#and ryne gets found :3

[aetheryic]

still on my royal au brainrot mrrrrp

[eemamminy-art]

hi! 5, 6, & 8 for the fandom ask game!

These are long ass answers so... under the cut they go!!

Fandom/fanfic asks

5. Favorite platonic pairing?

Okay so this might be just a thing between me and my friend, but we have this AU where Emet-selch hid away Ryne/"Minfilia" to keep her away from Hydaelyn's influence, but then he still dies as normal and Zenos is the one to find her alone and rescue her? 🥺 And long story short she's now his little sister who is single-handedly saving him from himself and all the trauma his father had inflicted upon him while trying to give her the childhood he never had. I…… am SO emotional about it!! 😭😭😭 They are THE found family siblings, I just get so soft thinking about them 🥺 Genuinely…!!!

I think the only other one that comes to mind, which idk how much this counts since one half of it is my OC, but I'm thinking very much all the time lately about the friendship between my OC Mal and Sebastian!! If you've been reading my fic you might say, "what friendship? Sebastian is a total dickhead to him!" But!! Trust me!!! It's gonna get there eventually!!!!! They are gonna be talking about their feelings and watching frogs together in no time (it will actually be. A long time. But you'll see!!) I haven't really talked about it much because I don't want someone to be like "ehehehe and maybe they are into each other? 👀" but they are strictly just friends and it is going to stay that way!! 😤 One day I'm gonna cave and draw something cute with them hanging out, just wait and see lol

6. Favorite headcanon?

I think the one I've been lingering on most lately is the one you brought up recently, of Zenos being autistic! It makes so much sense, and I already subscribed to it before but I've been thinking about it more since you brought it up! Thinking about him laying in the wol's lap in the royal menagerie, and they're counting the petals on the flowers together to calm him down. :3 Idk, little things like this!

8. Fandom you're a part of that's the most obscure?

Mmm here's where I wanna split hairs on terminology sorry haha okay so to me "fandom" is like, a community, a place of active participation with other fans: whether that's sharing fan works, looking at/reading fan works, or discussing the canon material. That to me is fandom!

So like, to me I would say something like utapri feels obscure, because I'm very passionate about it and don't really have people to talk to about it in much detail, I'm picking up little crumbs about it from pixiv or tumblr, but it feels so tiny to me. But I know it is a big series in Japan! It was popular in western spaces for a time too, like a decade ago-- is that obscure? I don't know, I don't think so, but it feels obscure in the sense of like, I don't feel as if there is all that much community for me to connect with about it.

There's also games like Omori, where the fandom is largely minors so I haven't wanted to interact with the larger fandom space and thus it feels small-- or games that I am deeply fascinated with like Dead Plate that I have no clue if there's any fandom at all and am a bit scared to look for one because it's a very small indie game and thus feels like any fandom would feel too intimate, somehow-- or games that are so old and obscure that I would love to draw art for (and even have in the past!) but finding anyone who has played them is like a needle in a haystack, like my favorite game of all time, Arcanum!

Is a fandom just "things I like that I like"? Or "things I make fanworks for"? Or "a community where I interact with others about this shared interest"? What's obscure in one of those definitions wouldn't be in another definition! Sorry this is a total non-answer but I can't find a way to answer the question in a satisfying way because the question varies based on how you would define fandom!!

[headmate-smoothie-bar]

hi there!!! can we get a level 3 ghostbur??? and can blue be objectum, or more specifically plushum??? if so that'd be fantastic!!! :D

here you go!! hopefully you like blue, we had boo come out to help again haha,, remember that beings may not always come out as described, hopefully cloud suits you well!!

name ghostbur, farrin, dorian, echo

3rdp pronouns blue/blues/blueself, cloud/clouds/cloudself, hy/hym/hymself (links)

age 19-22

species ghost

source dsmp, ghostbur

role mood booster, socializor (links)

gender/s sheepmasc, bluepresentic, bluegender, blueflyswarmic (links)

orientation/s bisexual panromantic

other ids plushum

personality ghostbur is very sweet and kind, especially to blues headmates! blue will always have a smile on hys face, determined to cheer everybody up. blue is incredibly outgoing and always seeking to learn about clouds fellow alters so that hy can improve their mood, and probably offer them some blue while cloud’s at it. hy has hys shy and angry moments, maybe when hy can’t find anything that cheers up the system, but those are rare, as blue is generally very kind and respectful of everybody around hym.

other notes hy loves to meet new people and may make the most friends out of the system. however, cloud is always willing to cut something off if it means the rest of the system will be happy.

signoffs 🦋, 🐑, 💠, 🪡

2ndp pronouns keu/keur/keurs/keurself, tu/tur/turs/turself

1stp pronouns ri/re/ry/ryne/ryself

likes & dislikes likes: the colour blue, sheep & other adjacent animals, flowers, soft toys, sunny days dislikes: rain, bright lights, getting wet, death, explosions

aesthetics naturecore, dreamcore

faceclaim/s

typing quirk/s blue uses a lot of ,,, and …, basically in every sentence. hy doesn’t capitalise hys letters and types a lot of run on sentences.

a song or three everybody talks - neon trees daddy issues - the neighbourhood new gold - gorillaz

pos fronting triggers lots of the colour blue, long conversations, sheep

how they are in headspace/innerworld when in headspace, ghostbur is rather calm. hy is a little naïve and may fall for tricks from other, more matured alters, but blue never feels anger or humiliation about it. blue will periodically come around and check on everybody to make sure they’re okay. if they aren’t, hy will ask to front so hy can find a way to cheer them up. cloud is very rarely sad, and hys infectious positive energy can uplift the whole system!

how they are when fronting farrin is very social when fronting (as per hys role.) cloud loves to talk about anything and everything, and is a very active listener no matter what the other party is discussing. blue will instinctively seek out things to cheer up the rest of the system, and will often give up front to somebody who will enjoy an activity blue has found. cloud will also take over if the alter currently fronting is feeling down, to offer them some rest or search for something to cheer them up.

thank you for ordering from the smoothie bar! we really like echo, hopefully you like blue too! one of our c!rans came out to help with ideas from hxs ghostbur, so hopefully blue is good. take good care of hym for us!

[rainbowbarnacle]

Ooooh I got tagged! :D

Relation Status: In a LDR with the wonderful @mercurialmalcontent. <3

Favorite Color: ALL OF THEM. But lately I've been wearing lots of purples and oranges and yellows.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Sweets: chocolate, red bean paste, apple-based pastries, and anything with poppyseeds. Spicy: I like it! Spicy coconut soups and eggs with hot sauce and spicyhot v8 juice and warming extra-gingery chais. Savory: yes pleeease, I am particularly fond of miso soup, lox, peppered beef jerky, and anything with mushrooms in it for savory things.

