#adventures in labyrinthos

[lilas]

wip wednesday i am sooo sleepy

tagging @zylphiacrowley @fooltofancy @coldshrugs @lavampira @galadae @myreia @thevikingwoman to share this wednesday if they want!

inconceivably more adventures in labyrinthos, aka erenville relentlessly clowns on avi’li

—

Erenville scoffs, “I did not tell you to bring a sword. You had a sword when you invited yourself.”

The sword sits sheathed in a holster on Avi’li’s back. No shield. Erenville remembers a scratched up, damaged shield, notable—even amidst the turmoil of the great inventory effort—for the deep, vicious claw marks in the wood and metal plating.

Maybe it broke.

“I need to start training again,” Avi’li gives as an explanation, shrugging. “It’s been too long since I last wielded it.” He steps the few paces forward towards the edge of the lake, next to Erenville. “The rest has been nice, needed even. But I can’t rest forever.”

Erenville hums an acknowledgement as he stands, “Wielding a fishing rod will suit our needs better for now.” He sets one of the poles in Avi’li’s waiting outstretched hand. “But maybe a few swings of your sword will intimidate them into coming closer.”

“Ha ha,” Avi’li says humorlessly, smiling.

[starrysnowdrop]

Hali Aloke

Just the Basics

B A S I C S

Name: Hali Aloke

Nicknames: Little Star (Her family’s pet name for her) and Snowdrop (Aymeric’s pet name for her)

Age: 29 as of beginning of Dawntrail

Nameday: 31st Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon (April 29th)

Race: 3/4 Lalafell, 1/4 Hyur; Appears Dunesfolk, but has both Plainsfolk and Dunesfolk blood, along with 1/4 Midlander Hyuran ancestry

Gender: Female, Cis

Orientation: Bisexual/Biromantic, Male Leaning

Profession: Adventurer and Scion of the Seventh Dawn

P H Y S I C A L A S P E C T S

Hair: Bright, rose pink in color, straight, usually looks somewhat messy in a wide variety of hairstyles

Eyes: Large, wide, expressive seafoam green eyes that shine in the light; glass-like Dunesfolk eyes

Skin: Fair, and absolutely will burn with direct sun exposure for long periods of time

Tattoos/scars: No tattoos; For scars, just small ones here and there over the years from battle

F A M I L Y

Parents: Father is Taito Aloke, a Plainsfolk lalafell aged 50 in ARR, and Mother is Lalani Lani, a 1/2 Dunesfolk lalafell 1/2 Midlander Hyur aged 48 in ARR. Both Taito and Lalani are researchers in Labyrinthos and members of the Sharlayan Forum.

Siblings: None

Grandparents: Nanani Nani, Maternal Grandmother, a Dunesfolk lalafell aged 75 in ARR and Jovian Carraway, Maternal Grandfather, a Midlander Hyur, deceased by ARR. Nanani is a retired Gleaner living in Old Sharlayan and is a widow to Jovian, who was an Astrology Professor at the Studium.

In-laws and Other: All in-laws deceased; Hali has distant relatives in Thanalan that have no current contact with Hali’s close family

Children: None; Will have three children with Aymeric in the distant future

Pets: An alligator named Boudreaux who also serves as Hali’s mount, a crab named Beignet, and Aymeric’s black cat named BonBon.

S K I L L S

Abilities: Astromancy, Divination, Dancing, Singing, Cooking, Fishing, and Botany

Hobbies: Cooking, Fishing, Botany, Swimming, Ice Skating, Going to the Theater, Attending Balls, Dancing, Singing, Reading fairytales and adventure books, and Playing card games

T R A I T S

Most Positive Trait: Hali is hope incarnate. No matter how grim a situation might seem, she wholeheartedly believes that things will get better. She tries to have a smile on her face and spread her positive outlook on life wherever she goes. Hali thinks that her hope is probably the only reason she’s still alive after so many years on the battlefield.

Most Negative Trait: Hali sees the best in everyone except for herself. She’s very insecure about herself, especially in terms of her appearance and her self worth. She doesn’t see that Aymeric could ever possibly love her the way that she loves him, and she doesn’t think she could ever be good enough for him. Even after they are officially together, Hali still struggles with being kind to herself.

L I K E S

Colors: Midnight Blue, Lotus Pink, Pure White, Celeste Green, and Lavender Purple

Smells: Ocean breezes, salty sea air, scent of fresh fallen rain, flowers of any kind, and musky cologne

Textures: Rain and/or snow falling on her skin, warm water, fluffy pillows, warm blankets, soft plushies, and Aymeric’s hands and/or mouth on her skin

Drinks: Strawberry Lemonade, Fruit Smoothies, Boba Tea, Pink Drink, Hot or Iced Chai, Hot Chocolate with lots of marshmallows

O T H E R D E T A I L S

Smokes: Never

Drinks: Only drinks wine and certain kinds of cocktails, but tries to only drink when she’s not busy with her Scion duties the next day, as she is a lightweight and gets drunk easily.

Drugs: Never

Mount Issuance: Hali was never given a chocobo, because she said she didn’t need one! She always used a magical umbrella that allowed her to float above the ground and fly her to wherever she needed to go. Later on, Hali found her pet alligator Boudreaux on her Island Sanctuary and she rides him most of the time now.

Been Arrested: Yes, Hali was arrested for being a fugitive that snuck back into Old Sharlayan after being banished for helping to bring Sharlayan Astromancy to the Eorzeans. She was found sneaking around Labyrinthos in order to discover the secret project that her parents were hiding from the public at large.

Tagged by: @eriyu @paintedscales @elliewiltarwyn @amalthea-felsblood and @zerelth Thank you all so much for thinking of me!! I apologize for taking so long in responding! 🥰

Tagging: @meepsthemiqo @traveler-of-light @reikatsukihana @mimble-sparklepudding @faerieearthangel and anyone else who hasn’t been tagged yet that would like to fill this out! Please tag me so I can read about your OCs!! 💖

[stormclaws]

thinking about the parallels between venat and g'raha and i need to lie down (but i rambled for 1.5k words instead)

major spoilers up through the end of endwalker

like they're both victims of circumstances beyond their control, right? there's no right choice to make. there's no objective way out to save everyone. but if they don't act, then there will be nobody left to save at all.

there's one person they know could do the impossible. all they need to do is put their entire trust in them, structure hundreds (or thousands) of years of their life into a singular plan to prevent disaster, and wait for them to kill you.

let's think about old sharlayan. the day theme is so pretty! the atmospheric singing is a bit hard to make out but it adds to the vibes. you can tell that they planned the city the best they could around the terrain. everything is grouped together in places that make sense, structured around learning and preserving knowledge.

we find out that beneath the city is labyrinthos, but deeper beneath that is the aitiascope. they've gone looking for god and they've found her.

and all this time she is singing. she is guiding souls gently into the afterlife with a gentle lullaby. you finally realize it: this is the singing you hear in old sharlayan. you can hear god alive and well.

imagine her watching the other reflections. each of the rejoinings. an imperfect decision that led to the final days of other entire worlds (i mean. not directly her fault but you get it) and just watching as those calamities ripple over to the source. holding on to the world she split apart. planning escape routes for humanity with the best possible outcome leading to her death.

like can you just imagine that. waiting for the one who will ultimately save the entire universe, the only one who will have then known you personally as the human you once were. who will have SEEN this put in motion and you trust them not only with your life, but the life of every person on etheriys.

and you've been holding on all these years because you want to give them one final test and blessing, culminating in your death. you grow weaker every day. and one day you finally see the strange adventurer from all those years ago come into existence and make ready for them to end yours.

do you even think about the fact that they might fail? that instead, you kill them and all of this will have been for nothing? will your love for humanity and trust in this one, singular individual have been enough?

you wait and you sing.

and back above the surface, you (the player) find some sort of familiarity in old sharlayan that you can't quite place at first. i mean yeah, there's new sharlayan in the hinterlands but you figure that the two would look similar. but when you think of the singing, another city comes to mind: the crystarium.

g'raha mentions that he based the look of the crystarium after his time in old sharlayan. it's easy to see once you pay attention: the domes, arches, white brick, and the overall elegance of the city. but even more importantly, it's designed in such a smart way that every part of the city has its own section. you can even draw similarities between the studium and crystal tower as center points.

beneath the city, they're growing plants to try and restore some of the damage from the flood of light. there's precious knowledge they want to save. they can use the crystal from the tower in the domes as protection.

the crystal exarch loves his people, but he loves his home world beyond imgine. he promised with his life to keep it safe which is why he locked himself away in the crystal tower; it was the only way to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. he was promised to be woken up when things finally got better. instead, he awoke to a future where everyone and everything he's known is dead.

do you think the blue crystal of the domes was a reminder for the people of the crystarium of the blue skies they lost a hundred years ago? or for the home g'raha could never return to?

there's no right way forward, but there is one thing he could try. there's one person he knows could make things right. so he spends a building a city, protecting his people, and studying the tower's secrets so he could tear that one person from the source and bring them to the first. it's incredibly dangerous for the warrior of light, but ultimately the crystal exarch will be the one to pay the consequence for this: his life.

like we all know how tragic it is, right? waiting all that time with the stories of the warrior of light to keep him company. he wanted to be an adventurer just like venat wanted to spend her retirement traveling the star. the game makes it very clear that he talks about what he would have loved to do if his duty didn't set him on this path. i don't need to re-invent the wheel.

but let's take a minute to let that sink in. all of this time and effort for the best possible outcome to lead to your death. imagine that there's no other way out. you've had all this time to think about it; what's one life in exchange for countless others? it's the love of his world and the warrior of light that keeps him going. (consider that love how you will--admiration, romantic, trust)

he needs that love to be the blade that kills him.

and this whole thing might fail, too. he's risking your life on this bet as well. it might be too much for the warrior of darkness and the corruption might create the most powerful light warden ever imagined. but the people of the first and source were already doomed. he reassures himself that threading this needle is the right way. he reads the tomes of the warrior of darkness's deeds over and over and over, imagining it was him by their side instead of alone in the tower.

as a lover of stories, he'd want to make this a good one. one that hurt less for the protagonists. if he can convince everyone (including himself) that he betrayed the warrior of darkness for his own selfish deeds in his final moments, it'll be easy to let him go. painless and hated. cauterize the wound on the killing blow.

