They'd spent those two years getting to know each other, Thancred relying on him to learn about the world and what was here, and G'raha taking care of him and prepping him to save the Oracle of Light, and fell for each other somewhere along it. Strawberry because Thancred once referred to G'raha as a strawberry shortcake, out of a sense of rivalry when they first met while Trionfi was helping with the Crystal Tower. Now it's just cause he thinks the red head is a cute shorty (even if Trionfi is shorter)

Trionfi & Thancred: Love at first sight, each other's pillar of support and comfort. They've come a long way from thinking they were not in the other's league, and trying to reconnect again post-Bloody Banquet. His Muse, his Blue Rose, whose amazing kindness, determination, and smile inspire him every day, but who's also an absolute pun-slinging dork, and he finds her insanely cute. Her Spoony Bard, whose strength and confidence inspire her to do her utmost, and she just keeps falling in absolute love with him more and more every day. Chocolate banana because Trionfi was too shy to tell him straight forward the first time she was ready to take the next step, so she resorted to handing him a banana, squeaking "I-I bet you'd find it v-very a-peeling to be naked in my bed!" He burst into laughter. Her attempts at seduction are weird but so, so cute.

Raha & Trionfi: Teasing and endless doting. Considering the first time they met was when Raha yoinked very important rocks tm from her that were needed to open the tower, he started their dynamic by instigating chase. Inviting her to chase him, to catch him, and that playfulness, cliff jumping and all, drew her to him. In turn, her determination and courage became the core of his inspiration, his desire to be noticed by her and the fact that she wanted him by her side meant so much to him. Turned into him wishing to protect her, and then to spoil her during his time as Exarch, which carried over on transfer. And her into wanting to bring him on all the adventures he wants, to be with him as much as she can, and to protect him as he protected her. Luckily, she can do that with Thancred now, too. Chocolate because the first time he realized he was falling for her, they were sitting at camp, and she had made him a cup of hot chocolate. It was a small, simple thing, but the adventure she shared about how she met the person who gave the box of the powder to make it is something that stuck with him, and he realized how much he wanted to be by her side.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk about my girl and her husbands! :P

[plenary-indulgence]

picked up my yuyuhase alt again recently, my friends wanted to do eden and i also took him to the all lalafell nier raids on siren last week to get him a proper nier glam (which every lalafell needs imo) so i guess it’s about time to put him through endwalker lol

my wol!yuyuhase timeline thus far:

pre-ARR is just his canon backstory. grew up a beggar on the streets of ul’dah (and an orphan too i think) and bootstrapped himself into a successful porter business until he got fucked over and lost everything then flew down the aetheryte guard -> brass blades -> immortal flames -> lolorito’s inside guy pipeline ARR echo/blessing nonsense starts up in earnest and most everyone with half a brain is like “oh don’t mind crazy ol’ yuyuhase” but being the enterprising and clever little bastard he is he’s like “ohhhhh there’s got to be a way for me to make some gil off of this” and basically takes up a fortune telling side hustle on the down low 1) because you can’t just go shouting from the rooftops that you’re suddenly psychic you’ll get thrown in jail or worse 2) the key to any successful business is building a core base of wealthy and reliable clients, not any riffraff off the street with 20 gil who just wants to be told all their dreams will come true 3) the immortal flames do not appreciate their recruits moonlighting and this is technically his side-side-gig after his original side-gig of “whatever lolorito tells him to do on the sly”

so he’s pretty discreet about it but is managing to make a pretty sizable little nest egg once knowledge of what he can actually do starts spreading through the upper class but the streets of ul’dah do not keep secrets well and so eventually rumors about a “queer lalafell who can really see the future tell you your fortune for a fee” get back to thancred and he susses yuyuhase out and is like “hey hey hey let’s have a quick chat about all this then” and determines it’s the echo and tells him about the scions and minfilia and says he should come to the waking sands to which yuyuhase basically tells him to go fuck himself. he’s got a good thing going here, he’s got plenty of his own irons in the fire, plates spinning, so on and so forth, why should he care about petty naive do-gooder nonsense like saving the realm? bunch of spoiled sharlayan bookworms can sod right off as far as he’s concerned.

and thancred is like ughhh ok this guy sucks but i can’t just go fuck myself on this one i gotta just get him in a room with minfilia somehow. so he uses his connections and pulls some strings, goes to the higher ups in the flames and says “hey so im doing this investigation in drybone and i need a bodyguard, i want you to assign me this guy as an escort” and they’re like “haha ok good luck have fun” and at first yuyuhase is like “ah fuck not this prick again” but ultimately he’s getting paid now and he’s on assignment so what does he really care. might as well just get it over with. which he does, and things proceed, and ifrit is slain and suddenly he’s a big damn hero and then a lightbulb goes off because like, of course it all makes perfect sense now. he’s special all of a sudden, and he’s in very high demand, and things that are in high demand can fetch exorbitant prices. so he does go back to the waking sands with thancred and let’s minfilia give him the whole spiel and listens very politely and when she’s done he hands her an invoice and is like “that’s for ifrit, my fees are non-negotiable, if you want me to save eorzea or whatever, you can pay for me to do it.” and now the rest of the scions too are like “oh yea this guy sucks” but minfilia sees a little glimmer, a little something there and she’s like “alright :)”

and tataru of course hates him. the rest of ARR proceeds basically as usual but every time he pray returns to the waking sands with another invoice she sits him down and tries to renegotiate his fees and every time he shuts her down like “nice try kid haha payment terms are net 30 as usual i’ll see you around” his relationship to the rest of the scions varies:

- he and yshtola don’t interact much, they obviously have nothing in common and are polite coworkers at best. they will probably never be close and that’s fine with both of them - thancred and yuyuhase got off on sort of the wrong foot and had a very mutual “hey this guy sucks” attitude at first but they sort of grow on each other. there’s a mutual respect for two guys who game from the same shitty background and “get out”. they aren’t besties or anything but they get each other - yuyuhase is not impressed by urianger at all. not by the stupid way he talks (which he thinks is affected deliberately to make him sound smarter) or by his shady “do wrong for the right reasons schtick” like man you just like to lie. own it. you aren’t fooling anyone. - he thinks minfilia is like insanely naive but she’s also young and clearly a good kid who means well (sucks for her) and from the MEAN STREETS OF UL’DAH like him so he does feel a little bit of solidarity. the whole “organization to save eorzea from itself” stings a little less coming from someone like her. - he doesn’t mind yda actually. she’s a lot of fun. - ok before we talk about papalymo let me just preface this by saying IT WAS JUST A JOKE, i was DOING A BIT and then i was like wait hang on this is actually ticking a lot of boxes for me. and now it doesn’t matter how stupid it is because it’s real to me HEAR ME OUT

- so similar but so different!! 2 blonde 40+ lalafell with attitudes but from two totally different walks of life. a scruffy street rat from ul’dah and a pampered sharlayan scholar... - i can make him better vs i can make him worse. papalymo is a steady, guiding presence that will literally scold yuyuhase into being a better person and yuyuhase is juuuust unhinged enough to keep papalymo interested and drag him out of his comfort zone - i think papalymo would actually be quite charmed by yuyuhase’s dry wit and pragmatism. conversely, yuyuhase would have a lot of fun riling up papalymo to get a reaction.