Three ships:

oh gooood just three?

Karlach and Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3. I'm digging the dynamic of Touch Starved Tiefling and Touched Out Vampire Figure Stuff Out Together. There is something so lovely about someone just flat out, unquestionably ADORING someone who has spent 200 years spouting so much automatic false praise at people that any compliment directed at him sounds like a lie. I don't care if they're friends or lovers or married, all of it is good, just please let these two hang out, they are hilarious and wonderful together.

Roland Deschain and Cuthbert Allgood and Alain Johns from the Dark Tower. Friends, lovers, both, everything rocks. They are traumatized cowboys who grew up in a constantly changing eldritch hellscape together and they can still joke around and they know each other so perfectly and I love them. Could they just all travel to New York so I can watch them lose their minds the first time they eat at a buffet restaurant, thankee-sai.

Ryne and Gaia from FFXIV. These two have been through so much horror and I just want them to be happy together. At first glance it's Hopelessly Cheerful Optimist beaming happy rays at the Snooty Goth Who's Learning To Smile Sometimes, but occasionally you get little scenes where Gaia perks Ryne up like high quality coffee. <3

First ever ship:

I dunno, I didn't really come up with ships on my own for a really long time--I just kinda went with what was there. I remember eventually learning how to do otherwise, I just don't remember who it was.

Last Song:

Last Film: I thiiiink it was One Piece Film: Red? Either way, WHAT A WILD RIDE, I think it might be my favorite One Piece film. A pop diva with creation magic covers up MASSIVE TRAUMA with glittery rainbow everythings, WHOO <3 Also, a banging soundtrack.

Last thing I Googled: The One Piece Film: Red trailer

Currently Reading: NOTHING. :O But that's only because I just finished editing someone's novel and my brain needs a rest.

Currently Watching: Rurouni Kenshin! I'm digging it a lot so far--I can tell the current voice actor admires the voice actor from the original series a lot. <3

Currently Consuming: Nothing yet. I drank all the cold brew coffee and now I have no cold brew coffee. :(

Currently Craving: Coffee. And these chickpea burrito things I found on sale, I should have bought twelve more.

Currently Working On: That Thing I did for Nano, a FFXIV fic and a Baldur's Gate fic

Current Obsession(s): Baldur's Gate 3, FFXIV, One Piece, that book I edited a few days ago (IT'S REALLY GOOD)

Aaaand all done, phew! Thank you for tagging me, that was fun! I tag: anybody else who wants to.

[battlecrazed-axe-mage]

End of Shadowbringers thoughts

Man. I was NOT expecting to feel for the Ascians but here we are. I keep forgetting the writing in this game is GOOD, I keep getting attached to characters I never expected to. I miss my evil grandpa :(

They honestly did manage to pack a LOT of pathos into Emet-Selch. He went from standard "mwa ha ha evil" to a really compelling, complicated character in a matter of a few gameplay hours. I said, right after he saved Y'shtola, that I was going to be sad if we had to kill him--and I was right, but man I wasn't expecting how genuinely heartbreaking it would be. In the end, he was just a sad, lonely old man trying desperately to find a reason to stop doing what he was doing, hoping against hope that humanity as it is would finally convince him that they were enough. And that rant when the WoL just didn't measure up just fucking killed me--because he wasn't just angry, he was wounded that he'd put his trust in us and we'd let him down. I hope he's found some measure of peace in the Lifestream, waiting to be reincarnated properly as part of the new world.

This moment DESTROYED me. I wish things could've been different. But I'm glad we were able to find some understanding in the end.

That said: I am CURIOUS about all these hints the narrative has been dropping about the WoL. Were we someone from before? Both Emet and Hythlodaeus definitely seem to recognize us at moments. I can't wait to hear more about that one I'm also glad the story foreshadowed real hard that Hythlodaeus might be a character we see return, because they seemed chill <3 Honestly all of Amaurot was incredibly cool and probably one of my favorite bits of the game so far! Now I just gotta figure out how to get the gang their proper bodies back--and I hope that involves bringing Ryne with somehow, I would be so sad to leave her behind

[umbralaether]

8. shielding the other one with their body >:3

I went a little lore-bendy, because I can >:)

She had suspected for a while that the Sin Eaters could sense her from malms away; the more Light she took in, the more they seemed to flock to her with an almost incoherent whisper of no kill, only follow. She'd only seen it in action once, when she sought them out herself in an overly delirious decision to discover the truth in her theory. The winged beasts were small, easy to dispatch on her own should she need, but found they had no interest in killing her, satisfied with hovering near her instead. Watching, or perhaps waiting for the inevitable.

She was running out of time.

The knowledge that the Sin Eaters could find her at any moment and endanger those around her didn't sit well. It nagged her, a constant reminder of what she could become. Or will become, at this rate, she thinks. The Light was all consuming and that included even her mind. She was changing; becoming erratic, losing chunks of time. She'd find herself alone, far from civilization and have no memory of getting there. A swell of panic when the stretches of time grew longer, the fear of losing herself a never ending chill along her spine. She covers her absences with white lies, a harmless don't worry about me, I'm fine!

--

The others may have let it go, but Thancred knew something was very wrong. When her absence lingers into the next endless day, he resigns himself to search the entirety of Il Mheg to find her. Urianger and Ryne seek help from the Pixies, who flit and flutter around spinning tales of only needing to look to the skies to find her. At first, he assumed this to be nonsense, until he saw a group of Sin Eaters circling overhead a stretch of land. He breaks into a sprint, reaching their circling dance to find her sitting motionless in the midst of the Sin Eaters, hugging her knees to her chest, eyes closed.

They sense his presence, a few swooping down towards him that he easily kills with one slash of his gunblade. The death of one seems to send the others into a frenzy -- their movements no longer fluid like a slow-moving twister around her but instead darting wildly like jagged bolts of lightning. He makes quick work of the ones who come at him --one hit seems to be enough for the smallest ones-- but he almost fails to notice the largest of the group has landed, focused solely on Eisha sitting statue-still before it. It lunges, but Thancred is faster, shielding her from the blow with his own body and sustaining only a slight slash across his shoulder for his efforts.

When the last of them are slain, he turns his attention to Eisha. He crouches down to her level, shaking her shoulder gently, "Eisha? Can you hear me?"

She gives no response, seemingly unaware of anything around her. He scoops her up into his arms, and begins the trek back to the Bookman's Shelves.

--

Both Ryne and Urianger have many questions, radiating worry when they see a mostly catatonic Eisha in his arms, but Thancred only shakes his head. He brings her to his room, sitting her down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes are unfocused, body trembling, and he kneels down before her. She doesn't flee at his touch, but doesn't soften into the gentle hands that cup her face or react to the soft words asking, what happened?