...but the thing is, that's not what happens.

so let's actually reroute for a minute. we've spent this entire game with the mantra "for those we have lost, for those we can yet still save".

estinien sharpened his life into a blade for revenge. he built himself for one purpose and was ready to die to achieve it. when he begged for us to kill him after the final steps of faith, we said not today and found a way to make him live.

g'raha--at least one version of himself--ultimately lived because we found a way out together.

there's no way to save venat. either we kill her, or she kills us and dies in the final days.

imagine g'raha recognizing himself through her. that used to be him. do you think he would have tried to find another way out for her? stayed up at night for weeks on end afterwards wracked with survivor's guilt?

he, above anyone else, could understand completely the way she felt. maybe instead he felt catharsis in the fact that she could die with a duty fulfilled? with the dignity she wanted? did he feel grateful for her sacrifice, empowered by the fact that he got to live a second time when so many others couldn't?

do you think he was proud that he could fulfill her one last wish, the same one he had in a different lifetime?

maybe he found peace in the fact they both knew this: even if they die, their love will live on. everyone else lives because they won't.

...admittedly, despite this whole thing being about endings, i'm not great that myself. i've got literally no idea how to wrap up these wramblings, but i've been listening to the sharlayan day theme, the crystarium night theme, and flow on repeat while writing this. the music in this game carries so much weight so i think i'll just leave you with some lyrics from these to ponder on instead:

Deep, dark, far away, I have heard your voice, weighed your every choice Now our hands join round the meaning you sought I'll catch your tears, quench your fears with joy, til you near the shore Where in time, all shall as hope be reborn

Stand tall my friend, may all of the dark lost inside you find light again, this time, tumbling, turning, we make amends, eternal winds from the land ascend here to lift us that we won’t end!

[dualcastimpact]

dawntrail impressions pt. iv

In which we head to Urqopacha and Kozama'uka for the Feat of Gold and the Feat of Reeds, featuring t-posing Alphinaud!

Spoilers below the cut, as always:

First up: Urqopacha! There was no real reason for choosing to go to Urqopacha over Kozama'uka, I think. There doesn't seem to be any reason for the choice either; there's no advantage over choosing one over the other, and the story doesn't change regardless of which. I thought it was a relatively new addition to the game, the whole choose-your-path thing in the first level of the expansion, but then I realised it's been a thing since Heavensward — it was choosing between accompanying Artoirel or Emmanellain then, and in Stormblood it was choosing between M'naago and Meffrid. Then in Shadowbringers you had to choose between going to Amh Araeng to meet Alisaie or Kholusia to meet Alphinaud first, and in Endwalker it was either going to Labyrinthos in Sharlayan with Y'shtola and the twins or Thavnair with Estinien, Thancred and Urianger.

I'm a bit embarrassed it took me so long to notice, to be honest.

Alphinaud: "That one massive peak in particular has quite the presence. It puts me in mind of Sohm Al."

Alphinaud: "I feel the change in altitude most keenly. While mayhap not to the same degree as the Sea of Clouds, the air is decidedly thin here."

The writing tends to make fun of this but Alphinaud is nothing but genuine whenever he calls back to his past adventures. He especially tends to reminisce about his experiences during Heavensward; it's become sort of a running gag with Alisaie getting exasperated whenever he brings up firewood-gathering, but I think it's more poignant than anything. He brings up his experiences from Heavensward so often because they're important to him. It's in Heavensward that he really grew up and became a better person after the clusterfuck that was post-ARR, and the way he sincerely and somewhat innocently references his experiences in Heavensward every so often just shows how much of an impact they had on him.

———

Krile: "Wuk Lamat is lucky to have Erenville. Everyone—royalty especially—needs a friend unafraid to chide them when the need arises."

Raginmar canonically plays that role for three royals — well, not sure if Aymeric counts as royalty but I digress. He absolutely holds no punches with Aymeric and Hien; he regularly gives Hien shit (especially regarding his feelings about Cirina) whenever he drops by the Doman Enclave, and he's extremely blunt whenever Aymeric asks for his opinion over their dinners together. He wasn't as close with Nanamo, but their adventures together in the Sil'dihn Subterrane changed that a little bit — he's not so blunt with her like he is with Aymeric and Hien, but he does tend to be more open and honest with her.

I like how we're not really playing that role for Wuk Lamat this time. I think post-Endwalker somewhat prepped us for this — the main character for post-Endwalker was Zero, not the Warrior of Light, and it remains the case for Dawntrail as well. We're not the most important chess piece on the board anymore, and I like that.

———

Alphinaud: "Converting to gil, that comes to around a million or so. Mayhap if we all pitch in..."

This is absolutely a reference to his mishap with buying Gosetsu's katana back in Stormblood (laughs). He's become so conscientious about money now!

———

Krile: "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over, and surely have sage advice to share."

This was a bit funny because I took this screenshot back when I'd still planned for Raginmar to be an uninvolved third party who just happened to be in Wachunpelo at the time, doing business buying mezcal and mate leaves and coffee beans and selling furs and heavy fabrics and prize crops and mead, and I thought Krile's comment was incredibly on the nose. "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over" exactly, he's here on business right now!

Of course that idea went out the window eventually but at the time I really had a good laugh at this.

———

Tobli: "Mablu hasn't given up, I see..."

Given up on what, my guy?

———

Ah, turns out Mablu has always wanted to become a merchant, but thought it'd be a betrayal of Tobli since he'd taken care of her like his own. In true shōnen manga hero form, Wuk Lamat inspires her to chase her own dreams, and she proves herself to be a promising aspiring merchant as she helps Wuk Lamat progress through the Feat of Gold.

I spent most of this sequence writing down notes so I could figure out how to fit Raginmar into the Feat — maybe Gobli had sold the premium three-year-old mezcal to him, and Wuk Lamat and Mablu would have to figure out a way to get it from him instead — so I didn't take a lot of screenshots, but it was a pretty fun sequence! The way it introduced the people and culture of Urqopacha to both Wuk Lamat and the audience felt organic; it felt like we were learning alongside Wuk Lamat and I loved that.

From the get-go, it was clear that the Feats were intended to connect the claimants to the peoples of Tuliyollal — to learn their history, their culture, what's important to them and what made them tick; all the things a ruler should know about their people. How the claimants respond to this is key to determining their worthiness to the throne.

It's a classic trope and it's not even remotely subtle, but I think it's fine. Sometimes I wonder if stories like this shouldn't be made even simpler considering how people nowadays find simple media literacy so challenging.

———

Alisaie: "Alphinaud was quick to lend a hand with dismantling the tent. Is this to be his new obsession now that he's mastered collecting firewood?"

I don't know if it's just me feeling maudlin right now, but at times Alisaie making fun of Alphinaud like this feels more aggravating than humourous. Like I said, I get that Alphinaud's earnest enthusiasm is a running gag throughout the game but making fun of something that genuine and sincere feels off-putting to me.

The way he keeps talking about how he's good at firewood-gathering is meant to demonstrate how despite his character growth, he still has moments that shows his naïveté — firewood-gathering isn't a particularly impressive skill, he only thinks that way because of his sheltered upbringing. He opens himself up to ridicule whenever he acts as if this is something incredible he's learned to master, because to him it was. He's genuine about this, and to make matters worse he genuinely wants to be helpful whenever he brings it up. That's how impactful his experiences in Heavensward was for him, and I think the way the game keeps treating it as a running gag feels tasteless sometimes.

He's not even talking about gathering firewood at this point! He's branching out, even! Why are you still giving him shit about it?!

———

Alphinaud: "So this is a Hanuhanu village! One can tell at a glance how very different their culture is to the Vanu's.

Sue me for being sentimental but it genuinely brings a tear to my eye how Alphinaud's so enthusiastic about learning about the world now, compared to the absolute self-absorbed shithead that he was in ARR. He's genuinely so excited about learning new things and having all these new experiences as he travels the world and it's such a great show of character development, even after so many expansions.

———

Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty: "These allies of hers, though... They might be a problem."

