#aeryn's little bard family

[stormbabylore]

Job Transitions: Rogue -> Ninja

A friend of mine in game asked an interesting question some time ago about whether or not I follow game canon for the transition from Aeryn's starter classes into her specialized roles, and that's been really fun to ponder!

I'll split this up into a few posts, because it's liable to become quite long. For starters: rogue and ninja!

(Very minor class quest-related ARR spoilers behind the cut!)

N I N J A

For the rogue/ninja quests, the story of the class is canon for Aeryn - but the class itself is not! I adore the rogue questline and its characters with the entirety of my heart, and early rogue is probably my very favorite class to play. I was sad it ultimately branched into ninja, because although I find the characters for that story equally compelling, I find the class and its mechanics far less so. It looks really cool, don't get me wrong! But something about the flavor of rogue just appealed to me more, and I didn't want to skew away from that aesthetic, regardless of how much I enjoy the ninja lore and characters!

As I was already committed at that point to Aeryn being an archer main with lancer on the side, it didn't seem terribly realistic that she would also somehow become a ninja. So I ultimately decided on a path of adopting the rogue/ninja story for her lore without canonizing anything else.

The way I play it, Aeryn got on the radar of the Dutiful Sisters and was approached by Jacke, perhaps after he'd heard about her from various informants across Limsa. After assisting Jacke and his crew on a mission and getting caught up in their competition with Milala, they forged a bond of friendship and mutual understanding, such that the Sisters felt comfortable calling on Aeryn now and then for aid, trusting in her skill and discretion. Some of them (V'kebbe and Underfoot included) taught her to wield a set of daggers as well as how to maneuver in the shadows, but only as a backup means of defending herself in situations when carrying her bow or lance would be too conspicuous. In this way, the rogue story happens more or less canonically, just with Aeryn along for the ride in more of a sniper capacity as archer. She grows to love her silly little rogue family without necessarily becoming one of them.

Likewise, Aeryn does not truly become a shinobi. She does get some twinge of feeling from the soulstone she returns to Oboro; and I believe Oboro likewise has some glimmer of insight from the stone as it passes from her to him, such that he suspects she might join them. But in spite of his optimistic attempts to invite her into the fold, it seems Aeryn is incapable of learning the mudra. Try though she might, the mystical natural magics of ninjutsu simply will not resonate with her. (I feel she would be blocked from this in the same way she is blocked from most magic in Eorzea.) However, she picks up rather quickly on the physical techniques that Oboro and Tsubame teach her, expanding on the skillset taught by Jacke and his crew. And like with the Dutiful Sisters, her bond with the shinobi becomes one of friendship. She is invested in their mission - and forcefully involved due to Karasu's interest in her as Oboro's little "horsebird chick." Whether at Karasu's meddling or at the request of Oboro or Tsubame, Aeryn joins them on their missions as bard, and thus the storyline progresses much as normal - with just a dash of added sneak-sneak.

So Aeryn does technically progress from rogue to ninja as outlined in canon, but without ever actually picking up the class. She participates in the story and adopts extra skills but remains bard/lancer. As a result, Aeryn learns to move more gracefully/quietly as well as to work with her surroundings to mask her presence in a way she never quite learned from Ywain, Luciane, or any of her other mentors. She already knew quite a bit about close-combat, particularly hand-to-hand, from Ywain; but the shinobi and the Sisters helped her learn how to fight with small weapons when needed, including the best ways to incapacitate someone in those circumstances (both fatally and otherwise). She canonically starts carrying daggers at all times for situations when it might be more cumbersome to have her bow or spear along, such as when crafting or gathering. And she is considered an honorary member of the Dutiful Sisters and a friend to the shinobi, to the degree that she is often involved in their adventures. But that's the extent to which the rogue/ninja class is "canon" for her.

That's all for ninja! More class lore to come!