It takes some coaxing to bring her out of this fugue state; his fingers combing through her hair, whispering words of praise and love on repeat. He strips her of her worn and torn armor, kissing each faint white scar that branches from sternum outward. He's never seen them before --could the light truly do something so monstrous?-- and it sends an ache through his chest to know just how much she has had to suffer to save the First.

He strips himself of his own armor, leaving only his underclothes. He wraps blankets around her shivering form, and climbs into the bed besides her. She finally seems to reappear in this reality, moving to climb onto his lap. He repositions the blankets around them both, and sighs in relief when she kisses him before her aqua eyes meet his own.

The silence stretches onwards before she finally speaks, "They sing to me, the Sin Eaters. I think it's why I lose myself…  because they're similar to me now."

"Eisha…" He is at a loss of words, terror slowly building within his own chest, "Why didn’t you say anything before?"

A pause, "I suppose I didn’t want to make you, or anyone else, worry." She takes a shaky breath, "But I need you… I need you to keep me from losing myself. Please." She buries her face into the crook of his neck, clinging tightly.

"You are mine, and I am yours. I won’t stand by and let anything take you from me." His own grip tightens on her, holding her closer. A cherished thing.

He makes a silent promise that anything trying to hurt her will have to cross him first, and he swears it won't be an easy fight.

[stupidsexygrizzop]

Podcast Recommendations!

Ive been meaning to type something like this up for a while because these shows definitely deserve some time in the spotlight and i cant recommend them enough (under a readmore for how much i plan to gush)

These Flimsy Rituals

Forget everything you know about actual play podcasts. TFR plays a custom game (which will be a more developed game, called Ryne, in Tiding season 2), so none of the DND/Pathfinder rules that shape alot of the bigger AP shows out there. This show revolves around stories and emotions. “Telling small stories in big worlds” is their tagline and that really sums it up. The world is massive and fantastical and the first season, Tiding, starts with one village, one small community, uprooted and looking for a new home. 

The group of characters doesn’t go together like a traditional adventuring party. They are tied to the same community and causes but they are, at the end of the day, just people living in this strange world trying to make their way. 

The story feels like one of those soft-spoken tales told over a campfire in the quiet dusk. It is melancholy and slow to get to action but that somehow feels right in this world they’ve crafted. 

Embrace, the second season, is a prequel, and if you are going to start there I recommend giving the Shards&Fragments: Eolith 3-episode special a listen first as it ties in a bit with that and is quite a fun listen. Embrace (a game of Blades in the Dark) is about one town in political unrest. Revolution is brewing and we have the delight of following a ragtag group of those revolutionaries as they try to bring about change in their community. 

Because of its premise Embrace feels much more action-packed than Tiding, and BOY does it hit some high-drama emotional notes that only start to peek out near the end of Tiding season 1. The crew, the Jubilant Maybe, throw themselves at wall after wall in pursuit of the revolution, all while living in that fantastically strange world Tiding set up. 

In each season the way the characters care about the little corners of the world they occupy carries the weight of the story in a way that is so uniquely done it takes my breath away. 

The Sheridan Tapes

Who doesn’t love a good bit of found footage horror fiction in their podcast feed? 

Produced by Homestead On The Corner (which has a podcast by the same name about writing and crafting stories- great listen if you need some fresh inspiration), this show follows detective Samuel Bailey as he tries to solve the disappearance of renowned horror author Anna Sheridan. With just her cassette audio logs as evidence, Sam, dutifully taking the role of skeptic narrator, straps in for a listen. 

The writing in this show is beautiful and crafts a mystery that rests itself neatly between charming characters and chilling snippets of the things Anna got up to before she vanished. 

This story lingers with me. Each episode felt like I was stepping one more more inch closer to figuring out what was going on, flashing pieces of the picture so tantalizing that I wanted to binge it all just to get a glimpse of the whole thing. 

The story touches heavily on grief and loss at times. The heartbreaks of the past linger with characters and give them a weight that just feels so right as they grapple with changing their worldview to fit with the very real threat of the supernatural rearing its head. 

Additionally, if you like fairy tales and want an intro to the writing styles behind The Sheridan Tapes give Tales of the Echowood a try! It is a 10-episode fantasy miniseries by the same creators. The music in the trailer/promo gives me goosebumps EVERY time. 

Rogue Runners

Did you play the video game Hades and think: “wow what if someone set a dnd campaign in this setting though”? Because this is audio fanfiction baby. You dont have to have played the game to get the show- in fact I played Hades for the first time BECAUSE I enjoyed the show so much. 

Greek myths are the name of the game on this one. The party is tasked with testing the defenses Hades’ underworld has to see just how inescapable it really is. Their prize? If they get out they escape death and get a second chance at life. 

And if you’re tired of adventuring parties that get along this is the one for you. 

It is so easy to tell that the players are good friends that trust each other to share the story they are telling- while the characters are all easily one or two steps away from choking the life out of each other. Inter-party conflict is a driving force for some of the narrative and it is so wonderfully different. They are bound together even if they don’t get along. Want to hear Adonis as a sickly twink? Alexander the great as the definition of gay wrongs? Want to hear a sphinx tell a riddle dripping with hilarious sexual innuendo? Ever wonder what the greek version of cash cab would be like? This show has it all. 

The plot quickly veers away from the beats the video game that inspired it set up and twists itself into something more high-stakes than I could’ve imagined. The fate of the underworld may very well come to rest in this party’s hands, and I really can’t say at this point if they think its worth saving or if they’ll take steps to end it faster.

[liketheinferno2]

I've been chronically fucking exhausted since the good ol' sleep phobia's been acting up but I will try to assemble thoughts betwixt images okay? Okay.

First off: I've seen people talk about Shadowbringers like some impossible lightning in a bottle with no concept of how it could be replicated, and frankly that's an insult to this writing team's chops and the insane amount of build up there was leading to this. ShB is Heavensward: 2 and it's that because Heavensward already WORKED. They did it more and betterer. The basic character triad from Heavensward is expanded to the best it can possibly be. You've got:

1. Good boy with a twist; your friendly character who is obviously and suspiciously going through a lot of shit off screen that he hides from you; guy who is diverting the suffering inflicted on these characters towards himself and pays for it by being horrifically kidnapped by the bad boy he was previously on functional terms with. (G'raha, Estinien)

2. Bad boy with the twist; the villain, an extremely depressed extremely old man who, while greatly destructive, is able to plead the case for his various crimes against the other characters via the fact that his immortal anger and grief are completely justified and even the other characters are brought to sympathise with that loneliness. (Emet, Nidhogg)

3. Long suffering headmate weirdo who's visible only to the WOL and offers them gentle guidance and support along with his unique perspective, eventually stepping up to help them fight back against the villain and rescue poor good-boy. (Ardbert, Midgardsormr)

Bonus round: Ryne fills the sad baby slot that Alphinaud did in HVW, although she's not your baby this time and that's okay. "Your baby" is not a character type that can just keep happening, but it's cool to have a cute teenage character go through their personal development, so she gets assigned to Thancred to pull double duty and help tie up the loose plot threads about him being a mourning father that were never properly addressed.