One thing I really like is how none of the claimants are so arrogant so as to be foolish when it comes to underestimating their opponents. In fact no one underestimates anybody, not even Bakool Ja Ja. He's arrogant and boastful and supremely full of himself, and he's dismissive of Wuk Lamat because he doesn't like her (and later on we'll see that he actually does respect her, he just feels that he has to act like he's better than everyone), but he knows perfectly well how much of a threat Raginmar is. He's not fool enough to dismiss that.

There's a lot of chatter on the birbsite about how much it sucks that the Warrior of Light is no longer the main character of the story, and how they've been relegated to this sidekick character who's not getting much focus. It's real baffling because sure Wuk Lamat is the main character of the story, but the game's narrative makes it damn clear how important the Warrior of Light is still. Everybody knows how skilled the Warrior of Light is, and how they're not to be underestimated. They're a threat. They're a gamechanger. While the Warrior of Light isn't the most important piece on the board right now, they're still pretty damn significant and it's acknowledged, unlike in previous expansions with characters like Artoirel very clearly looking down on the Warrior of Light. That's way better than being your stock shōnen manga-slash-JRPG protagonist.

———

Linuhanu: "Yes, it hurt to hear, but she was right. Though I must mourn, I cannot let my grief consume me."

Linuhanu: "Her words made me realize that the path to my recover—our recovery—is already laid out before me. And I will walk it. For myself, and for my friend."

Every time the game makes some overt reference to grieving and mourning those gone, I immediately think back to Haurchefant — and not in a good way. I think this is more to set up something later on regarding Wuk Lamat and Gulool Ja Ja (because that man is raising all the death flags) but at the same time, the game's been pushing the whole thing with Haurchefant so often and for so long that you can't really divorce any mention of grief from his death.

Even the PCT job questline had something similar — I think it was in Camp Dragonhead when Kupopo asks the Warrior of Light about their adventures there, and the Warrior answers that they'd lost someone important to them? The exact phrasing eludes me but it's still a reference to Haurchefant. At this point it's honestly doing the game more disservice than anything, I feel.

———

Koana: "A method I could not have devised without the education I received at the Studium and the cooperation of my Archon allies."

For context, the Feat of Reeds required the claimants to revitalise the dying paddy fields that the Hanuhanu rely on, while the Feat of Gold back in Urqopacha required the claimants to catch a wild alpaca. They serve to demonstrate how Zoraal Ja and Koana differ from Wuk Lamat; in the Feat of Gold, Zoraal Ja eschewed any advice and went and caught a rare golden alpaca all by himself, purely by threatening the alpaca into submission. In contrast, Wuk Lamat went through the motions of getting to know the Pelupelu's culture and getting herself a saddle to catch a wild alpaca the Pelupelu way.

Here in Kozama'uka, Koana brought the paddy fields back to life with an alchemical concoction to improve the aether flow in the fields. Wuk Lamat revived Ihih'hana, a traditional harvest festival that also served to amplify the arcane energies from the Hanuhanu's hopes and prayers to revitalise the land. In true shōnen manga-slash-JRPG hero form, Wuk Lamat's revival of Ihih'hana had no logical bearing whatsoever. She didn't know it'd do anything to help revitalise the fields until Alphinaud suggested it could and Wuk Evu confirmed it. The only reason it worked was because it just so happened to be the exact thing the Hanuhanu needed, not just to revive their fields but also to revive the Hanuhanu themselves. The only reason it worked was because the plot mandated it so.

Koana's method, on the other hand, was rooted in reason and science. It was the logical method, it was the reasonable solution, and by all accounts it's a more superior answer because it directly addressed the issue — but it's framed as lesser because it didn't take into account the Hanuhanu's culture and the real reason behind their dispiritedness, even though Wuk Lamat really only got lucky that her idea worked at all. In a way, it's a weaker aesop than the one about Zoraal Ja and Wuk Lamat in Urqopacha — that strength alone is not enough, and that one would not need to resort to brute strength when there's community. It's still an aesop about the value of community and culture, only here it's that technological advancements alone are not enough even though they get the job done, but if you think about it realistically, when the stakes are so high — when your people are actively starving and suffering from natural disasters and poor harvest seasons — is addressing the issue as quickly and efficiently as you can really the wrong way to go about it?

———

Koana: "Employed appropriately, they make light work of what would otherwise be arduous labor. There's no need to lug around heavy floats!"

This whole scene was designed to showcase how Koana is a foil to Wuk Lamat: Koana is rational, analytical and scientific-minded, but he's also dismissive of things he perceives as backwards or uncivilized like customs and traditions that other people would hold dear. Whether he intends it or not, his words come across as mocking; even in the JP dub where his tone is mild and his dialogue ends with a —ね?. We see later in the story how he's extremely fond of Wuk Lamat so he's not maliciously making fun of her, but it makes clear his derision for the Hanuhanu's traditional practices for how outdated and inefficient they are.

———

Erenville: "There is an alternative, but it requires preparation. Until it's ready, you could rest at the cabins or see more of the city. Whatever you prefer."

This is where I'd planned for Raginmar to officially join Wuk Lamat's entourage in that scrapped canon I'd mentioned before (you can read all about that here and why that canon didn't work here) because it'd seemed like the perfect opening, but then...

Fonjeantaine: "Then... you have experience with my predicament? Of being terribly inadequate compared to your undeniably superior peers?"

...Wuk Lamat just so happened to chip her axe and she just so happened to come across a soul in need of aid at the place she's getting her axe fixed and he just so happened to have the same insecurities that she has, that she has to confront within herself in order to both learn a lesson and console him. Of course.

The story is contrived as hell, but at this point you really just have to accept it. Also I KNEW he was going to play a role in the plot when he was the only named character in that talk-to-the-other-passengers sequence at the beginning of the expansion.

———

Fonjeantaine: "But what of you? Have you ever measured your work against that of your colleagues and found yourself wanting...?"

Asking the wrong guy, buddy. That said, Raginmar doesn't waste time comparing himself to others and worrying that he's lacking. He'll be as skilled as he wants to be, and he doesn't need anyone to be his benchmark. If there are other people more skilled than him, it's not his problem.

———

Koana: "I'd heard much of the incomparable Archons during my time at the Studium. As soon as the contest was confirmed, I thought who better to recruit to my cause? I contacted the scholarch, who arranged an introduction to these two gentlemen."

Urianger: "The Second Promise had specific requirements: they who would be his assistants must boast both proven survival skills and mastery of the arcane arts."

It's a little funny that if Raginmar had agreed to become an Archon — which he absolutely could have, thanks to his skill in arcanima and engineering — he would have fulfilled both those requirements all by himself.

I also think it's kinda funny there's basically a PhD-equivalent for having survival skills. It's like Bear Grylls getting a PhD from Cambridge for being a survival expert.

———

Thancred: "We did our due diligence, of course, and made sure of who were working with before agreeing to this endeavor. He's even more opaque than Urianger at times, but is surprisingly—"

Surprisingly what, Thancred?! Tell us!

———

Wuk Lamat: "I don't have Koana's education or Zoraal Ja's strength. I'm all bluff and bravado, not fit to bear my title..."

Krile: "To hear the voices of others, empathize with how they feel, and think how best to serve... In so doing, you'll come ever closer to being the person you wish to be."

I'm not going to touch on the whole crisis of confidence and Wuk Lamat's character development arc in growing out of her insecurity and all that, because this story is essentially your typical shōnen manga-slash-JRPG tropes condensed into half an expansion, but I do want to point out the whole "hear, feel, think" thing — you'd think they'd retire the reference altogether after Hydaelyn's passing. I know it's been this game's arc words for basically forever, but now I'm wondering if they'll ever retire it or if it'll be another Haurchefant situation.

Because honestly speaking...

Thancred: "I imagine your experiences on this journey—all the things you'll hear, feel, and think—will help you refine that approach."

...was there any real need for the arc words to be repeated in this different-yet-parallel scene with Koana, just to hammer it home?

———

Koana: "But what of you two? Wuk Lamat's allies are your comrades, it must feel strange to be rivals."

Thancred: "Helping you has made us rivals, aye, but we're not about to break into fisticuffs over it."

Thancred: "Unless of course it is a matter of winning or losing the contest. Then I'll have no qualms about putting Alisaie on her rear."

Real interesting you chose to talk about kicking Alisaie's ass instead of someone like, say, Raginmar.

Urianger: "Despite our long history, never have I been given the chance to test myself against our companions. The thought stirreth within a most unexpected sense of competition."

Contemplating this bit because I had a headcanon about a Grand Melee 2.0 after the Final Days have been averted or something. Maybe what's remaining of the Garleans joined, maybe it's just the Grand Company of Eorzea and their allies (including the now-disbanded Scions, who join as independent combatants) having a melee for funsies or something, but essentially it's Raginmar and his old squadron facing off against everyone else after he thoughtlessly made a comment about how not even the combined might of the Grand Company could defeat his former subordinates, and Hien and Pipin took offense.

There's more to the story, obviously, but basically if this is canon to Raginmar's lore, then that negates everything Urianger just said because then he'd absolutely have had the chance to test himself against his companions, and gotten his ass kicked for it (laughs).