/ponder

[autumnslance]

Aeryn’s Magic (Meta Post)

I think I originally noodled out the idea that Aeryn had a hard time with magic as a personal explanation of why she learned various physical disciplines first. A goal when leveling was doing ARR MSQ with both Bard and Dragoon; jobs I was familiar with and knew how to play, and very much enjoy (if competence at them varies). DRG for the meta connections in HW, too, and it ended up spooling out into her dual-heritage backstory (and we see in FFXIV Write 2021 where that’s taken me). But I always planned to try out Red Mage with her, since she was created in 2017 with Stormblood, after I’d been playing awhile already on Dark Autumn. I just wasn’t sure I’d like it, or be any good at it, so was hedging my bets with familiar jobs.

Also it had been about two and half years since I’d seen the Gridania intro, and the Arcanist jobs and Black Mage intimidated me at the time, so why not.

So in Aeryn’s background, she had some sort of block preventing her from reaching her potential. Doubly frustrating as most combat skills come scarily easily for her. She studied magic but struggled for most of her adolescence and into early adulthood, while learning physical combat skills was like breathing.

Thing is, the Calamity DID change that somehow; the violence of everyone’s souls Rejoining with the lost shard’s would, I think, have some unseen effects on the people of the Source, variable as they may be. But by then Aeryn was extremely discouraged and the instructors in Thavnair had a specific impression of her lack of ability--they were sympathetic, and at first tried, but by the time she was in her twenties they had determined her a lost cause.

Add her mother’s illness on there, her brother’s letters abruptly ending with the Calamity and how they tried to deny what that must mean, and she was not in the right headspace for a long time.

It took getting to Eorzea with its aether-rich environment, and being pushed not just by events but by Hydaelyn as well, for Aeryn’s talents to wake. And the guildmasters in Eorzea don’t have the same impression of Aeryn as her childhood tutors did. So finally the block was broken and swept away, letting loose capability that she has since refined with gusto.

She tries not to take it for granted now, even as she’s expanded her knowledge of both magical and physical disciplines throughout Eorzea.

Also, I enjoy @chysgoda​‘s idea that at some point, E-Sumi-Yan and X’rhun have sat down together with a very old bottle of (the equivalent of) Scotch and groused good-naturedly about the efficacy of Thavnairian magical studies versus Eorzean with teachers’ pride and more than a little smugness.

---

(Dark Autumn is still primarily physical with no more than the most basic magic IC; some things don’t get changed by Rejoinings and possibly apocryphal family curses are one of them)

[autumnslance]

Rose House Edit for the WIP files please!

WIP Ask Game:  Post the names of files in your WIP folder, regardless of how  non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title  that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell  them something about it! and then tag as many people as you like.  

I’ve maybe realized a chunk of my in progress fics involve people getting it on that I just don’t finish/post for various reasons...A lot of my “Naughty” file fics are really meant more for me to figure out character dynamics, I think

This version is called “Edit” because it’s a draft I mucked with in ProWritingAid for grammar and redundancies way later than I meant to on Monday during maintenance after having @dragons-bones look at the base file. I keep feeling like this fic is “missing” something, but that may be a feature not a bug. Or it needs some pieces for setup and follow up, not to stand alone.

Because “Rose House” is the night in the Sea of Cloud, after Emmanellain’s little misadventure with the Vanu when Bismark’s existence was revealed early in Heavensward. It’s the night Aeryn Regrets because she gave in to emotional turmoil and physical reaction--and then never actually talked to Haurchefant to follow up on how she really felt, or how to otherwise deal with things like adults and then...yeah. Yeah.

Technically it DOES have followup, in “Ache” from the 2020 FFXIV Write, which is Aeryn’s PoV in the immediate aftermath where she realizes she screwed up and this was a Mistake (and also the more recent “Girl Talk” where she tells Lyse what happened). “Rose House” itself, however, is Haurchefant’s PoV of the actual event. If I were going to write this with setup and follow through, it’d be a bit more building up their relationship in Dragonhead and early Ishgard, and then Aeryn avoiding Haurchefant and deflecting Ysayle and Estinien’s teasing/queries (Alphinaud takes a bit to catch on, bless him), and then the fallout of the Vault and how she deals with the Fortemps family afterwards.