These four are without a doubt the highlights among the new characters, and then the rest of the spectacle is in the characters we already know and love being elevated to the best they can be. The off-color humor about Thancred's trauma being swept away and replaced with background gags about sleeping around and drinking himself sick is no longer a joke, that's part of the character. Y'shtola's sight becomes relevant after 2 expansions of forgetting about it and she starts to act more like Y'shtola. The twins are growing up, Alphinaud's acting like a big brother and Alisaie's expressing the full force of her emotions in a way that feels not "fiery" but genuinely triggered, sometimes. Urianger gets such uniquely textured relationships that bring the sheer weirdness of his character into the spotlight in a way that finally feels like it fits. These characters are like old friends now and it's fantastic to see them hit their potential.

And considering the actual base plot of Shadowbringers digs into a lot of stuff that is pulled straight from zombie movie setups, it's certainly not originality that makes it so fantastic. Nay, the opposite. It's the way this installment takes all the most beloved parts from previous sections and other things people already like, fills it with strong and emotionally intense characters and then threads it all together with a singular clarity of purpose -- if we are fighting for those we have lost; for those we can yet save? Emet-Selch does the exact opposite. He is fighting so those he has lost can be found, as impossible as that should be.

The Scions' mantra is that of mourning and acceptance; Emet only wants to deny his losses so profoundly that denial is made physical. See: Amaurot under the sea. They say it outright that everyone's purpose here is to see the lives of their loved ones protected, but Emet doesn't have any left, for all the pieces of the people he loved are now shattered parts that became the people you love now, so these missions are diametrically opposed.

Something really incredible to me about Emet-Selch is just how well he fits in this story, and how he could never ever fit in any other. Another incredible thing is what they did with him and Nidhogg -- making such impossible huge scale levels of angst feel relatable and understandable to the little human brain of the audience. You walk into Amaurot and just feel hollow under the weight of it, the immediate understanding of how lonely someone would have to be to make this. He accidentally gave the illusions here sentience because he thought a little too hard about how much he missed them. It's horrible. You're just walking around in your fucking FEELS.

The thing about G'raha that's incredible is how specific his feelings are and how well they get them across regardless. He loves the WOL. He cannot allow the WOL to love him back, because he knows (or at least thinks) that he will die soon, and doesn't want to hurt them any more than he has to. His attempts to divert the love away are failing, though, because all he has the heart to reject is your attempts to know him, and even then not for very long. There's this whole conversation where he talks about some guy you've never met that he's apparently in love with and is very obviously hiding that it's YOU.

Real "Kiss me, you fool!" moment here. Barring all else FFXIV is a bi boy heaven simulator.

So yeah Shadowbringers was damn near perfect, but I've hit image limit. This is a good fucking video game. GOATed with the sauce one might say. THE CATBOY'S EARS TWITCH, GUYS. YOU TELL HIM YOU'RE GLAD HE'S OKAY AND HE STARTS SOBBING. GOD.

[bluest-uwu-blowfishes]

ok so hc that the scions have board game nights like, tataru will be like "y'all need to rest" and stuff and the scions want to spend time together bc found family and all that but they really shouldn't take a full-blown day off because the world could start imploding at literally any second, and also they're all giant nerds so like once or twice a moon they'll have a board game night they'd probably mostly play hidden role games or trivia i think, because they're giant nerds (and estinien just likes lying and fucking with them). anything where some people have some information and some people don't. basically almost anything that polygon has played on overboard.

~more under the cut (character specifics)~

ALPHINAUD obviously would be super strategic about everything and probably be fairly competent, but in games where you have to try to read other people and their motives he can kinda fall into galaxy-brain traps where it's not as complicated as he thinks. In games with a "bad guy" role (like in mafia) it's pretty easy to tell when he's one of the "bad guys" because it doesn't seem like he's as eager for information as normal. lil bit to competitive but it’s all in good fun ALISAE stumbles ass-first into gaslight alley (where alphinaud and esitinien are waiting for her). she generally doesn't want to think that hard about stuff because she already has to think under normal circumstances (well, what's normal for them) and this is supposed to be her break. it's not exactly difficult for her, she just doesn't feel like it. accidentally says stuff that makes her seem guilty when she's innocent, and the inverse is also true. will go for the most batshit strategies just to see if they work. it's called "science," alphinaud G’RAHA will get accused by doing literally nothing. just, sitting there. we all know he's bad at lying unless he's been perfecting his deception for literal decades, and even then it's only okay to good. it won't even be anything specific when he's the "bad guy," sometimes he seems too bummed out and someties he's too gleefully malicious, but it's painfully obvious and very poorly excecuted. over time he gets harder to read because he begins perfecting always just being "like that." probably figures out who the murderer is in Clue right as alphinaud's about to open the envelope. THE WARRIOR OF LIGHT is obviously going to be vaguer/varried, but i think that in general they would have an excellent poker face when they want to (*glances at ARR*). gives nobody any information at any point ever about anything, quietly puts together as many pieces as they can. switches wildly between not talking at all and talking a lot (yet still not give any info??) with no correlation between that and whose side they're on. in performative/roleplaying games they can deadpan almost anything URIANGER is just there for the drama. about to win? he will purposefully temporarily screw over his team just because. overly dramatic about everything. perfect for roleplaying games. actually really good at most games but almost never wins because he gets greedy trying to see how long he can lead them on with his bullshit, and someone (usually aphinaud) figures everything out and steals the win out from under him. THANCRED isn't typically a suspect for anything. nobody 100% trusts him, but no one outright thinks he's the imposter or whatever. he'll make some jokes and generally be fairly chill about the whole thing, and overall there's a 50/50 chance that anyone will call him out on his bluffs. will occassionaly go for the most batshit strategies that somehow always work when he tries them. has threatened to quit the scions when he feels betrayed. will start singing if it's even slightly appropriate Y’SHTOLA is too competent for all this. she has fun and will sometimes get involved, but she's mostly an observer. there's a solid 10% chance that someone will figure out she's the traitor/imposter/werewolf/etc. pretty good at bluffing and somehow simultaneously seems to never be on the bad guy team and also always be on the bad guy team. a true neutral ESTINIEN is pretty easy to read if you know what to look for. he seems to be smiling (smirking) more when he's the bad guy. it's because he knows that he'll win by screwing over everyone else, and that's fun. mostly observes (or seems to be observing) regardless of what role he has in a game, though if someone says something slightly stupid or suspicious he'll point it out very quickly without drawing too much attention to himself. KRILE joins when she can but isn't usually there or is usually happy to just watch, though she always makes a point to see how much she can mess with alphinaud specifically. she doesn't care about winning (although it's always nice), she just wants alphinaud to lose. TATARU mostly watches on the sidelines but also joins sometimes, and becomes actively malicious for the duration or the game. absolutely brutal. she won't win, but she sure as hell will betray each and every one of them at least once, and each in a slightly different way. honestly kinda impressive they would also sometimes play board games back on the First! RYNE is an actual deathtrap. "look, she's so sweet and innocent, she hasn't done anything to inflict suspicion upon herself <3" NO. she has, you just all ignored it. don't trust her. what are you doing. no stop. she's lying. oh god, they're all dead now. what did i tell you. she won't win most of the time, but she'll manage to royally screw over at least half of the crew. they all know this, yet keep falling for it. thancred's always the first victim. he never learns (might add more later)