———

Koana: "Lamaty'i has surrounded herself with distinguished figures indeed. One of the Studium's finest graduates. The head of the Students of Baldesion..."

Koana: "And then there's Eorzea's vaunted champion. If he's half the hero you say, then the odds are stacked against us."

It's a real pretty way of saying you're screwed and have no chance whatsoever, truth be told.

———

Next up: the Feat of Pots!

[koko-mochi]

R'koko snapped awake to the sounds of birds singing outside her window and the warmth of the sun splashing across her room in the Baldesion Annex. She'd slept in again, snared in the horrible recurring nightmares that haunted her sleep. The haunting loss of her friends, the loss of innocents, the loss of her own life in the end, these things conjured images of blood and death and worse things night after night.

Wuk Lamat was already up, a gentle depression in the feather bed remaining where she had lay. She was usually up early. That was fine. But the empty bed served to emphasize R'koko's loneliness, the profound grief of being the "Warrior of Light," something that even the warmth of the Turali emissary's arms around her could not alleviate.

R'koko shivered as she got up, her cold sweat sending a chill through her body. She saw something on the floor, near the door to her room, an envelope someone had slid there, with The Warrior of Light written on it in a blocky script. She tugged on a pair of underwear and a baggy linen shirt and plopped down on the edge of the bed to read the letter.

Dear R'koko, I have a slow day today. Maybe we can spend some time exploring Labyrinthos? I would enjoy your company, and we can talk about your next "adventure." - Erenville -

So an hour and a half later R'koko was wearing her armor, smelling of soap and clove, riding the lift down into the sprawling complex of Labyrinthos. She spotted her Viera friend almost immediately, standing across the plaza where gleaners constantly loaded and unloaded specimens from across Hydaelyn.

Erenville was leaning against a stone railing, looking out across the vast space before him. When R'koko came to stand beside him, he looked down at her and stifled a laugh. "Full armor?" he said, "I assure you nothing in Labyrinthos stands a chance against you, Miss Warrior of Light."

The miqo'te looked down at her gauntletted hands. "It's just a habit, I guess. Trouble does have a way of finding me."

Erenville rolled his eyes. "You have no idea," he said. Then, "Come on, walk with me."

"What is this all about?" She fell into step beside him as he left the plaza at a leisurely pace and set out across the Outer Circuit.

"I told you in my note. I want to talk about our upcoming travels." The Viera's tone was calm, cool. There was no sign of the sarcasm he could at times be inclined towards. It seemed, at least to R'koko, that he was sincere.

"I'm excited for it," R'koko grinned, cracking her knuckles, "Wuk Lamat has been telling me all about Tuliyollal, it seems amazing." It was rare to see her face light up like it did in that moment, ever since the voyage of the Ragnarok and whatever she encountered at the edge of the universe her demeanor had been haunted and distant. Erenville had noticed it, despite barely even knowing R'koko. And he noticed her smile now too.

"I love my homeland," he said, "And I hope you will too." He paused, looking up at the dome high overhead that so accurately mimicked the actual sky. His voice got a little quieter. "But be careful, okay. Don't rush into this one. There's a lot that Wuk Lamat isn't telling you."

R'koko seethed at the implication that her girlfriend was keeping secrets from her, but made a concentrated effort to keep her shoulders relaxed and her face at ease. "I promise she tells me more than you think."

"Just..." he sighed, "she's royalty. She's been taught what to say and do in order to win people's trust and get what she wants."

"You make it sound like she's using me as a pawn in some scheme," R'koko ground out, "But I assure you the things that happen between us behind closed doors are very real."

"Behind closed--oh no. No no no no no. Are you saying she's your lover?"

"So what if I am?" she grumbled, "Shouldn't you be happy for her? She's your childhood friend after all."

"She isn't that little girl anymore, R'koko. I cherish my memories of her, and consider her my friend, truly. But she's making a bid for the throne of Tuliyollal. She wants you there as her champion. Regardless of how much I like her, I can still see that she is using you as a tool to win power in Tural."

"She wouldn't use our relationship to manipulate me. You may have known her as a child but I know her right now, really know her. I'm choosing to be her champion, because I want to support her."

Erenville's shoulders slumped, though his body language always seemed opaque and hard for R'koko to understand. "Of course there's no dissuading the Warrior of Light. Maybe we should talk about something else."

"Fine by me," R'koko said, relaxing slightly. But she didn't bring anything up. Instead, the two walked in silence along the Outer Circuit, past magnificent flora and fauna from all across Hydaelyn. At one point Erenville quietly pointed out a strange wooly camelid that he said was native to Tural.

They slowed as they crossed a bridge over a roaring cataract. "I am happy for you, R'koko. I know things have been...hard for you...since your return from Ultima Thule. Y'shtola told me she was worried about you."

A wistful smile crept across R'koko's lips. "Y'shtola is always worrying about me." A sigh. "I do love her for it." She looked up at Erenville, trying to read the expression on his face. "I'm guessing you worry about me too, as well as worrying about your childhood friend."

"I don't want to see either of you get hurt," he said, his voice taking on an unusual tenderness.

"I understand that," she said, starting to walk again. "But Wuk Lamat and I are both adults. We can take responsibility for our own actions. And we can face the consequences."

"I just hope you can forgive her, when she turns out to be different than you hoped."

"Trust me," she smirked, "I most certainly can."

[woltourney]

ROUND 1 / SIDE A / POLL 5

Merle Rouge (@vamp-galactica) v. Hali Aloke (@starrysnowdrop)

Merle Rouge:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Merle Rouge, She/Her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Roegadyn

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Warrior

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Famfrit

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Merle lived in a small fishing village on an island just a little ways off the coast of La Noscea, but had never gone to the mainland! Her father abandoned her and her mother to go be on the sea, and washed up on shore years later. Merle decided to rebuild his ship with the piece of wood he washed up with and take her mother sailing, but she died of old age before they could set off. She took her mothers ashes with her and set off, running a fishing company off the boat for a while. Then, one morning, she docked in La Noscea only to be approached by a representative from the adventurers guild. Needing a distraction from her woes, she decided to sign up, and found a whole new joy in her journeys. She’s a bright and merry woman with a big heart who fights with all her emotions, never holding anything back. The people she’s met on her travels are like family to her, even the ones she’s only met once. When all the world is your family, you’re never alone, after all! Even through the hardships, she has never considered being the hero a burden- it’s a duty she takes on for the world she loves. She likes to fish, cook, and dance, and considers Ishgard her home despite being a bit of a fish out of water there. As part of her blessing from Hydaelyn, when her warrior spirit is amped up and she’s feeling the heat of battle, her clothing and armor will turn a bright shimmery blue!

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. “There’s so much of me t’love! Seven feet n’ three inches, in fact! WAHAHAHA! I also make a real mean coconut cod n’ I made an Ishgardian tailor rich with all the custom sized dresses I needed!”

Hali Aloke:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Hali Aloke, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Dunesfolk Lalafell

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Astrologian Main, can also DPS support as Dancer

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Seraph (Dynamis DC)

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Hali was born in Old Sharlayan, specifically in Labyrinthos, to two prominent scholars. A graduate of the Studium, and a well known Astrologian, she was tired of being stuck in Sharlayan and she left to see the world. Hali first went to Ul’dah, her grandmother’s hometown, where she met a man named Thancred, and she soon got wrapped up in fighting primals and joining the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. When she’s not busy with her Scion duties, she is teaching Sharlayan Astrology and Astromancy and spending time with the love of her life, a certain Ishgardian knight in blue.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Why should I win? Well, I didn’t fight dozens of primals and thousands of Garlean soldiers over the years to lose now! Besides, if I don’t win, I’ll cry. ;_;

[rockheadcd]

@electrivolt said: "Are you, huh... are you sure about this?" With the kind of weather Tural had to offer, once the star-endangering issues were solved Volkner was very much in need of a change to something more appropriate. Or rather, something that wouldn't boil him by just walking around. Turns out, plates of steel aren't very friendly in the warmth. On the bright side, Roark was more than willing to assist on that regard. "Not that I'm complaining—! It looks great, I like it, just—" it just so happens that saving the star multiple times doesn't particularly make for an exercise in building confidence outside of battle. Still, Volkner wasn't lying, especially after all the effort Roark went through not only to find something comfortable, but also taking into account both his personal taste and the discomfort that fresh bandages can lead to. And his love does know him well, the new clothes are just as comfortable as he's used to, with the freedom to let bruises and wounds breathe and all the range of movement he requires when it comes to battle, not to mention the exact range of colors he favors to top it all off. He just isn't all that used to exposed skin, no matter the amount of times he's already been exposed for one reason or another. ( even though those reasons tended to be blood forced out of his body just a little too often for someone supposed to fight at a range regularly. ) "... How does it look?" He just needs a little validation as the last little nudge to really feel completely comfortable stepping out like that, that's all. / smn fit real.

