#Widargelt

[digeethegenie]

An Ambition Reborn

Day 13 - Butte ARR - Lv. 50 MNK - Five Easy Pieces Spoilers for ARR Lv. 34 - All Good Things. CW - Spouse Abuse, Alchol Abuse

Widargelt Beake meditated on the top of the hill that overlooked the ruins of Sothern Thanalin. To anyone looking at him he was the picture of monk like stoicism. It was only the slightest of movements he made in his breathing that confirmed he was still with the living.

Inside however, he was a whirlwind of conflict. He was a man defeated, and he deserved it. There was no excuse for what he did. He attacked Yujo, someone who had trusted him as a communial brother, to kill her and awaken the final chakra gate.

To her, he was a confidant away from her duties with the Scions and the Immortal Flames, the sholder she cried on after the waking sands masacare, and the person she trained with daily for over six months with in the martial artes of Rhalgar The Destroyer.

He had thrown all that away, and… for what?

Glory? Pride? Power? Vengence?

All worthless in the clarity of the after.

And yet, when it was all said and done, she had not admonished him, shouted him down, nor punch him- not that someone else didn't do that for her imediately after. She simply offered her hand, her tiny hand, to help him back up.

He had been defeated, compeltly and utterly.

"I figgured this would be where I could find you."

His eyes opened. He didn't need to see to know who had come to meet him in such a place.

"Erik…"

The professor looked over him with the same look of disapointment that followed the anger in his punch after his assult on Yujo. For a man of such… academic… stature, he absolutly towered over the monk.

"Come to mock me and call me a buffon? I ceratinly deserve it after what I did."

Erik closed his eyes and took a breath. "No. Nothing of the sort."

He sat down next to the monk and looked out into the horizon.

There was a long and uneasy silence between the two men before Erik spoke up. "I, along with my wife, were one of the first people to flee when King Theodoric was slain. I knew the moment he was dead that Van Baelsar would tear the resistance apart and spread his banner."

He looked up at the early evening sky.

"When I got the missive from the resistance that my son had died, I lost myself to the bottle. I said and did things to my wife that would disgust the man that I have become. I fully expect- if she dains to even care- that she will spit on my grave. It would not be undeserved."

Widargelt listened, surprised that Erik was being as forthright as he was.

"I reached the lowest I would ever get to, and I needed to make a choice. I was going to become a new man and I needed to choose. Huddled in the corner of Little Ala Mhigo and at the bottom of the last bottle of cheap wine, I needed to chose there and then if I was going to get up and become the person I knew I could be and find a proper porpose for my life or spend the rest of my life destroying myself with drink."

"I…see", Widargelt said before adding "but I don't understand what that-"

Erik jabed him in the sholder and gave the monk a smile. "What I am saying, you buffoon, is that it is not over. You draw a line, learn the lessons you need to learn, and then you move foreward."

Instinctively rubbing his sholder, Widargelt thought about that. His mind had been so clouded with thoughts of reclaiming Ala Mhigo's atonomy that he could never see the "what then" afterwards.

Now, that dream- a nightmare, by admission- no longer viable, he had no ambition to call his own.

Only his fists.

It was that stray thought that inspired him.

He stood up, taking Erik by surprise.

"I will do it. I will take that step foreard."

Erik's eyebrow shifted, "That was swift. What are you planing to do, exactly?"

He gave Erik a smile. "Revive the First of Rhalgar."

The sound of confusion out of Erik made it clear he didn't follow.

"Long has Ala Mhigo's history been of that of fighting each other, and to no great end. The Fist of Rhalgar is all but gone, taught to only a few people after the purge. I say it's time I become a teacher, and taught the artes to the people of Eoreza. To fight together and stand, instead of dying alone."

A scoffing laugh came out of the professor as he stood up. "Well said. And with that." he pulled a coin-sack out of his pocket.

"What's this?" Widargelt asked.