- sam and diane dynamic basically

so as ARR goes on they get closer and closer and there’s push and pull will they or won’t they so on and so forth and it’s a THING but it’s also NOT a thing because they’re both so stubborn and refuse to admit they’re actually into “that smug bastard/that arrogant scold”

sidenote: probably about halfway through ARR, just before titan he goes to lolorito and puts in his resignation as shady errand guy because being the champion of eorzea is now basically a full time job and he’s making soo much gil and really doesn’t need to be doing lackey work anymore. and of course lolorito is not happy about it because yuyuhase was actually only getting more and more useful to him but what could be done about it? what indeed...

post-ARR so life is pretty good by now he’s rolling in gil, he’s the champion of eorzea, savior of the realm (titles he’s not super duper sold on but it’s great from a marketing perspective so whatever) and alphinaud comes in with his crystal braves idea. now, yuyuhase HATES alphinaud, and i feel like he’s pretty justified in that. like, from his perspective he’s someone who grew up in the worst conditions, has seen the poverty and experienced the misery firsthand - you can say what you want about him being a bad person but you can’t deny yuyuhase is someone who is very familar with reality - and here’s this literal child from overseas, who has never been hungry or cold or known any danger in his life - spoiled and arrogant and he’s comes in here basically saying “i’m going to fix all your problems it’s going to be so easy i know better than you helpless eorzeans” and it’s not really all that different a tune then the one the empire sings and it’s just so patronizing and infuriating because even though 90% of his brain at this point is dedicated to the accumulation of wealth and power there’s still 10% that has dignity. so that’s where there’s a little more canon divergence; he really goes off on alphinaud and refuses to join the braves and washes his hands of the whole endeavor. which frees him up to be the perfect scapegoat with the rest of the scions to take the fall for the “assassination” of nanamo, and that works out so nicely for lororito because like, if his former goon wasn’t working for him anymore he doesn’t want him working for anyone, and this gets him out of the picture. adds a nice bit of color to the scheme i think.

HW: anyway still stupid rich and powerful but now a fugitive on suspicion of high treason and murdering the sultana (as we know he’s not necessarily opposed to a little bit of treason as a treat but he’s real sore about this because he’s taking the fall for something he didn’t even DO) and off to ishgard, where it is very cold, with two of his least favorite people in the entire world by his side.

this is a low point for wol!yuyuhase because he’s cold all the time and hates snow and does not give a fuck about ishgard or the dragonsong war and oh also, papalymo - probably the only person who he’s managed to build a genuine connection with - is missing presumed dead. it’s bad, he’s miserable, probably more than a little depressed and for the first time is really starting to question who/what he actually is and what he’s even doing. but now there’s a bunch of wealthy ishgardian’s willing to supplement the income he lost when the scions exploded so he stays on his grind; ends the war, unseats the theocracy, bills time and a half, trips alphinaud into snowbanks whenever he can and then pulls the most innocent and angelic “who, me?” face which is always a small light in the otherwise dark winter of his journey. this is also the time when, at a low point, he is finally defeated by tataru, who is really starting to come into her own and is like “ok listen i’m not your client i’m your AGENT and actually you need to be giving me a cut on every job :)” and that settles that matter.

post-HW: finally reunited with papalymo, and their time apart has made them both realize there are GENUINE and UNRESOLVED feelings between them that NEED TO BE ADDRESSED except you know papalymo then like immediately fucking throws himself at a primal and dies lmao.

STB: these are the bad times. i think up until this point yuyuhase was starting to grow and improve as a person but papalymo’s death sends him spiraling right back to square one and, if anything, only hardens his belief that the only thing that matters in this life is wealth and power and looking out for yourself. this is the second time he’s allowed himself to hope otherwise and the second time that he’s (in his mind) been punished for it. well, not again no way! fool him once, shame on you, fool him twice shame on HIM. a harsh lesson twice learned 40 years in the making. all that being said, lyse is basically his last connection to papalymo and his last wish had sort of been that she walk her path. and there’s plenty of profit in revolution for someone who’s shrewd enough to take advantage. i think yuyuhase is a person who has basically always had hardship at his back and as a survival method simply refuses to engage with his actual feelings and instead pushes forward. because what else can you do? it’s something i don’t think someone who hasn’t experienced it can understand but when you’re TRULY hungry you don’t sit there and wallow in your hunger, you do whatever you have to to ensure that you never go hungry again. that is to say, he’s in a lot of pain but instead of letting himself heal he just cuts a huge swathe of destruction across the continent and liberates two nations and makes an assload of gil. at this point he’s probably actually in the top 1% wealthiest people in eorzea, but he’s still not happy, and he’s still hungry, and that hole in him still hasn’t been filled up so that must mean he just hasn’t gotten wealthy enough yet. he hasn’t gotten powerful enough yet. more gil, more strength - he just needs to get a bit more and then all the bad will finally go away.

the actual plot stuff in stormblood is all secondary to his internal struggles; like ishgard he doesn’t actually give a fuck about ala mhigo or doma but that’s the path lyse is walking and the one he’s following her down getting paid all the way. zenos beating his ass is noteworthy - it reinforces that yuyuhase is still not top dog, there’s still someone who has power over him. there’s no thrill in it for him, he just wants zenos down.

post-STB: more politics he doesn’t care about. he’s kind of getting to the end of his tether here. maybe a fresh perspective, or a change in scenery will help?

SHB: but not like that!! ohh he was soo pissed off when g’raha dragged him to the first. didn’t want any part of it. but really at this point he’s so worn down eventually he just starts marking up his invoices (billed to the exarch and the crystarium of course) 200% for out-of-area service and goes with it. they start pumping him full of light and it’s just like “well this is definitely corrupt but in general yuyuhase is already a corrupt person so how much worse can it even get it’s probably fine” he’s really kind of enchanted by eulmore and vauthry (much to the horror of the rest of the scions) but to him that seems like a logical conclusion to everything. who wouldn’t want to live out their days in luxury - no struggles, no grindset, just everything you could ever want, always? towards the end, he really considers just giving up and retiring there to die but dulia-chai of all people sits him down and sets him straight like, “well yes of course it’s a lovely sort-of-life. we never want for anything material. always safe, always warm, always fed. but there’s really nothing there. it’s just as empty as it is full my dear. and there are so many people who want better than that for you.” and she had no way of knowing about papalymo but that’s who he thought of and it sort of started to snap him out of this 2 xpac long downward spiral. ryne absolutely adores him even though he’s kind of like that weird uncle who is probably harmless but still a bad influence so your parents don’t want you hanging out with him. she’s convinced he’s actually a good person deep down and it’s possible she’s not wrong? but you’d have to go like, real deep. emet-selch also finds him kind of fascinating, this selfish little bastard and at one point asks him “how much would it cost me to to have you fuck off and leave us to it (rejoinings) and yuyuhase’s response was pretty much “don’t worry about it you couldn’t afford it” the implication of course being that he does in fact have a price and can be bought for even the worst of intentions but it’s also possible the number in his head is so absurdly high that that amount of material wealth may not even exist. hmmm!! definitely don’t need to read any more into that or what that means!! post-SHB: here is where he’s currently at. he’s been very clear that he’s going to start billing the scions again for all this work getting their souls back to the source and NO tataru does NOT get her cut this time this was ALL HIM. i’m going to be soooo annoying with gpose once i get him to aitiascope lmaooo

[toadeyes-miqote]

Dawntrail - kouhais' road trip

Senpai noticed her kouhais ya. Further adventures in mentoring. Also Hylnyan would like to apologise to her various kouhais. She's only 22 as of ARR (+3 by DT) and she does what she can based on her experience and her main mentor model Thancred.

Beyond Levindome Get in the Regalia girls!! We're going on a life changing road trip with the WoL.

Dawntrail was much more obvious about it than ShB. Mentoring probably depend on how you feel about MSQ, jobs and sidequests since ARR.

All your Scion senpais and elder siblings are conspicuously holding the line else where. And your fussy bunbun, maybe older dude knows he's not a fighter and Levindome took him out of his element. And your red headed catboy is nerding out.

This is SB Steppes kouhais road trip for the entire expac.

ARR/HW - Alphinaud was more of a boss/coworker/ babysitting job that he was more Estinien and Ysayle kouhai than Hylnyan's. and eventually Arenvald's too. Tataru turned into a dependable comrade-in-arms instead

HW - Deftarm was mostly in tribal so Hylnyan doesn't see him often enough.

SB - Alisaie just hit it off with Hylnyan. And her solo trips away from Alphinaud was quite an experience. Its when she does her observations and learning that you start noticing how different she is from Alphinaud. And the she isn't just a hot head. Utterly amused that Hylnyan shares custody of Alisaie with G'raha (he's the Estinien type big bro to Alisaie).

I'm not sure how much mentoring Hylnyan done for Lyse. Cause Lyse had a more comrade-in-arms moral support vibes than senpai-kouhai.