By the time the two and their company had survived the voyage to Tuliyollal, the climate change was already getting to the cat in particular—Roark had a plan very quickly, all to excited to be in t he place where apparently half of his family hailed from. Finally in their cabin and situated, apprised of their duties here as welcomed teammates of the Third Promise, the Au Ra had quickly left as he came, bound for the bustling markets for a change of attire for Volkner. This side of the world was more apt to work with the mixture of arid and humid climates here, the local flora and fauna making something ideal to survive both with minimal discomfort.

A good hour and a half passed before Roark came tumbling back, beaming with his prizes stuffed in a satchel brought along for the ride.

He was already pleased that Volkner was willing to try it all on at least, and give it an honest judgment.

"Of course I'm sure! I'll probably need a change myself, but, that can wait. After all that chaos in Ultima Thule, getting all this armor off was driving Krile and Alphinaud insane... we're gonna be in a land with more bountiful nature than even Labyrinthos could have offered, and that means plenty of opportunities to need a bandage or two... knowing you, ehe.." Roark explains excitedly, but eventually calms down and ends with a warm smile.

"You look great. Very comfortable, to boot," he hums, stepping closer just to wrap his arms around the Miqo'te and squeeze, far too hand to grab at exposed sides that peek out between dyed leather panels, tough hide that can handle Volkner's insistence on standing next to him despite being a caster. "I had to run laps around the markets trying to find that kind of blue you like, ya know!"

Eventually, he lets go, happier when he pauses to take the entire outfit in it's entirety, pleased when he's matched his eyes near perfectly. "Wait.. I take that back. You look handsome." Another gentle smile, those of which have been appearing more and more after the events of saving the star.. again. Among other things, of course, having the island sanctuary to thank for that. He can't just help himself, can he—just smitten over this new adventure, being able to finally see for himself all the stories and sights that were described to him as bedtime stories. Roark can't help but sweep up Volkner and give him a kiss, just radiating excitement in everything he does. Really, if someone doesn't stop him, he's two seconds from diving into the shallow seas just outside their cabin.

[anatanasblog]

The Fool

The Fool (0)

Upright Keywords

beginnings, freedom, innocence, originality, adventure, idealism, spontaneity, new beginnings, free spirit

Reversed Keywords

reckless, careless, distracted, naive, foolish, gullible, stale, dull, inconsideration, taken advantage of

Description of the card (image): The Fool shows us a young boy walking joyfully into the world. He is taking his first steps, and he is exuberant, joyful, excited. He carries nothing with him except a small sack, caring nothing for the possible dangers that lie in his path but he is soon to encounter the first of these possible dangers —if he takes just a step more, he will topple over the cliff that he is reaching. But this doesn't seem to concern him - we are unsure whether he is just naive or simply unaware. The dog at his heels barks at him in warning, and if he does not become more aware of his surroundings soon, he may never see all the adventures that he dreams of encountering.

Upright and Reversed meaning: 

Upright Fool: The Fool card is numbered 0, which is considered to be a number of infinite potential. Consider him a blank slate, his forthcoming journey will mold his character. He is the symbol of innocence.

To see The Fool generally means a beginning of a new journey, one where you will be filled with optimism and freedom from the usual constraints in life.

When we meet him, he approaches each day as an adventure, in an almost childish way. He believes that anything can happen in life and there are many opportunities that are lying out there, in the world, waiting to be explored and developed.

He leads a simple life, having no worries, and does not seem troubled by the fact that he cannot tell what he will encounter ahead. 

To meet him in a reading can also be seen as a call to the risk-taking part of your own character. He inspires courage —he understands that every day is a chance to open up new areas in your life, and with that comes a mixture of anticipation, wonder, awe and curiosity.

In Love: new relationships, fun light romance

In Career: new job, new business, breath of fresh air at work

In Finances: spontaneous spending, financial opportunities

Reversed Fool: 

When you land on the reversed Fool in your reading, you can generally find his more negative characteristics being on display. It can mean that you are literally acting like a fool by disregarding the repercussions of your actions. Like the youth depicted in the card, you don't see how dangerous of a position you find yourself in. 

A reversed Fool card can show that you are living in the moment and not planning for the future.

The reversed Fool meaning serves as caution that you should be more aware so as not to be taken advantage of.

This card is here to alert you on anything that may sound too good to be true.

In Love: lack of commitment, risky relationships

In Career: stale and boring job. careless actions at work

In Finances: caution around financial opportunities, foolish purchases

In yes or no questions the answer could be either, The Fool has this “all over the place” energy.

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

©Labyrinthos

[humblemooncat]

I'm back on my bun hours bs, so you're getting more headcanons for Vikesh & Ymir. (And a fresh screenshot. <3)

This installment: Background/Before ARR

Before meeting each other:

Vikesh

Vikesh was born and raised in Radz-at-Han, and grew up exploring Thavnair's coast outside the city which kindled his love for the ocean, as well as his reverence for Llymlaen. He was well cared for both by his mother, and the surrounding neighborhood. In fact, he still calls a few of the neighborhood kids friends, far flung though they may be nowadays. It wasn't until after his 24th nameday that Vikesh decided to pick up a job on a ship and sail the seas. He started with fishing vessels, then merchant ships, until he had enough gil to afford a ship of his own. She was small, but enough to take him out to sea on his own course. The freedom didn't last long though, as he was soon left with a wreck after a run-in with some pirates. He was pulled aboard and forced to choose between life aboard the ship, or a watery grave. Quickly did he choose the former, hoping that somehow he could gain his revenge from the inside. It was a long, arduous process, but he wormed his way into the ranks and gained the friendship and trust of the crew enough to form a mutiny. After which he was placed upon the Captain's chair. And thus was the Eclipse renamed and reborn. Her sails catching Thavnairian wind for only a few moons more before they sailed on to Vylbrand and the surrounding Cieldalaes.

Ymir

Ymir was born in Dravania, but raised in Sharlayan when his adoptive parents decided to return to the homeland. The two researchers had found the poor boy far from home and shaking, having run after a dragon attacked their small village. They took him back to their hovel in the Sharlayan colony and vowed to look after him. If his parents came looking, they would keep him safe until then. If not, they would take him in as their own. Alas, the latter was his fate, and so the two returned to Sharlayan with a small, albino viera in tow. The benefits afforded to him were great after being taken under their wings. He was well-taught at the Studium, allowed access to research opportunities in Labyrinthos, and eventually became a top student in Sharlayan Astrology. Though his area of study was health & medicine, Astrology was something he fell in love with and used in tandem with his studies. Before the colony in Dravania was all but abandoned, Ymir applied for field study back out where he was found. It took far too long for his liking to be approved, but once it was he damn near sprinted to the docks. Wanderlust was eating away at him and he needed to go. Somewhere. Anywhere. The ship took him to Dravania as promised, but talk of Vylbrand on board piqued his curiosity, and he paid what coin he could spare to bribe the captain not to tell Sharlayan's officials, and to allow him passage to Limsa instead. A bribe he was all too happy to take. Upon his arrival in Limsa, Ymir was eager to take in the sights. And so he wandered until his feet led him to an eatery. He stopped in to sate his hungry belly, but ended up hungering for adventure instead as he overheard Vikesh and some of his crew speaking of a new route to sail. Ymir endeared himself to the crew - who badly needed a healer, truth be told - and was hired on as a navigator and medic.

Their time together before ARR:

Vikesh's time as Captain and Ymir's time as Navigator/Healer was relatively prosperous. They had a good, strong crew that could hold their own, and soon their names came to be known throughout the seas between Vylbrand and the New World. That is, until piracy was outlawed. Being under the scrutiny of the Admiral was not something the crew desired, and so they all went their separate ways. Some in bad blood who went on to become bandits or hired thugs, others in good standing, some of which went on to join the Maelstrom. All had left Vikesh's employ, except for Ymir. Not like he could go running back to Sharlayan, but he had also fallen deeply in love with his Captain over their time at sea. He couldn't just abandon him. And so they traveled, together, back to Limsa's waiting gates.

I talk so much about these two as a pair, so I wanted to get into them as individuals here. Obviously they're inseparable now, but they have their own lives and their own stories. Both of which have shaped their worldview and opinions; Things which they don't always agree on.

I think these are gonna be the two to make it through MSQ next for me, honestly. I haven't had so much inspiration for worldbuilding and headcanons since I ran through with Ki'to.

[paintedscales]

FFXIV Write 2023 :: Day 26

Prompt :: Last Characters :: Chotan / Fleurette Varlineau, Esenaij / Hamignant Varlineau, Izi Raha, Lalleve Coertha Word Count :: 1,583

FFXIV Write 2023 Master List

As it so happened, Sharlayan was on the list of okay places to have taken Hamingnant when it concerned traveling alongside either of his sisters. When the opportunity had come up, Fleur had been the one available to make the trip out there while Cyrielle had been off helping with some defense efforts alongside the Ala Mhigans and the Ananta against the threat of Lakshmi. Though Fleur was loath to imagine that she would not be needed as well, it was when she had received a linkpearl communication from her twin that everything had been proceeding apace.

So now, Fleurette had found herself at the docks of Sharlayan, Hamignant excitedly at her heels after roughly a moon or so at sea since he could not teleport there himself. It was a far sight better than the boredom that he had so freely expressed at being cooped up on the ship, that was for certain. At least the fishers had given him ample opportunity to show him new creatures that he could quickly sketch into his journals while Fleur had watched.