But for now, I wrote this to determine how and why things went between them, and while I have a vague idea of the rest, it was deciding “yes this happened” that also determined some things about how her relationship with Thancred ended up working out, and how that was different.

Excerpt under the cut:

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She seemed so small, but he knew her to be stronger than anyone else in the realm. He could feel it in the steadiness of her heartbeat, the warmth of her form—and the tension in her muscles. He shifted behind her and began rubbing and massaging, trying to work some of that tension from her. She made a tired little grunt.

“You mustn’t strain yourself so,” he said in a low voice. This was a repeated conversation; her next words did not surprise him.

“If I don’t, someone else would have to. They may not be able to bear it. I can.”

“Not forever,” he countered. “Not alone.”

She turned to look at him, grey eyes dark. “There is no one else.” There was pain there, and guilt, and he knew she was thinking of the missing Scions again.

“There’s me.” Feeling bold, Haurchefant brushed his lips over her cheek and left a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I shall always be at your side.”

“No, you won’t,” Aeryn replied. “Not so long as Ishgard needs you, and my journeys take me elsewhere.”

The words stabbed his heart, but he could not deny the truth to them. He was sworn to his nation, his house, his god. He had duties, responsibilities.

And yet.

If she asked—if she invited him beyond Coerthas’ borders, to stand at her side through whatever adventures and dangers she faced—

Aeryn turned abruptly, interrupting his thoughts with another kiss of her own—this one full on his mouth, taking him by surprise. He held her close, melting into her embrace, enjoying this sudden expression of affection. She let out a small noise in response to his hands running along her sides to her hips and he shivered to hear it, his grip tightening further. She pressed even closer, and he was aware suddenly that she was in his lap, legs straddling his thighs, and by the Fury, there was no hiding what that was doing to him.

He pulled away from the kiss, clearing his throat. “While I am...more than happy to see such passion from you, my dear, it does put thoughts in my mind.”

“That’s the idea,” she replied, resting her head on his shoulder, lips brushing his neck.

Haurchefant stilled and took a measured breath. He had to tread carefully here, lest he fall through the snow into a hidden ravine. “And if we were to, perhaps, give action to those ideas…?”

Aeryn was quiet for nearly a minute. “Please,” she finally replied.

Gods, he wanted to throw her down that instant. Instead, he kept his stillness, his measured breath. A knight was always in control. “Why?”

She lifted her head and looked at him, perplexed.

“Why now?” He continued, brushing a strand of dark hair from her face. “Believe me, I am more than willing—as you might be able to tell—but...you have always set such boundaries before.”

Aeryn leaned into his touch. “After everything,” she closed her eyes, and he wondered what—or who—she was thinking of. She opened them, and they were as dark as a cloudy night over Dragonhead. “I do not want to have an opportunity and miss it for my own fears. I will have to confront that primal someday, and the bards will make its terrors sound epic. But tonight, I want...simple, safe. You...make me feel safe.”

He drew her closer and kissed her gently as another surge of warmth rushed from his heart. “Very well, my dear. Your wish is my most fervent desire, of course. And should you find it too much, and need to stop—say so, and I shall do naught more than hold you close, or return to mine own chamber, should you command.”

“Haurchefant?”

“Yes?”

“Shh.”

[autumnslance]

Lmao I got three I'm particularly curious about for you on the character meme. Thancred, Lahabrea, Igeyorhm. XD Feel free to do as many or as few as you'd like of course!

You asked for it. We’ll start with That Damned Rogue. The Ascians will be below.

This of course got long, so behind a cut it goes:

Thancred

First impression: I started in Gridania and took like 2 years to finish ARR 2.0, was already spoiled on the possession angle (I spoiled myself, no big), and had just @erickgage‘s affectionate joking summary of Thancred being the guy who shows up 5 minutes late with Starbucks to all the early battles. So I didn’t really get to meet the guy ‘til the Waking Sands.