[autumnslance]

Character meme: Thancred

Give me a character and I’ll break them down:

This got long cuz I tend to ramble about this dude.

How I feel about this character:

This utter absolute godsdamned bastard of a man. How dare he.

When I really got into FFXIV finally (after only dabbling for a bit), the age gap of his listed 32 and my RL age at the time put the same distance as me and my own younger brother, and that is where Thancred fits. I was FINE with him as a total bro, as the local disaster, similar to a younger sibling I am both fond of and exasperated by. He has a lot of backstory, character development, and changes, even before Shadowbringers really brings his various issues and working through them to the foreground. I love snarky, sarcastic characters, using that to cover their pain and issues. Highly competent but still so full of doubts. Acting out middle child of the core Scions family (now the elder brother figure with Papalymo gone and his own sense of responsibility kicking in in healthier ways).

There's a lot there, and he hits a lot of character tropes I like as a writer and reader both. So for 2 full playthroughs, he was a colleague, a companion, a pal, a bro.

Now. Now when I make a fic writing WoL based off the lady midlander CGI model, now when I decide to make an ace WoL who won't get shipped with anyone cuz we so rarely see that, now when I decide to roll Aeryn through the MSQ and got to meeting the Scions and Ifrit's quest...

Sigh. Here we are, 3+ years and counting, and "Shippy Nonsense" has completely taken over my FFXIV posting and it's all that Damn Rogue's fault. I blame his bonus to sneak attack vs a WoL's smallclothes. I know he took that feat.

He’s still my bro that I am going to tease affectionately while my character swoons, but I am going to be amusedly grumbly about it forever.

(Also I still think his ARR model is Generic Anime Protag #3547 and isn’t all that visually interesting. I like bits and pieces of the HW mountain hobo look. I think his ShB model is better at showing his experience and personality, but still wish there were some adjustments.)

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Fellow Wolcred ships. I love you all. Also it just makes “sense” to me to ship WoL with a Scion over most other NPCs, and Thancred is definitely the default nice handsome male romance option like what one gets at the beginning of a Bioware game (looking at you, Carth, Kaiden, Alistair...). I just. y’know. Thought OC/NPC shipping was for other people, not me.

I have a soft spot for occasional Y'shtola/Thancred and Urianger/Thancred. I feel like he’s a person who’d only open to true romantic relationships with people he’s known and trusted for awhile, because of his own doubts and issues.

He’s totally a Bi disaster though; a lean toward women, perhaps, but certain dudes’ll turn his head.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Thancred & Minfilia for the found family brother-sister trope.

Thancred & Ryne for the same, with father-daughter flavor instead.

Thancred & Urianger for the best bros back and forth.

Thancred & Y'shtola for the best bros in a different way. I also include here occasional side-along headcanons for a FWB situation for them, safe comfort and release--especially after the Lifestream--but without romance; their love is platonic.

(I can’t quite see Urianger doing a casual FWB in the same way tho, he doesn’t strike me as the type; it’s all or nothing there.)

My unpopular opinion about this character

How I see the "temporary eye injury." How he likely wasn't as much of a slut as assumed--while he got plenty, he also used the flirting as a cover a lot (esp given how he drops the flirty demeanor entirely post-Antitower). How he likely wasn't as much of a drunkard in ARR patches as assumed, either; getting blackout drunk makes little sense when the issue was loss of control thanks to possession.

I also think many of the people who think it would have been “fitting” (or just wished for) him to die at the Trolley RP Duty in ShB missed some of the point of Shadowbringers’ overarching themes. ShB could certainly be dark at times, but overall was a story of hope and the differences between remembering the past versus being held captive by it, and the bonds between people. If it were a more tragic story with more pessimistic themes, then yes; Thancred dying then to protect Ryne with their issues unresolved would have been (heartbreaking but) fitting. However, that’s not the story being told; it’s him using that battle as catharsis to beat at his own issues and realize he really had repeated his original mistakes. To make his peace with Minfilia’s loss and then, in the end, work things through with Ryne and be the man he should have been for her.

Ryne gets the fairy tale ending of having her parental figure that she feared resented her tell her he was sorry and fix himself for her.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

We should have seen more of his and Minfilia’s found family relationship in game. There wasn’t a lot of room for it in 2.0, it could have been in the 2.x patches a bit more, but a lot about their relationship is described after she’s already gone.

Ran’jit was Thancred’s kill. There is no way that was originally written with the General porting out last second just for the WoL to suddenly be able to defeat his plot armor. The Trolley RP Duty has the foil character set up, the “last special bullet,” and the player is controlling Thancred at the time. It makes no narrative sense and stinks of executive meddling out of some fear the players would feel cheated by not having it be WoL who defeats Ran’jit, but it’s a serious misstep in the story. We could have, should have, fought suped-up Jongleurs as the speed bump boss to Vauthry, as those characters also were woefully underused.

I’m also hoping for more personal Scion history as we get to Old Sharlayan; while most of the older Scions are from or were educated in the Dravanian Colony, being around the culture and people again shall surely give us more information as to their academic backgrounds.

And we all always need more nutkin interactions and shenanigans.

[ainarosewood]

The Life of an Adventurer

FFXIVWrite2021 Day 3 Prompt : Scale

Why, why am I doing this? Isleif thought as he clung to the side of the slick cliff, hands holding barely discernible nubs of rock, the toes of his boots jammed into small crevices. His body drenched in clammy sweat both from the exertion and from the Light raging though his aether.

Below him roughly 30 fulms was the mucky sea floor hard unforgiving should he lose his grip.