“Fleur, Fleur! Look! That’s Thaliak!” Hamignant excitedly pointed out the statue of the Scholar as he walked alongside her. He had every opportunity to point out the statue on the ship, but he seemed more stunned and taken with the fact that he was finally seeing Sharlayan outside of their mother’s paintings.

“He’s so big up there like that…and he looks just the way mum always described him when she talks about when she met with the Twelve herself!” Hamignant’s elation at being in Sharlayan was boundless. Even as he and Fleur went through customs to confirm their reason for visitation at the Worldly Affairs.

As always, Fleur had given her name as ‘Ishgardian name: Fleurette, Steppe name: Chotan, surname: Varlineau.’ It was nearly mechanical the way she had listed off everything that was required of her. Her occupation had been that of an adventurer, and representative of both the Warrior of Light and Vrtra of Radz-at-Han. Typically, her reason for visitation had been to provide assistance with unruly creatures within Labyrinthos, though this time she stated that she was being hired as a helping hand to the Isle of Hamm.

When it came to Hamignant, though, he had been more than excited to divulge much and more about himself that seemed to make the poor customs officer sit and endure it with a bit of a grimace forming on their face; “Ishgardian name: Hamignant, Steppe name: Esenaij, surname: Varlineau. I don’t have an occupation, but I’d like to learn stuff here, maybe even be a student at some point! I’m thinking I really want to just learn about entomology, arachnology, and stuff!”

Fleurette had only offered a sympathetic smile to the customs officer before they were finally cleared to go into the rest of the city. Telling Hamignant to stay close, Fleur had led the way past the Peristyle before pausing. She then pointed over toward the wooden pergola that stood tall over a deck-like structure next to a smaller building with an open-air front.

“Hungry?” Fleurette asked. “We can take a much needed detour to the Last Stand before we go ahead and tour around the rest of the city.”

“Of course I am!” Hamignant exclaimed, bringing a hand to his stomach. “You didn’t tell me that the boat ride would just be stale bread and tough, dried meat!”

“I thought mother implied as much when she packed you what she thought would last you. I warned you not to eat it all too fast,” Fleurette said, chuckling. She had sacrificed some of her own food just to make sure that Hami had been taken care of during their travels.

Hamignant grumbled something about not knowing about how long the trip would have actually taken before looking back to where the Last Stand was situated. He reached up and tugged at Fluerette’s arm, following along after her as she then led the way. Seeing the local students in their uniforms and coats made everything feel so official and clean.

The two of them had gotten themselves seated close to the railing overlooking the ocean after putting in their order. Hamignant was happily prattling away at his idea of what all the possibilities could be in studying bug biology and habitats in Sharlayan could mean for him. Admittedly, while Fleur had been glad that Hamignant found passion in actually pursuing the study of bugs because he found them fascinating, she had begun to tune him out.

It had not been until the arrival of some familiar faces to Fleur, at the very least, that she had looked up after they had called to her. A miqo’te with snowy white hair had waved to Fleur in particular, her other hand intertwined with that of a viera who had dusty brown hair and dappled markings on her ears.

“You know them, Fleur?” Hamignant asked, glancing over in the two women’s direction. He had not been too sure whether or not to wave back, so deferred to Fleurette.

“That’d be Izi and Lallerev. You ever get to meet mum’s friends from when she was an adventurer?” Fleur asked before waving back to them with a small grin. Hamignant shook his head in response, following her example, his wave had been a little more uncertain. This seemed to have been more than enough permission for the two to have come over.

“How long are you in the city, Fleur?” Izi asked, letting go of Lallerev’s hand and skipping forward to their table. She then looked at Hamignant and gasped, “is this your little brother? Aw, look at him! I can’t believe we’re finally getting to meet you. Hami, right?”

“Hamignant…” he replied, almost shyly. “Only Cy and Fleur get to call me Hami.”

“Oh… I’m sorry. Well, it’s really nice to meet you, Hamignant,” Izi said, keeping a chipper smile on her face. “Well, I’m Izi Raha. Our mums used to travel together for a while. And this lovely bun over here is~”

“Lallerev Coerth,” the viera introduced herself rather plainly, a small, more reserved smile on her face. “Most of my friends just call me ‘Lolly’ or ‘Rev’ though.”

“It’s nice to meet you both…” Hamignant said, glancing in Fleur’s direction to let her take the lead on talking. He had not been used to too many people just walking up to him and making themselves friendly. He had been more okay when he got to walk up to others and speak more freely, though having someone that came off with about as powerful a personality as Cyrielle had been different.

“To answer your question, I don’t think I’ll be in the city long…” Fleur said, going back to the initial question Izi asked. “I have to help with Professor Dalnesi’s foray into the Isle of Hamm -- just to keep him protected from the other creatures that might be more inclined toward aggressive behaviors and attacking any of the professors or other visitors that are coming by.”

“Wait…where will I be, then?” Hamignant asked, realizing what that meant.

“Ameliance said she would be more than happy to have you come by the Leveilleur estate while I’m away. I thought I told you this while we were on our way here.”

“... I forgot.” Hamignant fidgeted, and then looked up when he saw Izi and Lallerev take up seats next to one another at their table.

“Don’t you worry about anything,” Fleur said, trying to be reassuring. “The estate is large and has a whole bunch of study material you could ask if you can look at. Alphi and Ali had to start somewhere, after all!”

Izi gasped, her feet tapping excitedly against the wood panels below her feet in rapid succession. “Are you going to be a student here, Hamignant!?”

“... Maybe?” Hamignant trepidatiously answered the question.

An enthusiastic squeal had been made before Izi uncontrollably reached over for Lallerev’s shoulder and shook her. “You can hang out with me! I can show you all around Sharlayan! The Noumenon -- one of the largest libraries ever! Oh! And I can introduce you to so many professors at the Studium, including my mother! I don’t know if she teaches what you’re interested in, but she’s really well versed and traveled, which leads to her coveted classes for histories of civilizations studies!”

Hamignant had almost replied that he looked forward to it, though was silenced when a server had come by with their order. Suddenly, the excitement for having a tour through Sharlayan turned into excitement for having proper food. After all, the two large and fluffy pancakes that sat in front of him towered with powdered sugar sprinkled on top with a pap of butter melting on it. He felt his mouth water, wanting after the last couple weeks living off of nuts, crackers, dried meat, aaruul, and water.

“I hope your eyes aren’t as big as your stomach, Hami… You are going to eat all of that, right?” Fleur asked, concerned as the bowl of skyr topped with skyon compote was placed in front of her. She offered a small word of thanks to the server before she picked up her spoon and started on her meal.

“I’m gonna eat every last bite!” Hami said, taking his fork and happily cutting into the thick pancake.

“I’ll hold you to that, because I don’t want to be the one eating every last bite when you’ve only eaten a quarter.”

[minti-tales]

FFXIV Write, Day 30 - Amity

Four friends have lunch.

CW: Mental Health

The Firebird suggested lunch in the countryside; The Artist thought that it should not be shared alone.

Sunny days in Labyrinthos are, by design, supposed to have just the right amount of heat and light. The golden rays of the sphere providing light bath the various specimens living within with what is needed to optimally survive, nothing more, nothing less. It's a rare thing to see people lounging on these days, when the overhead sprayers are turned off, and no fog is generated by lingering heat on the ground. Time is better spent gathering combat data from the encounters adventurers call "Fates," or corralling wandering mandragora that wander too close to the elevators leading to Old Sharlayan. Rest is the lack of producing valuable data.

It was odd, then, to see a friend of the Warrior of Light, a rava viera dressed in a sky blue kimono, accompany two Students of Baldesion and a Forum member's wife towards one of the grassy cliffs overlooking the facility.

G'raha Tia was in especially good spirits today. "It's good to see you when you've your guard down, Minti," he'd said on the walk over from the Levilleur estate. "Not that we should expect any combat today! Just, nice to see the you that isn't gearing for another fight, or off on some faraway adventure."

"This should be a good break from those 'infinite responsibilites' we discussed, then," Ameliance agreed, lunch basket held so as to not spill out on the trip over. Today, she had changed into a nice summer dress, with light blue frills on her shoulders and a tan sunhat to guard herself from the day's harsh sunlight.

Krile smiled and squeezed her girlfriend's hand, holding up her free hand to block out the sudden burst of light that came with entering Labyrinthos. "A well-deserved break for all of us, I should think."

If research was to happen today, maybe it'd be studying the effects of Thavarian cuisine on the stomach. Or, perhaps lunch-time etiquette amongst members of a friend group.

Or maybe, just today, it could be lunch with found friends who deeply cared for a girl far away from home.

This could be home, couldn't it?

Yes, this could.

[lilas]

wip wednesday

@lavampira tagged me for wip wednesday, ty beloved! Tagging @myreia @gwaha @veeples @greyyourwarden to share something if they want!

Working on some more Avi’li and Erenville bonding and I’ve had lots of thoughts lately about Erenville’s short story.

Endwalker spoilers ahead.

—

“It occurs to me that I’ve never thanked you.”

Avi’li blinks at him. “What for?”