ShB - Semi obvious mentoring of Ryne. The one where like with M'zhet Tia. You can either ignore her, be mean or be moderate. Keeping in mind that Ryne was technically doing WoL's job on The First in the absence of Ardbert and Minfilia.

And Thancred was trying not to influence her into throwing her life away before she could understand what doing her job meant.

EW - Senpai notice me!!!!! Uwu Else I'm gonna burn the world!!!!! Okay jesting aside does Jude counts? Or still back at Alisaie? G'raha and Hylnyan relationship is a bit weird. Its still growing so. And Hylnyan is resisting to being molded into what Exarch thinks she should be (the job not the person - Ranjit path)

DT -The one that throws mentoring in your face. The choices are still there like Ryne. Wuk Lamat is the more obvious kouhai. Alisaie is still doing kouhai things but she's observing things and taking the load off Wol's shoulder at times.

And the one thing that I liked most about Alisaie that started in ShB is continuing here. Alisaie looking out for the newbie kouhai. Wuk Lamat is probably around the same age band. Older than Alisaie younger than Hylnyan/Krile. But she was doing elder kouhai things and keeping an eye out for Wuk Lamat like she more or less did for Ryne.

Yes Alisaie do be behaving differently when not having Alphinaud around as backup healer when getting into fights. Thank you for giving me back my sensible Alisaie.

Oh and I'm partial to the theme of younger siblings trying to get out of elder siblings' shadows whether for good or for bad. Dawntrail seems to be exactly this for Wuk Lamat.

Hells Dawntrail and Stormblood are practically the little siblings expac getting out of elder siblings shadows.

And then there's under radar kouhai Krile. The one that doesn't want to over burden Hylnyan. So I sometimes use her for duty. She's a bit reserved for most parts. Would have to see where this goes.

For this I have to stop whining about not having Hylnyan's senpais (Thancred and Estinien) around often.

Alisaie do be growing up and I like to see where she goes.

She do be developing a friendship with Wuk Lamat the entire trip

Can the rest of the job quest kouhais come play too?

Senpai got your backs and thank the Devs for not turning this part into a sniping/shooting game (I hated it GTA:SA)

Note - Please do be giving your kouhais (including G'raha some hugs when ya'll get into Levindome and do your thing. Everybody needs a hug.

[dezemberzwolf]

Ff14 for 3 and 5, and zenos with 6 and 8

fandom ask meme!! ask me.... memes >:3

thamk u ilu....

3. which scene I would like to erase from the universe and why.

it technically was erased from the universe via retcon but every time someone mentions to me about the original moenbryda minion desc. that implied urianger was creepy towards her it makes me want to bite the writer again. also yknow what?? the lancer quest where foulques dies. my boy deserves to live so many other random ass shitty npcs get to live. like ok foulques was a dick but like he was a dick because every he knows decided to be racist at him and he HAD a POINT. like maybe some people deserved a stabbing. and yet 'known canon rapist npc ungust' gets to live? im sure theres 800 other things ill think of later bc its not as if the game is free of weird narrative choices, but ill be real. most of the time theres something where im like "this shouldnt Exist" i just vaporize and rewrite it in my mind LMAO. hear me out about werlyt

5. the scene from it that lives in my head rent free.

everything urianger has ever said in his entire life and also 90% of shadowbringers. its really good. for no particular character reason i think a whole lot about when you and the scions go to storm eulmore and u walk in on vauthry and ryne immediately screams 'no, make him stop' bc hes eating a pile of meol and i know. i know. in my heart. that if it wasnt gonna be too heavy gore and a bunch of graphics, the story intended that to be read as him ripping into and eating that lion sin eater that always sat in that exact spot. i know in my heart they ran in on him mid transformation eating a lion raw with his hands. i know this. shadowbringers is normal and fine for everyone involved.

also yknow in endwalker after [6.0 SPOILERS BEGIN] meteion reveals thancred is dead, urianger speaks and she immediately turns to him and goes 'youre full of loathing and dont even know why you still exist here'. that fucks me up every day. do you know how much has to happen for urianger, whose entire motivations this entire time is that he loves people so so much, to Actively Loathe you. to Hate a scared child. and he hates her because she killed thancred. and he doesnt know why its never him who gets to be the one sacrificed. im fine thats fine [END 6.0 SPOILERS]

6. the scene that I think shows just how awesome they really are.

The final fight with him here he speaks to the wol "not as a hero, but as an adventurer", and asks if your journey was a blessing or a curse. I like zenos because he is very much an exact foil for Laurel and that scene just shows that. hes aware of how close they are, and he cares.. he wants to know if someone 'like him', as the wol is, ever actually had a chance to live a life that could be enjoyable. he's trying to connect this entire time the only way he can understand you... i get if people dislike zenos. tbh im like, zenos agnostic outside of the context of him and the wol LOL but. i think at the end hes able to show that he really truly did connect with the wol. he managed to make a bond and some kind of understanding.

at least, with a wol like laurel.... with my other WoLs its like "YOU DONT GET SHIT GO AWAY!!!!!!" poor zenos. anyways him calling you an adventurer instead of a hero at the very end is neat. he cares about you he wants to understand very badly. he loves laurel hes her princess ok in this zenoswol laurel essay i will,

8. a headcanon I have about this character.

theres so much horny zenos fanart and i respect this i understand where it comes from but im also like. this man does not practically know what sex is and cannot flirt. he has only the hunt. if he fucks he does it almost by accident and it started as a fistfight or he has to be instructed into it. he has never seen pussy before. the wols gotta give him a diagram bc he understands concept but not execution. hes got other priorities.

also in In From The Cold when he possesses the wol the actual first thing he does is fall flat on his face because the center of gravity is way too different and hes not used to walking. and laurel specifically is lightly digitigrade and trekking around the snow in stiletto heels zenos gets into her body stand dramatically and then immediately eats shit because what the fuck how are you standing up like this.

[kaerran]

#15: Portentous

[there's a part of me that argues everything about the echo is portentous, but i'm not sure anyone else would agree with me. anyway time to fill in an blank in time travel. this would technically be part 3. i also didn't find the time to look up momodi to see if i have her speech patterns even mildly close]

Qahs'a quickly becomes even more impressed by the gossip train, as when he presents himself to Momodi, she eyes him, and says, "Ah, you're the one who fought the goobbue."

Qahs'a is derailed enough by this this that all he can do is blink at her.

Momodi snorts. "There aren't enough Miqo'te boys around Ul'dah that you can blend in, and not everyone's pretending that a goldsmith was able to fell an enraged goobbue on his lonesome."

Qahs'a hesistates, then nods carefully and holds up three fingers.

Momodi hums. "So you, that Thancred boy, and Niellefresne?" When he nods again, she hums again. "Well then, I never expected him to pick a fight. His friends maybe, but not he himself," she muses. "Well, I do appreciate the insight! I'd imagined that if anyone else had been involved, it'd be that gladiator friend of his. But I suppose you're here for something other than gossip."

Qahs'a nods yet again, then pauses as he tries to figure out how to mime adventuring.

Luckily Momodi was paying enough attention. "Still a bit shaken?" she asks.

He shrugs a shoulder. It's not that at all, but he's not going to try to explain.

Momodi gives him a kind smile. "Adventurer's guild?" Her smile grows with his nod. "I've got some things you could do. Nothing measuring up to fighting an enraged goobbue, mind, but enough to distract you and give you an introduction to the city. Maybe you'll even run into someone you know again."

Something in the back of his mind clicks, and he nearly sighs at the Echo's confirmation of that. Hopefully he's not going to have to watch Niellefresne's murder, but he might have to…

[akirakirxaa]

In ARR Akira was very much a gung ho adventurer, charging headfirst into all the situations with an optimistic outlook. She also was a mage through and through, a black mage by trade and practice almost solely magic. She also appeared to be a hyur at the time, with silver hair instead of red, though her eyes were still purple. She also had a little crush on Thancred, so while it stung when she realized he'd been possessed she was determined to save him. However, they ended up being nothing more than friends not long after she did rescue him. It was mutual and there are no hard feelings.