Because you're a helpful idiot, he answered himself, because you are tired of seeing your friends push themselves to spare you.  Because you are a moron who stubbornly ignored that something was wrong.

The Veena had known from the moment he downed Tatianna in Il Mheg and absorbed the Light that it was affecting his aether.  He had felt the wrongness of it as it flowed in.  He had known even then that the blessing was not dispersing it but absorbing it.  But the stubborn helpful fool that he was, he continued on determined to save this world and in turn the Source from certain doom.

So now here he was 30 fulms above the now dry seafloor trying to reach a glowing coral piece for a crazed eerily similar doppelganger of a certain drunken smith because he wanted to make a lamp for the Ondo to honor some ancient people that he knew were the bastard Ascians that had caused the doom of this world in the first place.  The life of an adventurer is never dull, he told himself as he stretched up to reach another spot to climb higher.  Only to have to cling to the cliff gasping in pain as the Light strained against Ryne’s constraints.

As he clung there he was for once grateful for some of the harsh training he had been given as a Warder of the Wood.  His instructor Bjor had made him climb up cliffs as a means of strengthening his endurance even when he bore injury so he could if he had to when he was alone.  The only thing he found himself wishing was he had some roots or vines to wrap around one of his arms to give more support.  Here on this bare slick stone he was terrified about losing his grip from the pain.

After a few moments the spasms passed and he stayed there a moment panting in pain.  

“Ye alright mate?” a voice beside him asked concerned.

Turning slightly he gave the spirit floating there a grim smile, “Never better Ardbert, just praying I don’t fall before I get this damn coral”

“Heh” was Ardbert’s response giving him a slightly sheepish grin, “Stupid question huh,”

The Viera continued his climb grunting, “Eh it came from a good place Ardbert, I appreciate the concern.”

It didn't take much longer before he finally reached his goal at the top of this little rise that had an entire colony of glowing coral.  Taking a breather now that he got there he studied the coral seeing which pieces would meet Grendolt’s specifications.  The fun one would be getting it back down intact to the man.  As he began the harvest he saw one of the strange ruins was a part of this cliff.

“Ardbert, you mind seeing if those ruins might give me an easier path down?” he asked the shade who floated nearby.  The Warrior nodded his assent and began exploring as Islief continued his harvest.

Moments later the spirit came back with a rueful grin, “There is, seems to be a staircase that goes down to the seafloor and from what it looks like its still sturdy.  Also two broken areas that allow access in and out.  A window up here and part of the wall at the cliff base.”

Islief closed his eyes for a moment and let out a string of expelitives that would have made a Lominsan pirate blush.  Then he gave a short bark of a laugh stating, “Heh just my luck and stubbornness that I chose the hard way to begin with.”

“If anything mate it looked impressive, doubt me or me mates could have ever done it.” Ardbert replied.

Islief snorted in amusement bagging the last of the coral.  “Lead on to the broken window let me take the easier path down.”

The Viera followed the shade, studying in silence the inner parts of the ruins as he made his way down. The sea had overtly gotten in and caused some damages but for the most part it was still intact.  What was it made of, what material could have been so strong to have survived so much.  How, how had it survived from the sundering of the star?

All of this would possibly be answered when he found Emet-Selch but at the same time it would most likely be skewed.  The man was tempered after all he freely admitted it.  So any answers would not be the full story.

Once back to the seafloor he made his way back to Workbench once there he handed the smith his required materials.  The man gave a grin and bid him to watch a master at work.  Islief choked back some laughter, the man was definitely all but the same as Gerolt only difference was not quite as drunk.

After he revealed the lamp Grendolt stated, “Alright now that I got me muse back lemme see bout getting you fitted with better arms n armor lad fore ye go farther.”

Islief simply nodded and let the man begin the proper measures and then sat to wait he had little knowledge of what was to come with finding the Asian bastard best to be as prepared as possible.

[emetkoto]

how is Eme's relationship with the other scions? (besides Urianger obviously)

im glad you asked! :) Spoilers for basically every pack including ARR

Thancred

Eme likes Thancred...enough? She's always been at least a little bit frustrated with him for one reason or another, but she considers him a friend at the very least. In ARR it was his womanizer act, it was kind of off-putting and made her a bit uncomfortable tbh? HW and SB she just found him really hard to interact with since he was brooding all the time and didnt have any witty banter to offer anymore and in ShB she wanted to beat his ass for treating Ryne like that at first...by the end of it all he had his character development finally and she warmed up to him a bit more!

Y'shtola

Besties they are BESTIES they are. best friends :) Eme grew up surrounded by female miqote in her village so she's very comfortable around them and buddied up to Y'shtola super fast and they became regular ol gal pals <3 pre-Emeanger they definitely got drunk a few times and maybe kissed and maybe explored each other's bodies yknow, casually ;) but fr Y'shtola is probably the non-Urianger person Eme trusts most! She always confides in her and looks to her for advice and they just generally have fun together!

Alisaie

The little sister Eme never had <3 She loves her to death and likes to spar with her and have a good laugh at Alphinaud's expense every now and then but she does kinda worry about how hot-headed she is and how it might get her in trouble someday :( she also definitely sees that little bit of an inferiority complex she has going on and that worries her A Lot too </3 she just wants the best for her little elf sister

Alphinaud

Eme already had a younger brother but now she has an even younger one! Was very wary of him back in ARR, she just kind of did not trust him and thought he was kind of a stuck up prick (he was)....she definitely did not expect him to get humbled quite so aggressively tho and was there for him when he had his inevitable breakdown following the bloody banquet ;; since then she's grown to love him like a brother and wants to protect him and see him achieve his goals and be happy!! ofc that doesn't mean she won't pick on him every now and then with Alisaie :)

Tataru

Gossip besties, they are always sharing information about the goings-on in the realm and having a laugh at some of the things their friends have said or done! Tataru definitely manages Eme's personal finances bc she's no good at it and if she ever wants to buy something she brings Tataru to haggle for a bargain and it always works <3 Also Eme just thinks she is So Adorable and low-key tries to nudge her towards Wedge bc she just thinks they'd be so good together ok

G'raha Tia

Admires him but will never tell him that because he will break </3 she thinks very highly of him and all he did for the First and well, every other world! She could hardly believe that he was the same catboy she met all that time ago, he'd grown so much :pleading: she's working on getting to know him better and become closer friends with him, but there's a weird divide between them bc of his whole "you are amazing i am nothing compared to you" thing that makes it kind of hard to make any meaningful progress.....they're working on it slowly but surely! His one-sided familiarity with her is also smth they gotta overcome, Eme really didn't know him all that long at first but he's had hundreds of years to get to "know" her...god. its a parasocial relationship isnt it. Anyway they're friends but there's definitely some room for growth between them! Also G'raha please stop accidentally confessing your love to her she is literally married