“For saving the star. I’m happy to be alive, of course, but there are still so many stories left to discover.” Erenville props an elbow on his knee and leans forward, chin nestled in his hand. “All the people who came to Sharlayan to help had their own stories, their own histories that, despite my best efforts, I may only scratch the surface of. What would have become of them if you hadn’t acted—what is that look for?”

At some point while Erenville was talking, Avi’li had pulled a leg to his chest. He smiles at Erenville now with his cheek squished against his knee, expression fond.

“What look?” Avi’li’s smile becomes a grin.

“The one you’re making right now.”

“You’re just being real cute is all.” Erenville’s mouth drops open, a confused ‘cute?’ muttered under his breath as Avi’li continues…

[starrysnowdrop]

A little Hali question, if I may?

Sharlayan is obviously a little bit chilly and Northern and, post-Calamity, Ishgard is locked into a perpetual frozen winter (although growing up under the artificial warmth of the "sun" in Labyrinthos might have been a little bit warmer...)

What did she make of hotter climates, such as Thanalan or Thavnair? Did she have a wardrobe suitable for the heat already prepared? Or did she have to quickly obtain some more suitable outfits once she arrived? Did she find any aspects of life in tropical climates surprising or startling?

Is she feeling prepared for adventuring in the New World? Hopefully she has some outfits planned that are elegant, but also practical for the range of climates she might encounter?

Yay another Mimble ask!!! 🎉 I’m sorry that it took me a while to respond, but I very much have been seriously lacking in spoons lately and I finally have the time and energy to write out all my thoughts on this well thought out question. So let’s get into it!!

As you mentioned before, yes, Hali is Sharlayan, but she was born and raised in Labyrinthos, not Old Sharlayan proper. As Labyrinthos was designed to be a temperate climate, it was always warm and comfortable, as Hali never had to wear a coat or anything of the sort unless she ventured up to the surface. Usually her grandparents would visit Hali in Labyrinthos, so her visits to the surface were few and far between. She wouldn’t be exposed to the cold for extended periods of time until she attended the Studium, and by that point, her body was acclimated to the warm climate simulated in Labyrinthos.

Therefore, Hali doesn’t do well with either extreme, neither heat nor cold. In Old Sharlayan and later on in Ishgard, Hali would never go outside without her coat or her heavier Astrologian robes, and you can ask Aymeric how cold her hands and feet can get. 🥶

When Hali left Sharlayan to become an adventurer, she first came to Ul’dah, the birthplace of her maternal grandmother. She bought and packed some lighter weight clothing, but she was still not prepared for the heat, and whenever outside, she was suffering. She hates sweating and she stayed inside as much as possible. Over the years, Hali was gotten a bit better with the heat, but she still hates being sweaty. 🥵

Currently Hali and Aymeric are awaiting their voyage to Tural, and because Hali has been informed that there are some warmer climes, she has planned accordingly, as she will initially be wearing the Night’s Blessed robes that were gifted to her by Runar. The top is lightweight fabric and the skirt is made from a breathable cotton, so she hopes that will be appropriate for traveling in Tural.

I believe that’s all I’ve got for now! Once again, thank you so much @mimble-sparklepudding for the well thought out ask!!! It’s always a pleasure to answer your questions my friend!! 🥰💖

[diamondangelkitten]

Vierapril Day 29: Future

“I see. Then it is here the Scions at last part ways, each to some far-flung corner of the realm.” Alphinaud smiles looking at each of the Scions. 

“Perhaps,” Y’shtola pipes up, “But I believe some in our number - some rather important ones, at that - have yet to divulge their plans.” All eyes turn to look at Alinea, Aurora, Annabeth, and Alira amongst various murmurs of assent. 

“So. What’s next for our humble adventurers?” 

Alinea smiles at Alphinaud’s question before turning to Estinien, “Well, if there are no objections, I never did get to browse Thavnair’s stalls in peace.” 

Estinien smirks before putting an arm around Alinea, “Aye, you’ll find no objection from me.” 

Aurora hums contemplatively, “Looks like I’ll be joining the group back to Sharlyan. There was a request from one of the research groups in Labyrinthos to assist them in some sort of project. It was a very vague and hurried message, so I don’t quite know what I’ll be walking into.” She smiles, “It should be fun though!” 

G’raha speaks up, “It will be wonderful to have you accompany us. Annabeth, Alira? What will you do?” 

Alira motions for Annabeth to speak first, putting Annabeth on the spot. “Uhm, I don’t fully know. Gaius and I have been speaking about finding a home in Idyllshire. It’s a neutral location and we can more than prove our worth to them with helping out with tasks. Milisandia has already been helping Zhloe out at the orphanage and her brothers stop by often enough on their travels there. We want to build a home for ourselves and Gaius is almost done with his part in the Werlyt restoration. It’s time we built something for ourselves.” She looks up to the group and is rushed on both sides by Aurora and Alira. 

“We’re so happy for you Annabeth. You deserve to live a quiet life now.” 

Annabeth smiles at Aurora’s words. “You know you can call me at any time though. You all will always be the most important.” The scions shuffle their feet, knowing she’s speaking mainly to her fellow Warriors of Light. She turns to face them, “All of you. Y’shtola, you better stop by my house after Master Matoya’s. I’ll have your favorite tea steeping.” 

“Very well. I’d like that.” 

All eyes turn to Alira, who’s wearing a small, but deeply content smile on her face. “Well,” she begins, “I know the whole purpose of today has been to prepare us for our own separate journeys. And I am truly excited at what you all have in store. I expect many letters over the course of your journeys, but what I most expect, is to see you all at my wedding in two moon’s time.” Cries of joy and excitement ring through the plaza and she laughs at all the hugs and well wishes being offered to her. “Well, you all already know that Sid proposed during our hospital stay. We were wondering what we wanted to do, but we’re keeping it simple. We’re having a wedding in the Churning Mists where the Moogles will officiate the ceremony.” 

At Ali and Estinien’s shocked expressions, she laughs even more. “I know, I was shocked too, but it was thanks to them and Rielle that we’ve been able to move forward and truly live the lives we have ahead of us. Rielle will be my maid of honor, I hope you understand.” 

“But we’ll be your bridesmaids right?” Aurora is looking at her with such excitement that she can’t help but give her another hug. 

“Yep! I was going to try send you all some cute basket or something to ask, but this feels better. Will you girls be my bridesmaids?” The answer, of course, is a resounding yes.

Alira turns back to the Scions, “You are all invited, but if any of you,” she looks down to Tataru while stating the next bit, “any of you, tell any of the leaders of state, I will personally become your worst nightmare.” 

“Right!” Tataru chuckles, “Small, simple. Do you need any help with catering or your dress?!” 

Alira smiles, “You’re the only person I know who wouldn’t balk at the two month deadline. Of course!” More cheers go up around the group. They give each other one last group hug/huddle, before each group goes to split up. 

Tataru remains behind to lock up the Rising Stones, but not before waving them all off one more time. “They’ve done it Minfilia. They’ve all finally found peace.” She puts a hand over her heart at the thought of her dearly departed friend. “Oh no! I’ve only got two months to plan Alira’s wedding!” She taps the linkpearl in her ear, sending out a call to many of her contacts, “We have a high priority situation. All hands on deck,” she grins. She’ll make sure to give Alira the wedding of her dreams.

….....

Later that night, Alira is pacing within her home. “Just call them,” Sid says, not even looking up from his book. 

“I’m not going to call them. We’ve spent more than a day away from each other in the past.” 

Sid sighs and finally closes his book. “Li, you have been pacing for the last thirty minutes. You know as well as I do that this is different. Just call them.” 

She sighs, “Fine, I’ll call Annabeth. I’m not disturbing Ali and Aurora when they could be sleeping.” He nods and opens his book again. 

She raises her hand to the linkpearl and Annabeth answers before the first ring, “Oh thank goodness, it’s not just me!” 

Alira laughs shakily, “Why is this so much worse?” 

“Probably cause you’ve just come off a near-death experience and you all barely made it out,” Sid pipes up. 

“He’s likely not wrong,” Annabeth says from the other side. 

“Fair. But still, we have our girls’ nights already planned. It just felt weird.” 

“I know. Gaius had been bugging me for an hour to call. I only got distracted cause Allie stopped by.” 

Alira feels great relief of not being the only one scared for this new future. Of course she was grateful to have the freedom to build her new life with Sid, Rielle, and Sibbie, but this was the longest she’d be without her girls, only relying on their monthly meet-ups. 

Before she can reply to Annabeth, another voice joins their linkpearl call, “Oh, I’m so glad you two are already on here. Please can we add more meet-ups? I can’t handle just one.” 

You can hear the smile in Annabeth’s voice as she replies to Aurora, “Yes! How about we include a monthly girls’ day? We rotate between us all and we spend a day doing whatever we want to in the city we’re visiting.” 

“Well, if we’re already planning this,” Alira says, “We may as well try reach out to Ali.” 

“On it!!” Aurora chimes in, already sending out the signal to Alinea. 

After two rings, the girls are all a bit deflated, before a breathless Ali answers the call, “I’m so sorry!! I thought I could carry 5 bags all at once, but I didn’t think they were going to give me actual bolts of fabric to carry when I already had other bags in hand.” 