In HW Akira was Freshly Traumatized by the Bloody Banquet and became more withdrawn and distrusting. After The Vault, she was consumed by the need for vengeance, only able to relent after the Heavensward were dead. She's not proud of how she was during this time, but she doesn't regret striking them down for a second. After the banquet (technically still ARR) she learned she was actually Au Ra and assumed her true appearance, including her red hair that she still has now. At the time it was shoulder length and worn loose. She of course got some battle scars since she became a DRK here and started fighting head on, including some burn scars from her fight with Nidhogg. She obviously was in love with Haurch in this era, but we all know how that ended.

SB Akira was very...hollow for much of it. She'd gotten her revenge against the Heavensward but of course it didn't fix anything and while she was glad she was able to save Ishgard by stopping Nidhogg, she just felt numb, going through the motions of helping the war against Garlemald. When she lost to Zenos, she was furious with herself, as if she could control her depression. She only snapped out of it a little when she reached the Steppe and got to learn more about who the Xaela are, since she knows very little about them due to her amnesia. She had a short fling with Hien that she broke off when he was almost killed by Elidibus masquerading as Zenos, her trauma from the Vault still affecting how she approaches relationships. She wore her hair long and in an updo. (Specifically the Gyr Abanian Plait.) She has also gained a few more scars of course, the worst of which being the one Zenos gave her at their first meeting.

ShB started as a continuation of how she was in SB, but as time went on she began to be a little more open again. She still tried to hide her darker thoughts and feelings, but wasn't always successful. She originally thought that was why she felt so drawn to Emet-Selch, because she saw some of her own darkness mirrored there, or maybe because she felt he might understand her better. Of course, there's an Amaurot sized actual reason but she didn't know that at the time. By the end of it she was fully prepared to sacrifice herself if that's what it took to save the First, but it didn't come to that. She wore her hair very short, which she cut before coming to the First after she broke up with Hien. She ended up with G'raha here. They're both deeply traumatized but support each other well and there's a lot of love there. From a story telling perspective there were just so many parallels to the Vault that it ending in saving G'raha just sealed the deal on me shipping them.

EW Akira has stopped being quite so guarded with her feelings, at least with the people she cares for, and has learned to lean more on her friends when she needs help. Which of course made Ultima Thule all the harder when she eventually ends up having to go on alone. Her hair's grown back a bit by now, but not as long as it was before. I also imagine she has some scarring from the light on the First, both mental and physical. She allows her hair to grow out more post EW, and allows herself some rest when they return home from Ultima Thule instead of looking for another cause to fight for right away.

How has your WoL changed from ARR to Endwalker? Personality, looks, etc?

[entropictome]

Holiday Hot Pot

S:Final Fantasy XIV No plot or purpose. Just one man, his friends, family, his overwhelming grief and their very late Starlight. [mentioned non-WoL OCxThancred] 5754 words [ More FFXIV Content ]

“You look like shit.”

Moth’ir was missing his characteristic shades so all four occupants could clearly see the viera’s tactless comment send his eyes rolling. Five if the infant in his arms wasn’t soundly asleep. His comeback was snappy as always. “Thanks, kid. Thought I’d take a page from your book for a change.”

The Burn’s reaction was immediate. His rage coiled in his arms as he quickly changed stance. Ever one to turn to violence before reason. His voice rose as he started “,Why are you always-”

The rest was swallowed by a mitten plopped against his mouth. His smaller─but no less dangerous─companion shot him a long suffering look. Keeping The Burn’s temper under control was like trying to keep a lit match from igniting firedamp in a coal mine. Most folks had no hope but to abandon the mission to begin with. Ibuki was the sole exception. Though she could give him a good and proper dressing-down, it didn’t take much besides a sigh and disappointed look to upend his rampage before it started.

The anger didn’t go away, it just receded, but it allowed the pale and dark scaled auri to turn their attention back to their long missing friend. The three gathered around him with varying levels of interest. Leaving Havhen to flail helplessly as their presence was quickly forgotten in that of Moth’ir’s. Whom was obviously the more respected between the two when it came to their present company.

“You’ve been gone for months without word! We were really worried!” Ibuki stated, nearly whining with the intensity of her sincerity.

“We would have come sooner but there were a lot of things to take care of,” the Xaela man spoke apologetically. “There were so many festivals and trying to keep the bar staffed with so many people wanting days off and of course the Basement-”

Ibuki elbowed her much taller compatriot and cut his further worrying off by enthusing “,but Bukidai has dealt with all of it marvelously well so you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh?” Moth’ir looked at the Xaela with an appraising look. Though, paired with an easy grin, it was unlikely he was being serious. “Food baskets?”

“All delivered as of yesterday,” Bukidai, who was serious, assured him. “Thanks to our volunteers.”

“Volunteers is it? Did Mr. Auberdine show up?” Moth’ir asked and chuckled lightly when he saw Bukidai’s surprise.

“Ah, yes. Though we had to ask him to leave-”

“Because he was trying to convince everyone that volunteers deserved two baskets for their trouble.” Moth’ir interrupted, leaving Bukidai startled once again. “Did that every year. A few others too. Reason why I started delivering them my own damn self if I’m honest.”

“Every year?” Bukidai’s horror was indication enough that Mr. Auberdine had thrown one of his characteristic fits before he allowed himself to be let go.

“Grew up as a wealthy merchant’s son and then his family landed themselves in dire straights with bad investments,” Moth’ir shrugged. He was sympathetic but the sympathy was for Booker, not the man. “He’s remarkably less worse than he was but he’s never quite gotten over the idea he deserves more than everyone else.”

Bukidai sighed and shook his head. “Regardless, I think we can make do with our other volunteers if they want to pitch in again.”

“If you say so,” Moth’ir said dubiously. Bukidai held unto hope for dear life but Moth’ir had been divested of that a long long time ago. “Take care with old U’leh. Greying Miqo’te lady, very unassuming. She likes to troll through some of the donated items in Spring and Autumn for cakes to raffle off at her little charity parties.”

“She raffles off donated cakes?” Bukidai was aghast then pulled himself off the topic for another. “Spring is an awful long time away. Aren’t you coming back?”

“If you need to break out, we’ve got you,” Ibuki rose her sweater’s sleeve so she might flex her otherwise deceptively pudgy arm. Havhen─who had been watching their interaction with keen interest and was not familiar with Ibuki’s playful personality─shot Moth’ir an alarmed look over her shoulder.

“Contrary to whatever belief you might have, I am here of my own free will,” Moth’ir stated firm enough that they knew he meant it. He had certainly come of his own accord anyway. Staying was less than thrilling since he didn’t much care for the sole physician in this strange hospital. Divulging why was far more personal than he was comfortable sharing but he did add a “More or less.”

“More or less?” The Burn attention had been momentarily bought by the possibility of fighting.

Moth’ir gave him a stern look “,I’m staying.”

It was the right thing to do. More than that, it was where Thancred had left him. Left them. The four of them descended into an awkward silence. None of whom seemed particularly thrilled with the prospect.

Ibuki, hopping from one foot to the next, tried her best to break the quiet. “Is the baby yours? Bukidai said you left because you were feeling sick and had suspected but we didn’t know for sure.”

“Ibuki!” Bukidai chastised her.

Moth’ir gave him a solid kick to the shin. Which might have actually hurt had he been wearing anything but his slippers. He gasped and proclaimed with played up scandalization “What a gossip!”

Havhen was likely the only one of them who noticed the slight hissing. Something which indicated an actual irritation from Moth’ir he hid by dramatizing it.

“Is it a boy or girl?” Ibuki asked before throwing her arms up and blithely gesturing “,you know, for now.”

It was a joke that three of them understood better than the other two. Though she wasn’t aware of Havhen’s case. She had quite nearly forgotten they were there at all. Which was more or less in their favor as they were busy taking mental notes. Specifically on Moth’ir’s face after Ibuki asked her question. Moth’ir had settled into fatherhood like a round peg in a square hole. He’d fallen in but the corners weren’t right. Fairly typical of new parents but he’d taken his ineptitude as immediate failure and the guilt had landed him here in Havhen’s care. He’d only just been able to acknowledge his daughter directly at all.