Estinien

Honestly at first Eme thought he was kind of a dick and was not eager to work with him during HW but as the story went on she began to realize he wasn't a bad guy, he was just a bit misguided and socially inept! That didn't make getting to know him any easier obviously the man has the strongest walls possible up and Eme can only begin to peek over them but thankfully over time he lets her in a little more bc obviously she saves his life a ton and deserves that trust shes fucking EARNED it buddy....she definitely wishes he would stop by more often or at least write letters :( makes her feel like he doesn't even like her when he doesn't show up for months at a time lol. All in all a good pal, 10/10 loves his dynamic with Alphinaud, maybe could have gone without seeing him walking around covered in dragon's blood for half an expansion tho

Lyse

Besties...2! During her time as 'Yda' Eme was always very charmed by how silly and high-energy she was, it helped her stay enthusiastic about her duties at the time! Definitely 24/7 sparring partners, calling it canon that she's the one who taught Eme anything about pugilist forget that guildmaster its all Lyse babey! After Payalymo died and Lyse revealed who she really was Eme was....slightly hurt that she never told her bc she thought they were pretty damn close but ultimately she understood and didn't hold it against her! She was very proud of her growth during Stormblood and was obviously sad to see her leave the Scions but so happy for her that she was following her dreams and leading her country in recovery!

Papalymo

Eme didn't really get to know too much about Papalymo during their time as co-Scions but she enjoyed his company! He was pleasant to talk to and had a funny little voice she couldn't get enough of and she just thought it was so adorable how he and Lyse were a little team :sob: he often scolded her for encouraging Lyse but overall he saw her as a dependable teammate and respected her! His death hit her pretty hard because it was another case of...She put off getting to really know him, and then he was gone :(

Minfillia

Eme loved Minfillia honestly she thought she was so sweet and a strong dependable leader to the Scions...she looked upto her as a picture of what a hero should be! The feeling was mutual really, kind of a "omg youre so cool" "nooo you" type of thing! They chatted a lot on off-hours and Eme even picked up some mining tips from her <3 When she realized Minfillia wouldn't be coming back she was pretty upset, but ultimately came to accept that this was just how things had to be for the best ending for everyone......so needless to say she was very angry with Thancred during ShB for basically just trying to throw a whole child's life away to undo her brave sacrifice and rightfully put him in his place a few times

[angst-fairygodmother]

Ultimate ship meme for Ryne & Derek?

General:

Rate the Ship -  Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - forever (they are the couple I am most determined to give a happily ever after)

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - sloooooow burn, with added fighting against the feeling on Ryne’s part.

How was their first kiss? - Aggressive. Ryne doesn’t like losing so she problem-solves. By grabbing him by the front of the shirt and kissing him so he shuts up and stops arguing with her. And once she’s started it, who is he not to give the lady what she wants?

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Derek. In a big, dramatic, embarrasses the hell out of her but is also super romantic, way. 

Who is the best man/men? - They fight over who gets Sean. Ultimately Derek wins, and Ryne asks a friend from college to be her Maid-of-honor instead

Who is the bride's maid(s)? - I have no idea. If I decide to have her survive too, Derek’s sister would definitely be one.

Who did the most planning? - Ryne

Who stressed the most? - Ryne

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - no one comes to mind

Sex:

Who is on top? - probably about 50/50

Who is the one to instigate things? - Definitely Derek. 

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now *It takes them a while to get to this point though (for angsty, will be explored reasons)*

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - probably around ½ an hour

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - if Ryne had her way, yes. But she tends to get more than Derek does in reality, because one of his favorite things to do is to tease and/or spoil her. 

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Twins. Completely unplanned. 

How many children will they adopt? - None, officially. But they kind of act like second parents to basically all of their kids friends/the neighborhood kids, especially if someone’s having a rough time at home

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - it’s pretty equal since they’re dealing with double trouble

Who is the stricter parent? - surprisingly, Derek

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Ryne

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Ryne

Who is the more loved parent? - both. I can’t decide.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - I don’t really see either of them doing that

Who cried the most at graduation? - Derek bawls. Before and during.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Well, Mom’s a lawyer and Dad’s an ex-thief so...these kids are too smart to ever get caught.

Cooking: 

Who does the most cooking? - Derek

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Neither. They’ll both eat pretty much anything

Who does the grocery shopping? - they take turns (Ryne probably ends up at the shops a little more often, because she’ll stop on her way home for things they forgot or ran out of)

How often do they bake desserts? - only on special occasions. More often once they have the kids

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - They try to keep it balanced, but Ryne especially would skip vegetables before meat

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - they are planning parallel romantic dinners. It gets messy

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Ryne

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - RYNE. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t try to cook anyway.

Chores: 

Who cleans the room? - Both, in tandem, or making it a competition

Who is really against chores? - They each have one. Ryne passionately hates cleaning the floors. Derek would sooner throw a plate with food residue out than scrub.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Ryne (and later the kids)

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Ryne

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Neither

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - 

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Ryne

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - they don’t have one

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - They go all out for Halloween and sort of decorate for Christmas

What are their goals for the relationship? - to always support and take care of each other, no matter what; to make sure the other person always knows how much they are loved/how important they are; to never take each other for granted

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Both, whenever possible 

Who plays the most pranks? - I don’t really see either of them as pranksters. Their child on the other hand...

[winterstorm032802]

Phos (Part 3/Finale)

A shot rings out

Phos: *reins Phoenix back*

Alisaie: Thancred?

Thancred: We killed them all, now how about we get Nora back?

Phos: *appears behind Thancred*

Three cards whiz past Phos, slightly grazing her wing

Phos: *stumbles back*

Urianger: Tis time we end this

Alphinaud: We need to get her down so Ryne can contain it

Ryne: Everything she does is too much, her attacks have stopped any chance of us getting close

Y'Shtola: Then we create an opening

Phos: *holds onto her wing and sees the Light dripping down*

Alphinaud: Please stop this Nora!

Phos: ...

~

Nora: *sits up slowly* ...

~

Phos: *summons Light Emerald*

Light Emerald: *uses Slipstream*

Alisaie: Come back to us!

Ryne: You must resist it Nora!

Phos: *pushes everyone away with her wings* Enough, stop this foolish blabber of yours!

Y'Shtola: Your in there Nora, aren't you?

Phos: I said silence *casts Ruin IV on Y'Shtola*

Y'Shtola: *thrown back to the cave walls* Agh!

~

Nora: *ears twitch* ...Y'Shtola?

~

Urianger: *tends to Y'Shtola's wounds*

Phos: I bestow no harm upon those and yet you come to my own home and test me. Turn back and I'll spare you, but if you continue I will end you

Alphinaud: No... You won't end us

Phos: *looks at Alphinaud* ...