"Your pay for serves rended- such as they were- let it never be said I don't pay up when my debts are due. And also- and I do sincerly mean this, Widargelt, good luck."

Erik held his hand out to his fellow man who looked at it, smiled and shook it back.

This would be the start of the next chapter of Widargelt Beake's story. One that would see him reuinited with his fellow sister of The Destroyer's Fist. But that is another story for another time, when he, and his students, looked heavensward.

[linnrolls]

Sparring

[mosthuggableffxiv]

Most Huggable Job Trainer (Melee DPS)

Okay, I added Karasu for the funsies, but I'm still not putting Estinien on this thing.

[diadoescomics]

Monk Lv 50 is something else man. 

Please help support the WoL's dry cleaning bill by subscribbling to the patreon or donating via kofi!

[humblemooncat]

Lohi's turn! :3c

Without taking new pics, post one of your OCs as a:

Romanceable NPC

Questgiver

Final Boss

[popola-sil-pola]

Tbh in popolore reguarding storm blood she was MUCH more concerned in aiding Widargelt

[berryzawati]

A FFXIV otome game based on the job quest npcs? More likely than you think!

Oh Layla, which one of these fighters is going to capture your heart?!

[iggyfing]

didn't get any screenshots last night but fought zenos for the first time >:D

[gridanian-red-mage]

You're so lucky she has so much patience.

Bonus:

Boy ISN'T IT.

[elliewiltarwyn]

FFXIV Write 2023 | Prompt #28: Blunt

feels slightly forced this time, but also i like lyse

-1075 words

----

“Ow – shite! Gah! Is that supposed to—”

“No. Nope. I’m sorry, Ellie, but that was about as wrong as you could possibly do it.”

“…figures.” Ellie grimaces as she shakes life back into her arm, which is difficult given how jarred it feels after that failure of a punch. The striking dummy doesn’t even have an inkling of damage upon it; it stands free of scuffs and marks as if it’s newly built still.

“It’s alright! I probably should have actually shown you the proper form before just asking you to demonstrate what you know.”

“That is why I came to you,” Ellie mutters, now resorting to massaging her hand to try and squeeze sensation back into it. “Because… I don’t know shite about how to properly throw a punch.”

Lyse puts her hands on her hips and smirks strangely up at Ellie. “Curious that you’d want to start all over from the beginning, then. You saved the whole universe with a scythe in hand, after all. I’ll be blunt: if you really want to learn pugilism instead, you’re literally going to have to relearn how to fight from the ground up. We can’t shortcut all the progress that needs to be done by just handing you a soul crystal.”

“…I know. That’s still preferable.”

Lyse doesn’t look wholly convinced, but Ellie can’t really blame her. She hasn’t been able to vocalize to anyone else what it was like facing Zenos at the edge of creation, scythe-to-scythe… and reaper avatar versus avatar. She hasn’t been able to properly explain why, even after learning how to allow her avatar to possess her very flesh, it chilled her to the very bone to watch the monstrous way Zenos transformed as he absorbed the strength of his own. The maniacal grin on his face as he made it clear who was in control of his deadly reaper powers.

She definitely hasn’t been able to properly put into words how deathly afraid she is of subjugating her own avatar in the same way.

…plus, she was fairly certain the final punch she had thrown, the one that finally downed him for good, had broken her fingers, and she would very much like to know how to avoid that; not even necessarily to avoid the physical pain as much as the embarrassment.

“I mean, I’ll be thrilled to teach you, of course,” Lyse says, flashing a grin up at Ellie. “I just want to make sure you understand what you’re in for.”

“I know it’s going to be hard.” Ellie smirked right back. “But have you ever known me to back down from a challenge?”

“Mm, I suppose not,” Lyse murmurs slyly. “And I’ve known you for quite some time.”