Moth’ir visibly braced himself before muttering “,it’s uh... she.”

“She’s so cute! Can I hold her?” Ibuki thrust her arms out exuberantly. Either not noticing the stumble or too polite to point it out. Moth’ir handed her over mayhaps a bit too eagerly but the fact he’d been carrying her without needing to was progress. Havhen made a note of it.

Holding a baby was something Ibuki had enough experience in that she hadn’t needed coaching. Utterly doting, she looked fairly natural cooing down at the fussy bundle who had begun to stir due to the commotion and movement. Moth’ir struggled not to look miserable watching the pair, ears flattened against his head. Grief that went unnoticed now that all attention was on the baby.

“What’s her name?” Bukidai asked pleasantly.

“Doesn’t have one.” Moth’ir said flatly. Bukidai looked to him with confusion but Moth’ir waved him off and continued. “Her dad thought I should name her but I’ve been preoccupied and just... haven’t.”

Havhen distinctly remembered the white haired hyur had mentioned he’d wanted Moth’ir to name her because it might help them bond. And something about having already named two girls but that hadn’t been meant for Havhen’s ears. The concern of Moth’ir’s friends weren’t at all alleviated by the explanation but Bukidai had enough sense to recognize Moth’ir’s agitation. He simply nodded and smiled, if a bit awkwardly. “I’m sure it will come to you soon.”

Moth’ir brushed him off, glanced over at the window and the dwindling light outside. Whatever he’d wanted to see there caused him to sigh. He postulated “,You three didn’t really have a plan once you got here, did you?”

Said three exchanged glances that said they hadn’t and then all four heads turned to Havhen. The physician shook their head and crossed their arms in front of them. “Absolutely, not! This is a mental care facility! Not an inn!”

“It’s not like you’ve got any other patients and there’s not exactly a line waiting,” Moth’ir stated sternly.

“Nevertheless there are professional standards I have to adhere to,” Haven pushed back with just as much authority.

“It’s a madhouse,” Moth’ir exclaimed incredulously “,You’re already a joke and a half!”

“Not a madhouse!” Haven corrected him with a great deal of passion. “Those facilities garner their reputation by focusing on containment and are as like to cause as much─if not more─damage to their patients had they just left them alone. This facility is for study and treatment with the intent of rehabilitation.”

Havhen was a generally genial person but this was a subject they were particularly staunch on. Moth’ir, on the other hand, was just normally stubborn and exceedingly opinionated. Where the standoff would go was any one’s guess but it wasn’t likely to be clean. With that in mind, Ibuki interjected “,that’s actually quite fascinating! I’d love to get an interview with you on the subject for an article. Mor Dhona isn’t that far from Ul’dah, I’m sure some of my readers would love to know more.”

“You’re a reporter?” Havhen asked, scrutinizing the pastel garbed auri woman closer.  “Publicity would be nice but your ilk are so fond of twisting things on their head for greater attention.”

“Well, you’re in luck because miss Bunji is far more partial toward fluff pieces,” Bukidai noted with a fair bit of amusement.

“Oh! I’m so tired of writing hard hitting news! Everyone is so wary of talking to me now but I don’t mean to find bad things! I’m just very good at tripping into them,” her sudden outburst sounded surprisingly sincere considering it’s absurdity. It had also upset the baby who she quickly went about soothing. “Oh! I’m so sorry, dear thing. It’s okay! Nothing’s wrong! You’re not running a money laundering business out of here are you?”

The last question was aimed at Havhen who simply held their hands up defensively. “If I was I wouldn’t be struggling to make rent.”

“You’d be surprised,” Ibuki sighed as she gently rocked the baby back to complacency.

Havhen considered the three newcomers and nodded approvingly. “Alright. You can stay for a short while.”

There was a short lived celebratory movement before Havhen added: “Under the condition you do chores around the building and submit yourselves for an interview of my own.”

Moth’ir balked. “Nevermind, everyone can go sleep outside.”

Havhen crossed his arms and said firmly “,if she’s going to write about my organization she might as well get the best understanding of what I’m trying to do.”

“I think we can handle some housework and questions,” Bukidai offered, trying to hearten Moth’ir whose grimace only deepened in return.

Moth’ir threw his hands up and shook his head but went to his next order of business “,Regardless, your kitchen stock is atrocious. Scribbles, go out and see what food stuffs you can pick up for tonight. It’s Starlight and almost sundown so don’t expect a lot.”

“You can count on me!” Ibuki chirped despite his sentiment and snapped off a salute unfamiliar to Havhen.

“You,” he pointed at The Burn “,there’s some weird creatures out of town. Ask around the adventurers, see what all is edible and how, kill it and bring the proper bits back.”

The Burn grinned and smacked his fists together. “I can do that.”

“As long as you can ask politely and don’t pick a fight,” Ibuki said to him as more of a warning than anything else.

“You’re with me in the kitchen,” Moth’ir nodded toward Bukidai “,let’s prep and you can see if you have any more ideas about what we have on hand than I.”

“And me?” Havhen pointed at themself.

“You’re on baby duty.” Moth’ir gestured dramatically toward his daughter, still in Ibuki’s arms who passed her off to them.

“Alright kids, we have a short amount of time and very little to work with. Let’s move,” Moth’ir gestured and his people went to do as they were asked.

Havhen and the child watched them all scatter. Before today Moth’ir had been antagonistic and withdrawn around them. This commanding man and the willingness of his peers to follow his direction was bemusing. Both attitudes were entirely alien from the way he had been with his beau. At least when he didn’t think Havhen was looking. Assuming different personae to suit different groups was normal enough but, when all was said and done, some of Moth’ir’s faces would likely have to die to save the host.

“It should be an interesting night for us, I think.” They cooed gently to the nameless girl.

--------------------------------------------------------

Havhen had hoped they might be able to observe something that would give them clarity on Moth’ir in the process of the night. What they happened to see was utter chaos. Babies need care and Moth’ir’s child was particularly fussy without any seeming need to be. A fact even her wet nurse had noted. Then there was the utter mess that Moth’ir and Bukidai were making in their kitchen. Which was adequate enough by Havhen’s standards but not theirs.

The Burn returned first. A bit bloodied for his trouble. He’d gotten a handful of strange looking material he all swore was good for eating in a variety of ways. Havhen had some doubts but Moth’ir took him at his word.

“Who did you piss off?” Moth’ir asked passively after getting a proper look at the viera’s nose.

“Some weird frogs, some newts, wriggly things, you know,” The Burn gestured toward his assorted meats as if the question in itself was inane.

“I said: who,” Moth’ir reiterated, pointedly.

The Burn crossed his arms and stood defiantly. Which unraveled under Moth’ir’s steely gaze and he finally yelled “,it was some roegadyn, okay? Didn’t like the way I asked and wouldn’t listen so he started punching. He was asking for it.”

Moth’ir shrugged and shook his head. He wasn’t exactly pleased but the disappointment didn’t stick. He said to The Burn “,Thanks for the bits, kid. Since you’re here, try and keep that one out of our hair.”

Moth’ir gestured toward Havhen, saying to them: “And you? Good luck.”

It was a particularly perplexing series of statements that cleared itself up over the course of a brief conversation. Havhen came to the conclusion that The Burn would make a good case study if he’d allow it. Alas, it was unlikely that The Burn would avail himself to their care so Havhen was forced to deal with him on a social level. Which was an exceedingly unpleasant task. He was combative, sullen, and downright rude without any self awareness. A hungry malboro would have made better company.

Luckily, Ibuki returned not too long after. If her strength had been in question, it was not now as she managed to juggle a notable number of boxes. Of which she was more hampered by the awkwardice of their distribution than their weight.

“What did you do? Buy the whole market?” Bukidai exclaimed as he started offloading her parcels.

“There’s a lot more in the market than food, you know,” Ibuki retorted. “I just got things that they said were edible and looked good.”

“Is that a whole dodo?” Moth’ir asked as he eyeballed what she’d brought in.