And honestly, he was stereotypical generic bland anime prettyboy competent guy. His 1.0/ARR model is…just sorta there. He was a flirt, also generic as heck. Really didn’t register too much, until I finished 2.0 finally and then went hard on the MSQ through the patches and into HW and StB 4.0, when I finally caught up to content.

Impression now: Godsdammit.

My first replay through the game was on PunchyCat, starting in Ul’dah, which meant I got to meet Thancred much earlier. I was immediately amused by his nickname for Nanamo, and Papashan’s assessment of the witty Archon. I was more into the lore, getting the first lorebook and reading the short stories on the main site, and playing through all at once instead of piecemeal over months/years made things make more sense. Thancred hits a lot of tropes I commonly like in a lot of characters, so he jumped up to being a favorite.

Gunbreaker suits him as a tank job (thank goodness he can stop trying to tank warmachina as a rogue, ffs Thancred), and tanking in general suits him when it comes to fighting for those he cares about.

I’m interested in the ShB story mentioning why he wears white in all his gear iterations; I’d previously made a post about his color choices and that aspect of character design, but having a lore explanation for his affinity for that color was interesting. I didn’t think his HW model suited him, honestly; way too rough mountain man hobo. His model in ShB is closer to his ARR model, but different enough, and imbued now with actual character, that he’s a bit more visually interesting and while still pretty typical handsome anime protagonist in appearance; his true personality just comes through a lot more.

I’m still forever mad about the unintentional character ‘ship with Aeryn, tho. It took a 3rd playthrough for it to happen.

For myself, mind, when I got into playing and learned his canonical age, it was at the time the same difference between myself and my younger brother. My assessment of the Scion “family” with Thancred being the middle child (esp his behavior pre-HW) maybe helps that. I’m getting to a point, really, where I look at the characters under 35 and think “OMG disaster children, all of you.”

Favorite moment: Oh goodness. There’s some good ones.

‘How was I supposed to know all my girlfriends would track me down and show up at HQ all at the same time: a master class in how to not to deal with multiple paramours by Archon T. Waters.’

His dramatic reappearance and duel with Ardbert in HW 3.1.

Taking out his frustrations by soloing the Coerthas cyclops boss so we can get on with the Tournament and fight Raubahn. (Side Bonus: pre-tournament when he jokes about fighting for the other team to even up the odds, and then: “It looks to be a veritable who’s who of the Eorzean Alliance. The only question is: who came to watch and who came to fight? Hmm…Nanamo. Definitely Nanamo.”)

Making sure Urianger knew he was still part of the team post-Soul Surrender climax.

“All right, which one of you triggered the obvious trap?” Also learning he can hold his breath for 10 freaking minutes–but still gets to be jealous of the WoL, Lyse, and Alisaie for their kojin blessing.

That dramatic teamwork with Urianger to knock Ran’jit down the pit in Rak’tika.

That frickin’ Trolley duty and it’s aftermath with the completed checklist of anime death markers and then just sitting there battered and bleeding and smiling and then giving Ryne a name and a headpat and “You’re family.” Bastard.

Idea for a story: Have you seen my Ao3 account? *grumbles*

Unpopular opinion: While he likely used drinking as a bad coping mechanism at times in ARR’s patches, I doubt he ever really went to blackout, as losing control to that extent, after having been controlled and probably losing a lot of time while possessed, would be awful. We see him drink a few times, but I don’t think he is/was an alcoholic.

I also agree with @ahlis-xiv that his flirtatious persona was mostly adopted. While he probably does have a healthy libido and enjoys time with paramours (that Urianger keeps a handy list of), there’s a lot that’s likely exaggerated, allowed to be assumed, and otherwise used as a cover, given his specializations. It’s also noteworthy how he’s mostly acting the same even after being lost in the wilderness, right up until our foray into the Antitower. The wit/humor gets toned down a lot, but the flirting is cut out entirely after that. He still charms some ladies in the First, based on incidental dialogue, but that seems a general reaction to him being a handsome hero type rather than any intentional flirtatious act on his part.