That’s an understatement, honestly; it’s even longer than Mia and Lily. Ellie still remembers, clear as day, the moment she met the strange masked pugilist and her erudite thaumaturge partner at the Lifemend Stump in the Black Shroud. Still can’t quite believe how far she has come since that initial encounter. Still can’t believe how much further I can keep going.

“Alright, well, consider your request accepted.” Lyse beams and punches a fist into her other palm. “By the time I’m done with you, your fists will be able to break through solid armor, see if they won’t!”

“That- that sounds painful.”

“For them.” Lyse grins toothily in a way that makes Ellie’s chest pang with nostalgia. Gods, I’ve missed her. “You’d be surprised how much damage you can deal with a blunt fist, even compared to your giant scythes and greatswords.”

“Somehow, that only makes me more nervous.”

“Oh, I mean, you should be, probably.” Lyse’s grin turns mischievous. “Just because you’re a dear friend doesn’t mean I’m not gonna put you through the wringer. But it’ll be worth it in the end.” Ellie’s heart beats faster, and she knows she hasn’t succeeded in keeping the sudden onset of nerves from displaying on her face; perhaps that’s why Lyse suddenly, confidently strides towards her—and the striking dummy. “Here, let me show you the proper form. When you’ve thrown your first proper punch, maybe you’ll see the potential I do.”

Ellie’s eyebrow shoots up, but she moves back towards the dummy next to Lyse as she sinks, only slightly, into a hunched stance, her fists raised before her shoulders. She smiles up at Ellie. “So, despite appearances, a punch actually begins from the lower body; it’s as much about making sure your legs and hips can generate and transfer power to your upper body as it is about the actual closed fist. You also very much do not want to make your fist incorrectly; the placement of your thumb sounds inconsequential, but it’s actually crucially important to ensuring you don’t just break your hand.”

“Huh.” That’s definitely something she would have liked to have known before punching Zenos out.

Ellie follows her lead, planting her feet firmly on the ground, her left leg forward and her knees bent slightly, and curls her fingers into a fist the same way. She exhales slowly as Lyse looks her over and gently adjusts her limbs, her fists, her shoulders. She chuckles ruefully to herself, remembering a time when she would have loved Lyse’s hands on her like this and would have read far too much into it.

“Alright. Now, pivot your back foot and turn your knee inward to begin with, twist your hips, and let that power flow into your hand as you throw the punch. Follow through – you don’t want to just stop where your target’s body is. And then once you’ve extended as far as you can, immediately snap it back to your body.” Lyse pats Ellie’s shoulder, then takes a step back. “Let’s see what you got.”

Ellie sets herself, breathes deeply, follows the sequence of events in her mind, and throws.

Completely unlike her first attempt, the dummy actually noticeably bends backwards with a crack and rocks back and forth as Ellie pulls her hand back. Her knuckles don’t even smart. Her jaw practically drops, and her eyes widen as she looks down at her knuckles – not even a hint of bruising. She raises her gaze up to Lyse’s face, who’s grinning in triumph. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

“… Very satisfying.” Ellie grins back. “Teach me your ways, O punching master.”

Lyse laughs and warmly clasps Ellie by the wrist. “I’ll do my best, old friend.”

[seaseren]

Ves, paying attention for the first time this questline: WOW it sure is a good thing nobody here is Garlean. That would probably be uncomfortable!

[dante-heller]

Thats Monk drawn to a close for now.

[imadetoe]

FF14 Being a Monk by xanroth

[miqojak]

I think maybe the pugilist trainer could use punching bc he's a perv... but Widargelt? The one having fun in a spar with Lyse at the end of monk quests? He's like, the most honorable dude out there. What a weird spread. It almost makes me wonder if people ARE confusing him with the pugilist trainer or something. Widargelt can be boring, but he's not punchable to me...

Most Punchable Job Trainer (Melee DPS)

Dragoons Estinien, who gains relevance in the MSQ, is an outlier and was not counted.

[humblemooncat]

That projection got Lohi so heated he literally would not let me move on until this was made. No talk him he angy.