“Yup! The man said I could have it cheap because it’s Starlight,” she said as she divested herself of her last package. Arms free, Ibuki turned to Havhen and stretched them out to them “,let me see the baby!”

They could hardly deny her after she asked so passionately.

“More likely that the seller misjudged his buyer’s needs and wanted to offload it quickly,” Moth’ir commented looking the bird over. He’d found little wrong with it all the same.

“Oh! Oh!” She hopped back around to face him after having secured the baby in her arms “,I was thinking maybe a hot pot would be good?” Ibuki’s suggestion sounded more like the favorite child pleading a favor of an otherwise stern parent. 

“I think I saw a burner for one,” Bukidai added with a questioning note. Indirectly asking why Havhen would have one to begin with.

“I’m quite particular towards hot pot dishes, myself,” Havhen explained “,I should have noodles too.”

Ibuki looked enthused for all of a second before she schooled herself back and asked “,like, spaghetti?”

Havhen gave her a sympathetic look and patted her and the shoulder “,I’m not sure I’ve had pasta in a hot pot. Personally, I’m preferential toward glass noodles but I have udon too.”

This suitably reignited Ibuki’s excitement. She nearly launched herself at Havhen, might have had it not been for the babe, asking “,you have a lot of stuff from Othard here, actually. Have you gone to Kugane?”

Havhen suspected the woman might be a tad homesick but unfortunately had to shake their head. “Not myself. The matrons of my clan told me stories of Yanxia from when we’d travel before the Garlean occupation. I believe it’s a short boat ride between?”

Moth’ir audibly hissed. A thing so uncharacteristic that it completely silenced the room a second and then was immediately moved on from. Moth’ir’s friends assuming it had been unintentional; like a sneeze. They hadn’t been told that Havhen had just happened to be Moth’ir’s long lost sibling. That their clan had once been his. At least, before they’d left him to die as a small child. But Havhen did.

They gave him an apologetic look. Divulging details about their clan hadn’t been their intent. It was an act which Moth’ir had very clearly expressed wanting nothing to do with. Their conciliation did little to quell the absolute rage that Moth’ir was having trouble keeping from his face. Cooking did though.

Havhen and Ibuki settled into chatting idly about Othard while the babe slept in her arms. The Burn─whose chaotic nature had been hard contained just moments before─sat calmly watching Ibuki. A man who was seeing his girlfriend in a domestic light for the first time and wasn’t sure what to think. Havhen rather thought he looked awed. The dining table they sat at and the kitchen were hardly separated. Only a partition that covered perhaps half the room from view. With The Burn preoccupied, he could hardly stop Havhen from observing Moth’ir.

Havhen had thought Bukidai might be in charge of the hot pot, seeing a Xaela would surely know more of the concept than a Eorzean born miqo’te. He was no doubt talented but it was to Moth’ir’s beck and call that he scurried. Ibuki mentioned to them that the pair had come to Kugane some time ago and that’s when Moth’ir had picked up some new techniques. Havhen was fairly impressed that anyone could simply “pick up” traditional methods from one trip but there was a great deal they did not know about Moth’ir.

Ibuki and his hyur “friend” had both spoken about Moth’ir’s prowess as a craftsman. The man had asked him to make a dress for their child and what he produced was of a higher quality than Havhen had expected. The act of putting the dress on the baby had helped Moth’ir acknowledge her and he’d since made several articles of it’s ilk. They had encouraged it because it seemed to be a source of catharsis for him. In the kitchen, Moth’ir seemed just as at home as he did with a sewing needle. Though these two fields were not the limits of his capabilities, Ibuki confirmed they were two specialties of his many interests.

He also seemed to be cooking more or less as a stress relief at the moment. As evidenced by the increasing number of plates Bukidai was producing.

“This is actually pretty early for us.”

It was a lovely little spread. Maybe more geared toward ten people than five. Ibuki had gotten her hot pot. Her eyes glittered despite the fact some of the ingredients used were… questionable in texture. It did look appetizing despite knowing where some of it had come from.

“Do you usually make so much food too?” Havhen eyed the spread and glanced to Bukidai.

“Uh…” Bukidai sheepishly responded, rubbing the back of his neck and then taking a moment to remove his neck tie as he’d suddenly become cognizant of it. “Yes and no? Traditionally, we cook a lot more but we also share with the neighborhood.”

“They do that at the end of every moon but Starlight is supposed to be special,” The Burn noted dully.

“Must be profitable in Ul’dah,” Havhen suggested without having any real clue.

“Oh, it’s all free though.” Ibuki commented cheerily.

“Who knew you were such a philanthropist?” Havhen remarked, turning around only to find Moth’ir missing. They stepped into the kitchen and found him sitting behind the partition. His head between his knees and both hands resting on the back of his neck.

“Gimme a moment.” He’d murmured, completely devoid of any venom he’d usually summon. He could only turn with a facsimile of it when Havhen sat beside him but the comment he’d expected to have to beat off never came. They simply sat there quietly.

Bukidai pretended to busy himself with the spread once again. Shooing Moth’ir’s clockwork toy off the table. He remarked “,that thing has a mind of it’s own.” A statement that started Ibuki and The Burn on a discussion on whether it had been set to follow the babe─since it was never far away from her─or if it was actually possessed. For that matter, where was the other one? None of the three had seen that one in a while. They only made indirect mentions of the man whose countenance both automatons shared. Neither Ibuki or The Burn knew what his relation was to Moth’ir though they’d seen him from time to time. Only Bukidai had any clue.

Bukidai who much preferred this to impeding on Moth’ir’s privacy any more than he already had.

They sat like that for a long time. The three younger ones chatting amicably amongst themselves while the miqo’te siblings sat out of view. After a bit, Moth’ir had gathered himself enough to pull himself to a more relaxed position. Havhen gave him a moment before risking a quiet remark “,they sound like family.”

Moth’ir only hmm’d at first. When he managed to speak, his voice was quiet too but the lack of force was from the palpable exhaustion that colored the tone. The kind of exhaustion unrelated to sleep. He replied “,Maybe they are. Ul’dah is a long way from the Steppes, Hingashi and wherever the hell The Burn fell out of.”

“Ul’dah is a long way from the Twelveswood too,” Havhen said gently as they could “,but you seem keener to keep your distance.”

“So many questions,” Moth’ir spat but even this indignation lacked fire.

“When one cannot find answers they are often left with nothing but questions,” Havhen replied pleasantly enough. It still pissed Moth’ir off.

The Burn was yelling about something but Ibuki and Bukidai were laughing. At his worst there was a request he calm down because he was disturbing the baby. Words which were also choked with laughter.

Moth’ir let them hang there. Content to sit and listen and not at all up to acknowledging what was a valid statement. He was supposed to be getting better after all but sometimes Havhen and their questions made him want to disappear into the swamp.

“If you don’t celebrate on Starlight, what do you do?” Havhen asked him, trying another angle.

Moth’ir sighed with his whole body. He tried to say “stuff” but all he managed was a weak roll of his wrist.

“You and your man must have some traditions?” Havhen offered.

Moth’ir snorted. The idea of Thancred being any one person’s was cute to him. Even after the hyur had confessed all those things to him before he’d left. Before Moth’ir had had the ability to say it back. Words that he so desperately wanted to say back. They pooled in the back of his throat and begged to be released so Moth’ir did something uncharacteristic of him and spoke about him. If just to speak of him at all. “Thancred’s not usually home when the holidays come around. ‘Specially not these last couple years but when he is it’s just a drink and then sleeping in.”

“Festive,” Havhen said with a chuckle.

Admittedly it didn’t sound like much but it had meaning for him. Maybe Thancred too. A tradition started nearly a decade ago. A rare occasion when Thancred hadn’t had any luck with any fair maiden despite his “silver tongue.” Too inebriated to make it to his lodgings but just sober enough to crash against the backdoor of Moth’ir’s home and workplace. Thancred almost looked dignified sitting there, looking like a misplaced gift from Nymeia’s Saint after Moth’ir’s very long and miserable day.