Favorite relationship: Thancred and little sister types. I do wish we’d seen more of his relationship with Minfilia outside of informed moments and the short stories. I feel like he has a semi-older-brother relationship with Lyse, too, given their antics in the 2.0 patches (particularly the “Hoary’s fighting the WoL, come watch!” and Thancred not even considering how one of his girlfriends would see him sending Lyse to retrieve an item until after and going “oh yeah, whoops”). And now there’s Ryne, and she is totally running things if you watch their background conversations/body language. But that’s kind of where Thancred likes it; find a girl who needs a protective older brother and do what she asks and whatever she needs.

I do have a special place in my heart for the expanded broship with Urianger that Shadowbringers gave us, though. I’ve already spoken on that one.

Favorite headcanon: Everything people assume about how he spoils the nutkin. And really, focusing on taking care of and doting on a pet would be good therapy. Goodness knows he needs it.

Also I assume he and Hilda hooked up at least once during the HW patches. Part of that expectation and cover, sure, to immediately flirt with the pretty, tough, half-elezen guard captain. But also, he spent however long mostly alone, and then only with the Vath and a nutkin for company; the guy was probably touch-starved and lonely and just needing a connection to another person he could relate to (that wasn’t a bug).

Otherwise, again, have you seen my Ao3? Ugh. Damned snarky smart rogues…

————

Lahabrea

First impression: Laughing Organization XIII-wannabe is obvious villain. Wonder what their deal is.

Impression now: So much lost/wasted potential thanks to being stuck as the ARR villain when it was so hastily rewritten and acted, and so little was decided on the Ascians and their motivations yet. A lot of what we learn now retroactively makes him more interesting. The fact he was a workaholic who looked at the workaholic Scion and went “ah yes; that one will do, perfect” makes me laugh.

Favorite moment: I like his interactions with Elidibus. And I am actually fairly fond of his theatrical reveal in Praetorium about the Ultima Weapon, the Heart of Sabik, and casting Ultima.

Idea for a story: Maybe stuff while he’s possessing Thancred. Maybe stuff between then and the Reactor. I dunno; I’ve been enjoying a lot of others’ stories about our first Ascian antagonist.

Unpopular opinion: Dunno if this is unpopular, but some of the retroactive information is to excuse why he seemed so much less powerful than other, later Ascians, but I do think the Speaker could be quite devious and powerful, if he had better writing around him. He suffers for being from ARR.

Favorite relationship: I am not ashamed to admit I am a Lahabrea/Igeyorhm shipper and Hades Ex seems to agree with me so there.

Favorite headcanon: The Speaker likely also had a good singing voice. Another thing good about possessing a man whose primary cover was a bard–excuses to indulge that.

————

Igeyorhm

First impression: Wannabe-Organization XIII also hires women, cool. Wonder if she’ll get to do anything?

Impression now: I’m sad so much got cut from HW; as great as it was, a lot got left on the editing room floor and it shows in spots–particularly where the Ascians connect with the plot. We learn much about her retroactively as well, including how she worked for/with Lahabrea thanks to being the one to wreck the Thirteenth, and change Ascian policy on how to bring about Rejoinings. I still wanna know more about her.

Favorite moment: You beat the whale, good job–thanks, that’s my key now. It’s such a perfect dick move. Excellent timing and taunting. 

Idea for a story: Maybe some of her inner thoughts working for/with Lahabrea. She was a raised up shard, so does that mean they found the scattered pieces of her original soul and force-merged them? I doubt it, since Emet-Selch mentions raising up those who are a piece of the previous office holder, but I wonder if it came with imbuing the new title-holder with some of those memories and knowledge. Perhaps she wonders if some of her interactions/feelings/whatever with Lahabrea are her own, or her tapping into her previous life’s memories. Something to think about, anyway.