Alira looks at the clock on the fireplace mantel. “Ali, isn’t it 2am there?” 

“Yea, I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d work on getting some materials so I could surprise you all with outfits.” 

“Great surprise,” Annabeth quips. 

“Oh shut up. I’m tired, but I've been so anxious worrying about you all. You’ll all get to be surprised at the actual outfit designs.” 

“Fair enough,” Annabeth replies, “but really shouldn’t you be in bed? You’re the one that almost died a couple weeks ago.” 

“I’ll have you remember that I had accelerated healing. It’s Aurora we should be worrying about. Why aren’t you sleeping?” 

“Sharlyan’s boring. I can only meet with the person tomorrow about their inquiry for help and everyone’s doing their own thing. I do have coffee planned with Erenville in the morning, but I miss you all.” 

Alira smiles before entering back into the conversation, “Ali, we’re planning more dates to meet up. We can’t just do once a month.” 

“Thank heavens. Okay, but I propose a minimum of three meet-ups a month, with random check-ins as well.” 

The girls all laugh but it’s good to be chatting again. Sid motions to Alira that he’s heading up to bed, but she stays on the call for a few minutes longer. Eventually after twenty or so minutes, all the girls are yawning on the call and they bid each other good-night. As Alira checks on Sibbie and Rielle before settling into bed, she smiles at the fact that she wouldn’t be parted from her found family for long. This future could be whatever she made of it and she would embrace it with all those she loved alongside her.  

[efrmellifer]

XVIII. Fraternal (A Fish Out of Water)

Post-EW.

Riding the lift down to Labyrinthos, Etien was aware of the beginnings of that nervous churn in her stomach. She felt silly for it. That is, she knew exactly why she was so tense and nervous that it was affecting her stomach already, but there was no guarantee that the source of that stress was even going to be present.

And if it was, there was still no real reason for her to be so worried.

It was just her younger brother.

She looked over her clothes, the set of Studium-supplied gathering gear, down to the hatchet and scythe strapped to her back. She couldn’t be confused for a Gleaner, but she did look like she belonged, like she was allowed to be there. So that weight was lifted from her shoulders.

It was just weird; she had never felt so like a fish out of water before, even during the Final Days, when she was made party to more talks about engineering than she’d ever wanted to be in her life.

That, she had always left to the professionals, though it wasn’t rare that they asked her for help (especially the Garlond Ironworks. But then, she did them those favors, they did her favors).

And she’d done other favors for people who had been worked equally hard during those days.

Though saying it that way sounded far worse than it was. She just had longer nails, a gentler touch, and a personal rapport with Erenville, so she’d been able to best apply pressure to the point of pain he was complaining of after all the lifting and carrying.

...even if she had needed a stepstool in order to properly reach his shoulder and apply that pressure.

“Etien, what are you doing down here without Erenville?” one of the other Gleaners called to her, snapping her from her thoughts.

She could have lied, and said she was meeting him down here, but she had never been good at lying. She could have stated, indignant but not wrong, that she was twenty-eight years old and didn’t need him to lead her around by the hand. But what good would that do?

“I’m here to meet with another Gleaner,” she replied.

“Oh? And who would that be?”

She swallowed, nervous to say it, and still not knowing why. “M’ynstrel Tia?”

“Oh, M’ynstrel! He’s in the Outer Circuit.”

“Thank you.”

Shakily, she went and retrieved her motorbike, riding to the proper circuit and just letting the engine idle for a bit while she looked along the rock face, trying to find the familiar silhouette. Foolishly, she hadn’t considered until now how much he would have changed in the nine years she’d been gone.

He’d been thirteen when last she’d seen him.

Hells, he was the age now that she was when she’d entered Ishgard.

But finally, she did find the man who could only have been the grown-up form of the boy she’d last seen, and she puttered up behind him—the engine would make noise and give him the warning that he’d never had when she’d snuck up on him on foot accidentally all the time in their childhood.

“I know, I know, I’m almost d—oh, you’re not who I thought you were.”

She turned off the bike and stood up, to all five fulms of her height, and said, “M’ynstrel, it’s me.”

A furrowed brow, and then an explosion of recognition. “M’etien!!” He paused. “Or… the papers call you just Etien now.”

“They do.”

“So just Etien?”

She shrugged, coming closer to him. “I missed you.”

“Why didn’t you ever come back?”

Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I wanted to get away from T’ahn, and from Da, and I just didn’t know what to do but stay in Gridania, and then I started taking on jobs as an adventurer, and then I received the Blessing of Light, and then the Scions came, and I was doing shite all over Eorzea, and then I went to Ishgard, and I just didn’t know what to—” she sobbed.

M’ynstrel wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side as he put his pickaxe away, then hugged her front to front. “Ho, whoa, you’re all right.”

She kept crying for a minute, then lifted her head, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. “I am?”

He nodded. “So what are you doing here? You’ve got Studium clothes on, but…”

She swallowed thickly, sniffling again. “I help Erenville with gathering sometimes.”

“Ohhhh. He asked me about ore veins the other day and then asked if I’d heard from my sister. I thought he meant M’ertle.”

She laughed wetly. “Have you?”

“We send letters back and forth, but nothing big.”

“Good.”

“I missed you, too,” M’ynstrel said after a minute.

[meowww-ffxiv]

I wonder if Alphinaud and Alisaie finally got around to telling their parents about their adventures in person lol.

It wasn't like Meowdred didn't make his opinions of Old Sharlayan's way of doing things abundantly clear. The obvious disdain he displayed towards the country and the government Fourchenault had a huge part in was very annoying at times, particularly because Meowdred had a middle schooler's ability to Do Things That Hurt.

Such as writing a curt, succinct note of a formal request of information from the Studium on his starfaring effort DENYING IT, citing, "I have little interest sharing my knowledge with a nation which has a known and enduring habit of squirreling them away in the name of preservation, and who has not, since the salvation of this star, demonstrated they understand the difference between 'preservation' and 'conservation', the former which they perform fervently to a pointless end, the latter with whom they mistake the former for. No sane architect turns his river to pour into a stagnant pool."

And Fourchenault ALSO knew that Meowdred did that ON PURPOSE for the express reason of Starting Shit. Because Alphinaud told him JUST the week before that, "Mordred said the debate halls of the Studium are lacking in political fire, haha, isn't he so silly".

And that it worked.

The Studium and the Noumenon and the Last Stand were aflame for the better part of a month talking about the audacity of this bitch who, OK, he saved the star, but how dare he said these words about the nation of scholars. Etc. Etc. There were even whispers among the Forum members about how Meowdred Surana went too far.

Ameliance said she asked Meowdred about it. And he told her he did it because a) he meant what he wrote, and b) he was curious. Someone he really did not like once told him that people weren't really rational. That, when attacked, and over something that could be conceivably true, they would grow defensive and bullish instead of examining the criticism.

"Eorzea functions on a backbone of tribalism," Mordred told Ameliance. "Ours is a land of war and bloodshed. You versus us, unless it's you and me versus a different 'them'. We repeatedly choose these methods out of habit. Physical victory is to us the definition of sophistication, what you would decry as barbarity. To some extent, everywhere else in the star has something similar. But your nation is uniquely built on a different spine. You chose peace and rationality, and isolated yourselves from violent rhetorics. I wanted to know, to see for myself, how such rational and pacifistic people would react to something that would cause a predictable response among my people. Because, in many ways, Old Sharlayan is the hopeful future form of Eorzean societies, where bloodshed is only theoretical and not only rare but heinous."

It was a startlingly mercenary response, and Ameliance in her grace told him she hoped he wouldn't be disappointed with the result.

But Mordred told her it wasn't a pass/fail scenario. Whatever the result was, it would be valuable information. Besides, he would only be using a very immediate sample size that to be honest, was skewed against him. Because the request came from the Noumenon, therefore the people most likely to hear it were higher ranking members of their society, the Forum, and some rich nosy people who might already be scrutinizing him.

"How would the results be valuable to him, exactly?" Fourchenault asked at the dinner table, reluctantly intrigued about the newest wildfire this troublesome associate of his family had caused.

"Perhaps he wishes to help push for more reforms," Alphinaud said. "I hear he has been spending much time with the researchers of Labyrinthos? Surely he is sympathetic to whatever hardships and inconveniences they face."

"Mordred doesn't care about politics," Alisaie rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't mean he is blind to them," Alphinaud argued. "Why, he was the one who taught me the politics of Thanalan and La Noscea years ago."

"And I clearly remember you saying he was a stuck-up, mercenary, uncouth ruffian, dear brother--" she flicked her peas onto his plate.

"Alisaie," Fourchenault said disapprovingly, never mind that she was a young woman now.

"You should ask him sometimes," Ameliance said, helpfully spooning more peas onto her daughter's plate. "He seems the type to just answer, no?"

"That is true," Alisaie agreed. She shoved the peas to one side of her plate again, at least this time not in the direction of her brother's. "At the same time, Mordred can be quite tight-lipped by omission--"

Fourchenault poured himself some more wine. He wished this Warrior of Light would stop invading his family time like a vengeful ghost for just one dinner. Please.