Thancred somehow talked him into one single drink for the occasion despite Moth’ir’s distaste for alcohol. So they might be on equal footing or some line of the sort. Though Moth’ir wasn’t anywhere near as intoxicated by the time he’d managed to dump Thancred in his bed. Then they’d passed out in a sleep near as deep as death itself. An act remarkable for the both of them.

All their important moments seemed to be in that bed. Very few─if any─had a thing to do with Thancred’s typical salacious activities. It was another sort of intimacy only available to them in the privacy and relative safety of Moth’ir’s room. Honestly and vulnerability that they’d not allowed themselves anywhere else. And yet...

“I didn’t realize you lived together.”

Moth’ir rolled a hand dismissively again. “Some of his stuff is at my place but I don’t think he lives anywhere anymore.”

“Too busy doing what he does.” Havhen said with some meaning. Near everyone who paid attention to the daily happenings around them had some conception of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn even if they didn’t know each member. Savior’s of the realm and at their center the indomitable Warriors of Light.

But Thancred was quite faliable. It was one of his charms.

“I don’t want to go back.” Moth’ir said so quietly Havhen almost didn’t hear him.

Havhen lightly bumped his shoulder against Moth’ir’s. “His life is largely here in Mor Dhona now, isn’t it?”

Moth’ir crossed his arms over his knees and pressed his eyes there to shut out the pressure from behind his eyes. He’d had some conception of Thancred’s work but it was something alien and distant. He imagined it was much the same for Thancred and Moth’ir’s work outside the Tavern. They’d known each other in a way that no one else did─that no one was supposed to─but they’d lived separate lives save where they let it intertwine. A special and private part of themselves tailor made for each other. It had worked. Might have continued to work but then Thancred had taken him from this hospital to the Rising Stones.

He’d met the women who’d given Thancred a shave and a haircut and found he’d liked them both despite that. Hadn’t recognized the man with the sun and stars before he spoke because he’d been missing the goggles and shroud he’d seen him in before. Lightly roasted Thancred with a Seeker woman with whom he shared new material to his friend’s chagrin. One of them would tell him if anything happened to Thancred while he was on the field. Thancred had assured him of such before he’d left.

And he’d liked that. He liked the idea that he’d be one of the first to know. He liked that Thancred had shown him context to the part of his life that had been a thin outline. But Moth’ir could never go back to waiting and wondering and subtext and half told stories they were too tired to finish telling because living it had been too much. He liked knowing and he liked being here and he knew he could never ever go back to that room. It’s privacy and false safety be damned.

He’d fooled himself into thinking he’d feel differently once he returned and started to go around the usual rounds but here he was. The same comedy routine fit like a glove but it was a glove that weighed as much as a buffalo and he was so tired. More than that: “They don’t need me,” Moth’ir said, choking back something that might have been a sob. Though he didn’t know why or what he was feeling exactly.

“It’s gonna get co~ld,” Ibuki’s voice came from beyond the partition.

Bukidai’s voice came after, raised suspiciously “,alright! alright! But make sure you don’t eat everything!” His added emphasis that the couple had had a habit of scarfing down an absurd amount of food returned to a normal pitch but the reaction to it was no less raucous.

Havhen shook their head in agreement and said “,Maybe once, but they do seem to have themselves covered now.”

“Wish I did,” Moth’ir breathed. Drawing himself up and closing his eyes, trying to center himself once more.

It was quiet between them again. The only sound coming from Ibuki singing over what was assumedly a well done meal. But Moth’ir broke the silence by turning to them and stating “,I never wanted children.”

Havhen cocked an eyebrow at him but let him continue on his own without prompting. So Moth’ir continued. “I did when I decided to keep her but I never wanted children. I don’t know how to do this and I don’t… how do we do this? I don’t know how to name kids.”

Havhen considered the distance Moth’ir had kept himself from his family and friends. They considered that he carried internalized feelings of guilt as if his abandonment was due to his own fault. The way he shied away from his daughter and the way he tormented himself for having done so. They wondered if “I never wanted” simply meant he hadn’t thought he should as if he was not worthy.

Moth’ir could simply have been asking for their opinion but the emphasis on “we” seemed like more. They did not know if he meant as keepers or as a clan. They weren’t sure if offering their typical naming conventions would be much use to him. Havhen offered a smile and said “,Oh, I’m not sure it’s all very complicated. You just pick something you think sounds nice or has meaning to you.”

Moth’ir sighed, clearly unsatisfied by that answer. Answers to a question that wasn’t the one he wanted to ask would never be sufficient.

“I think picking a name of someone important to you is suitable as well. As a tribute of sorts,” Havhen tried again despite the futility.

Moth’ir’s eyes stared upward as he considered various people whom he’d had some attachment to. It was an ordeal when one specifically kept people at arms length with few exceptions. “Can’t just name her Menphina, can I?”

“I mean,” Havhen shrugged and said flippantly “,your fellow Eorzeans might find that blasphemous but it’s your daughter.” They received a gentle elbow to the ribs for their trouble.

“Moth.”

“After your mother?” Havhen asked.

Moth’ir eyed him warily. Karga clan was very distinctly something that was his and his alone. It was never far from his mind that Havhen had only ever had their gods forsaken clan. He did not know what they saw when they thought of him and his siblings and his mother together. They all had meant the world and more to him and he misliked the idea of someone belittling that.

Havhen continued to smile at him warmly as he tried to assure him “,I think it’s a lovely name. And, from what your brother has told me, a woman deserving of such dedication.”

Moth’ir only knew that Moth’wo had trusted Havhen with the health of his brother. He’d not had a clue said brother and they were related by blood. How close the two actually were was a mystery to him. He hadn’t even ventured to ask so he had no choice but to accept the comment at face value. Or at least he had no energy to grill them about it.

Eased somewhat he turned his attention inward. He reiterated the name Moth in a whisper. More for himself than Havhen’s benefit. Making it real. Making her real. He closed his eyes and used it as a point to center himself.

Havhen ventured to tap his shoulder to grab his attention before holding their arm out, hopefully offering a hug. Moth’ir regarded them irritably but leaned his shoulder against theirs and allowed himself to be pulled closer. Havhen lightly pressed his head against Moth’ir’s and so they sat. Silent while idly listening to the other three while their minds were elsewhere. For their part, Havhen was busy committing the moment to memory. A small victory for them that may mean nothing but a memento of their brother when he left them for good but that in itself would be enough.

“Hey, you think she can eat some of this meat?” The Burn’s voice asked from beyond the partition.

Moth’ir snapped to, breaking Havhen’s precious moment. On his feet and away in a second. “You feed that baby anything and I swear I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Havhen let themself linger for a moment. Wrapped their arms around their knees and listening to the new argument. Havhen had been walking with Moth’ir’s ghost for over a decade. They’d been convinced of his death by their mother and it haunted them. But then he’d returned alive; so very much alive. That life had been a messy and painful one. Whether he cared to know or not, Havhen’s had been much the same. The mystery of what laid before them could very much be more of the same but that wasn’t the important part. That they were alive is what gave those lives meaning. Nothing more, nothing less. Which is why they allowed themselves a moment to linger and not a moment more.

A life must be lived.

And there was a hot pot they needed to get to before it was gone.

[echodrops]

FFXIV Fics I Want to Read (Part 2)

1. It’s not entirely unlike Elidibus to attract strays, but this, Emet-Selch thinks, is a bit more troublesome than usual. (Or: Instead of keeping him hidden in some bolthole, Elidibus literally just brings Unukalhai home. All the other Ascians are equal parts curious and unhelpful in the raising of a child. Halmarut always has candy in her pockets. Fandaniel should definitely not be left alone with younglings. Emet-Selch gives terrible parenting advice on purpose. It’s probably for the best that formless aether beings don’t technically need to be fed.)

2. That very self-indulgent WoL/Sidurgu one where the WoL gets a place in the new Ishgard residential district and can’t help but think that a house would be a much better spot to raise Rielle than a bar. Convincing Sid to move is actually the easy part; the real problem is that the idea of living with Sidurgu sounded much less nerve-wracking in theory than it’s proving in practice--just how long can the WoL keep this “roommate” thing up without giving away their massive crush on their fellow Dark Knight? (Unbeknownst to the WoL, of course, Sidurgu is going through the exact same crisis. The domesticity is real and the mutual pining is painful. Rielle has seen dodos with more self-awareness.)