Unpopular opinion: I dunno, she shoulda gotten to stick around longer? Or been allowed to do a lot more? Should have been much more of a presence in HW, but I don’t think that’s unpopular so much as unconsidered.

Favorite relationship: Lahabrea is really the only one she gets significant interactions with. Though I wonder about her interactions with the other few women in the Ascians.

Favorite headcanon: See above with the story ideas, really; she didn’t get a lot of time onscreen so there’s a lot of room to make things up, and retroactive info from ShB to make her more interesting, or at least her situation as an upraised Ascian.

[autumnslance]

Top 5 (Non-Sexual) Intimate Moments of your OC

This is an interesting one! And making me delve into my drafts and outlines for my WoL story. So please indulge me:

1. While running about Thanalan on her first ever mission for the Scions, Thancred and Aeryn took refuge from a sandstorm in some abandoned hovel the bard knew of and often used during his work. With little else to do, they talked for a long time, with him managing to coax more words than usual from the quiet young adventurer. It was also the first time she got to see the flirty mask he always wore back then slip, and Aeryn felt like she finally actually “met” Archon Thancred Waters.

(Also where she probably started crushing a little, not that she realized that’s what it was or how to deal with it, besides knowing it was “confusing and irritating”)

2. After the terror of Ifrit and the frustration at the sudden attention that feat brought, Yda snagged Aeryn for some sparring. Afterwards, Yda showed Aeryn her favorite quiet spot in the hills around Vesper Bay to just go hang out. So they did, and ended up stargazing and talking about pretty much anything and everything, cementing the friendship begun in Gridania. They went to that spot a few times while the Scions were based in Vesper Bay, and finding a place to talk in the same way once the order relocated to Revenant’s Toll was top of the list.

One of the ways they reworked their friendship after Lyse’s reveal was to spend time during their travels across Gyr Abania and the Far East finding a quiet place to talk and stargaze while they unwound from whatever happened during the day; Alisaie often joined them for those.

3. On the eve of battling Titan, Y'shtola and Aeryn were put up in a small bungalow on Gegeruju’s estate to rest before meeting Riol. Whether it was the ridiculously rare and expensive wine, or being worn out by the varied tasks from the Company of Heroes, or some combination, Aeryn’s tongue was loosened a bit and she and Y'shtola had a talk about those tasks, and other small side jobs the adventurer did for others, that had nothing to do with primals or Ascians or the looming Imperial threat.

I have the scene drafted, maybe ought to post it somewhere; the themes in it, of Aeryn enjoying “little jobs” and side quests and sometimes just being a typical adventurer, not someone “special” have wound up in other pieces, particularly during the 2018 FFXIV Write (collected here on Tumblr and on my Ao3).

4. In that time between the Banquet in Ul'dah and being allowed into Ishgard, when things seemed pretty dark for the remaining Scions, Haurchefant was, of course, a good friend and great comfort. At one point he and Aeryn spoke long into the night, sitting together before a fire. She awoke in the wee hours of the morning to find, to her embarrassment, that she had fallen asleep leaning on the knight, and he hadn’t had the heart to wake or move her, just grateful she was getting some rest. So he just didn’t move, and made sure she had a blanket to stay warm. Her trust in him as someone to literally lean on and let her guard down around was enough.

(Also where rumors began that the Bastard of Fortemps was having a torrid affair with the Warrior of Light, and try as she might, Aeryn cannot dispel said rumors, as the truth isn’t nearly so romantic)

5. Letters to her stepfamily back home. Aeryn’s a letter writer, as is her oldest sister, and the two send missives back and forth (partially cuz I wanna play with epistolary writing again). It’s a form of journaling–and some letters never get sent when they get a little too “dear diary”, but it lets her stay connected to the family she grew up with despite her desire to return to the realm of her birth, and the duties she found herself taking on once there. She can be honest in the letters–though so far, she has answered “no” to all suggestions to return to the family, even when things are at their worst.