3. Captain Jacke, out of a very stupid sense of propriety, gets it in his head to mentor Oboro on the in-and-outs of Eorzean dashing roguery. He’s determined to teach the lad to woo the dimberest of morts--purely to free himself from the secondhand embarrassment of any more cringe-worthy courting attempts, of course, and not--thank you!!--because the Stray and Underfoot put a mint of gil on Jacke not knowing a thing about wooing the fairer sex himself... Meanwhile, Karasu Redbeak, whose thoughts on Oboro are much closer to proprietary, has determined that this simply will not do. Oboro’s pathetic bumbling is his greatest charm point, after all; turning him into something resembling socially competent? Out of the question! But when Jacke discovers that all his attempts to set Oboro up are being foiled from the shadows, misplaced pride turns the matter into an all-out Rogue versus Ninja skill war... that somehow, quite obnoxiously, goes right over Oboro’s head.

4. The Eorzean high school manga AU but it’s Sanson and Guydelot. Guydelot Thildonnet, resident guitar playing, leather pants wearing, class ditching bard punk realizes he is exactly one more behavior strike away from being expelled from high school for good--he can finally free himself from the incessant boredom of being forced to, ugh, get an education. A normal delinquent might just light a trash can on fire, but Guydelot was always the kind to make a scene. If you want to wash out in a blaze of glory, there’s only one surefire way to do it: pick a fight with your high school’s beloved Golden Boy. (Unfortunately for Guydelot, his school’s golden boy is one Sanson Smythe, who--out of the misguided goodness of his heart--talks the principal out of expelling Guydelot... and into giving them both, heavens forfend, community service together. This is about to be the best worst 250 hours of Guydelot’s life.)

5. Is it weird to ask your new (and only) school friend to help you set up your English teacher with your perpetually single father? Yes. Is Ryne going to ask Gaia anyway? Also yes. This is important. Thancred is lonely. (Well, probably. It seems like he should be, anyway.) And their teacher is really nice! It has to work out; Ryne knows it will! Only, well... Playing matchmaker is hard, but do you know what’s even harder? Sorta-kinda-maybe starting to like-like the friend you roped into playing matchmaker with you. (That cutesy Ryne/Gaia one where the matchmakers turn out to be the best match, with an added bonus of [insert your favorite Thancred ship here] on the side!)

6. (Quick, before Endwalker crushes my wildest dreams...) Fandaniel discovers that Zenos’s personal boundaries are absolutely inexplicable, and while the Garlean prince is prickly as a cactuar about the strangest things, he’s also completely blasé about acts that would unsettle virtually every other normal being on the star. Why not? the Sundered Ascian thinks. Why shouldn’t I do whatever amuses me now that dusty old Elidibus is gone? So, since it somehow doesn’t get him immediately cleaved in two, Fandaniel combs Zenos’s hair and helps undo his armor, drapes himself over the throne and the prince both, sleeps in Zenos’s bed... Nothing ever comes of it, of course, except sometimes when he’s trying his hardest to think about nothing and the whorls of his fingers recall the feel of other misshapen braids, the plate of other armor, the sound of different voices whispering in dreams, 12,000 endless years of other ghosts embraced by other monsters... (Holds up queerplatonic aroace Zenos and Fandaniel. I just think they’re neat!) 

7. In the middle of an incredibly serious political summit related to the fate of the very star, attended by the heads of state of every free territory south of Garlemald, Cid Garlond discovers that at least three quarters of Eorzea’s leaders genuinely believe that he is married to Nero tol Scaeva. After the initial shock of horror, Cid Garlond experiences... an even greater shock of horror, because if you fondly bicker with a man, and joint-own a masterworks enterprise with a man, and invent time travel with a man, and adopt a sentient chocobo with a man, and drink from the man’s coffee mug because his coffee just tastes better, and increasingly often grab the wrong toothbrush and smallclothes because you live with the man--you might actually be married to that man. (Or: Nero tol Scaeva has literally been counting, to the bell, the exact amount of time it will take Cid nan Garlond to realize they’ve settled down easily into the rest of their lives.)

8. "The little ones won’t listen to a bloody thing I say! Always in the way, no matter how many times I threaten to turn them into slippers--” Tiamat, whose children, even in the early days, couldn’t be counted on all four paws, gives a long, commiserating hum. “Have you tried,” she suggests in very serious Dravanian, “just roaring at them?” And “Yes,” Estinien hisses, in a better impression of a tea kettle than a dragon. (Or: The one where Estinien realizes belatedly that, at least as far as the Dravanians are concerned, the dragoon has inherited not only Nidhogg’s power, but also his brood. Fury be damned, if he finds another baby dragon asleep in his boot, he is going to restart the Dragonsong War.)

[kuroimarzipan]

scattered thoughts about patch 6.1 including msq and alliance raid

i cant believe tataru made a hyur sized outfit and expected me to put it on. also i lowkey wish that tataru had made a single outfit piece that’s suited any of my characters bc i feel bad not putting it on after she gives it to me but. tataru please

i do like that she n the wol just hang out sometimes tho. thats all i want

every time i stand next to estinien i say to myself “happy manlet monday” even tho he’s like 6′7″ or sth ridiculous

this game is always finding ways to stop krile from seeing combat. let her go apeshit just once i know she can do conjury let her do the blood lily or whatever it is that whm do idk ive only got it at lv 64 on sandrine

graha rlly gonna nut the second i ask him if he wanna go for walkies?? cmon man

yshtola asleep in the pile of books was so cute like. yshtola fans ate well this patch fr

yshtola misses runar.... she misses her house husband.... ok u know what like. i know that runar is very unpopular for various reasons but i liked him and i think that they were cute together and i hope she gets to see him again and he can make her some soup

cant believe niuwyb gets to go on an adventure with three of her lovers.... and graha is there too. cockblocked once more

urianger is so cute

i forgot i modded thancred’s ugly facial hair from hw back on and got jumpscared

btw after niuwyb sees thancred here he spends the rest of the time with roeh because he’s been dogging his drinking buddy since hw and she’s gonna make him do body shots now. i think its time for the return of thotcred. i want him and roeh to thot it up in taverns together again like only the best of bros can

when estinien said he wished the first boss of the dungeon was a squid. hes just like me fr

my friend warned me not to wall-to-wall pull just after the second boss so i did it just to see if i could and i could. warrior power. the thrill i get making urianger heal me thru the worst of shit

i think itll be rlly interesting to go into void stuff. im glad we’re like. addressing lil bits and pieces that havent been fully explored yet. i hope we address gridania’s racism eventually

vrtra is such a fucking sweetheart. fr. also sorry about that one time we broke into your secret dragon hoard that one time. we were gonna do the same thing with it that you were gonna i prommy

i made a separate post about this but i think that yshtola and nidhana should hold hands. my headcanon relationship chart grows more tangled by the day drawing it up would be nigh impossible

forreal i loved yshtola’s goofy lil summoning spell. that was so cute i really love when they have her be competent and cool and also an embarrassingly goofy nerd at the same time. charm point

nidhana is soooo cute. i love her i want the best for her

estinien rlly be like whatever. bye. and then goes and tells everyone whats going on and gets them to come convince vrtra. worlds biggest softie that goes about things in the most awkward and clumsy of ways

also hes actually rlly good with kids lmao

i rlly hope we can save this dragon

as for the alliance raid uhhhh im gonna need to practice it

but nald’thal had the best design of this first set

im glad it was a fake out bc if they made the twelve evil for no reason i woulda rolled my eyes big time

rlly excited to see llymlaen cause that’s roeh’s guardian

azeyma was technically niuwyb’s but on account of not having any memories she wasnt exactly devout so.

anyway im gonna have to think about what my other characters were doing but im glad to be able to immediately place roeh for the first time in a while even if shes just goofing off with thancred. their friendship is important to meeee

ok i have to get up in five hrs for work send help