Alphinaud: For you care too much to do so... You've seen us grow... That time in Ishgard, you watched me grow and even though I hurt you, you opened up to me and forgave me *looks down* Mayhaps I didn't deserve such forgiveness from someone like you... But now? *looks at Phos with determination* I would do the exact same for you! So no! I won't give up on you, no longer shall I stand to the side and let you carry this burden! So come back to me and let me care for you

Phos: ...

~

Nora: *stands up* ...Voices? *stumbles as she walks forward* But where?

~

Phos: *holds her arm out* ...

Alphinaud: Please... Let me do this for you

Phos: *her hand trembles a bit* ..?

Alphinaud: Huh?

Ryne: Her soul is being stirred once more

~

Nora: *keeps walking* Everything is full of Light, mayhaps I am meant to fade here? I'm tired... So tired... Just for a little

~

Thancred: Nora, we know you're there and you can hear us can't you?

Phos: ...Tired

Alisaie: She's on the brink of slipping...

Alphinaud: Nora... Come on *walks over to Phos*

Phos: *stares at Alphinaud and starts to cast Ruin III*

Alphinaud: I know it hurts, but I also know you can get through this *puts his hand on her arm* You can do this

Phos: *eyes change back to their normal color as she cries* A-A-- A-Alphinaud..?

Alphinaud: I'm here

Phos: *drops her Arcane book* Alphinaud...

~

Nora: Alphinaud... *looks up* Where are you?

~

Alphinaud: *holds onto Phos's hand* I'm right here Nora

~

Nora: *holds her hand out* Alphinaud..!

~

Phos: *fades away and in her place is Nora*

Alphinaud: I-It worked?

Ryne: Her soul is back! She's alright

Nora: *eyes closed as she breaths slowly* Alphinaud..? Did I find you?

Alphinaud: *smiles sweetly* You did *hugs Nora* You found me

Nora: *tears run down* I-I did? *hugs Alphinaud back* I really did...

.

.

.

Bonus/Bad Ending

Nora: *falls down to her knees* I'm so tired... So tired, so mayhaps it won't be so bad to succumb to the Light... Where I may rest *lies down feeling numb as she closes her eyes* It'll be okay now, right?

~

Phos: Goodbye *summons Bahamut and Phoenix*

Bahamut and Phoenix begin to prepare to use their special moves

Alphinaud: *eyes widen* Nora..?

The Scions are teleported and Phos is left alone in her cave

G'raha Tia: Forgive me, I couldn't allow you to stay, had I done so then you would have died

Alphinaud: *on his knees as he stays still*

Alisaie: *goes to Alphinaud and rests her hand on his shoulder, kneeling down* Alphinaud...

Alphinaud: Is she gone? Did I lose her? *voice breaks as he sobs* No! I can't lose her... D-Did I lose her?!

Y'Shtola: ...

Ryne: *puts one hand to her chest* We have...

Alphinaud: *looks at Ryne and trembles* N-No... No no no no *shakes his head as he cries out* N-No...

Thancred: *looks away in sorrow*

Urianger: *hangs his head* T'would seem we have no way of obtaining her true self

Alisaie: *holds onto Alphinaud as she cries*

G'raha Tia: *closes his eyes*

Y'Shtola: *cries and holds herself*

.

.

.

Phos: *tears slowly run down and she takes off her flower to look at it* ...

[eightlittletalons]

Prompt #4: Clinch

This prompt got a bit away from me, in the best of ways. It’s a continuation from the second prompt, Sway, though not written in a fragmented style like that one. I also threw in a reference to the fact that I’ve been very slowly leveling E’andhris as a dancer.  Definition of clinch 1: clench 2: to make final or irrefutable : settle 3: to hold fast or firmly

"Dance with me, G'raha " The whispered breath ruffled against his ear, making it flick. Strong, warm hands closed around his own, twining their fingers together. The Crystal Exarch felt his heart beat a sharp staccato within his chest at the sound of his name and glanced sharply up into mismatched eyes, one a warm brown and the other crystalline blue. 

While the request lacked a questioning inflection, G’raha recognized it as a request indeed by the tilt of E’andhris’ head. His chin dipped low towards him, as a soft smile graced his lips. So he followed, helpless against the main he had been prepared to give everything for. 

An impromptu band had been pulled together from among those in the Crystarium who could play in the excitement of the Warrior of Darkness’ return to the city alongside their beloved leader. They struck up a fast-paced tune as exuberant as the mood among the people, one that E’andhris quickly whirled G’raha in time to. He found himself laughing brightly within the hero’s arms, ignoring the way his body ached for a soft bed in a quiet, dark room. 

Even in wild, joyful form of dancing, E’andhris moved with a level of elegance that surprised G’raha. “You’re better at this than I remembered,” he exclaimed, laughingly. His dancing partner’s ears flicked forward in the strain to hear him over the din of the crowd.

“I may have picked up some lessons over the years,” E’andhris replied, giving a grin that G’raha learned long ago meant trouble. He yelped loudly and scrabbled against the taller miqo’te’s arms for purchase as E’andhris tipped him back into a steep dip. 

He could only watch as the Warrior of Darkness bent low over him, and he felt his face begin to heat as he realized - oh wicked white - E’andhris was looking at his lips. They parted with a soft exhale, and Gr’aha was unsure if what he was feeling was panic or anticipation. Perhaps both. Surely he wasn’t about to-

“Might I cut in?” a familiar voice asked, breaking the spell binding them into place. The two seekers looked up sharply to see as Alisaie stood over them with crossed arms and wearing a pinched look. G’raha slipped from E’andhris’ arms, his ears going flat as he stood to his full height. Which happened to be just barely taller than the young elezen woman who glared venom at him.

“Not at all,” he replied, attempting to quell the tremor from his voice. “I can hardly steal away the Warrior of Darkness’ attention for the entire night, can I?” E’andhris gave him a heated look that told him that the mage certainly wouldn’t have had any objections if he tried. Perchance for the best not to dwell on that, he thought to himself. 

Alisaie for her part linked her arm through E’andhris’ arm to pull him away from the Exarch. “Come, Andhris, you promised me a dance too. Remember?”

Sorry, the mage mouthed as they left G’raha alone. He waved them off with a vague smile, and hoped he didn’t look as frazzled as he felt. As soon as he was no longer within eyesight, he allowed himself to sag with exhaustion. Then, fighting the urge to pull his hood up or turn himself invisible, he edged his way to the outer ring of the festivities. It was slow progress, as he was stopped what felt like every third fulm or so by well-wishers. He accepted each and every one, as graciously as he could when all he wished was to sleep.

Once he was safely out of the throng, he let out a deep breath. What in the everloving Twelve had that been? He was certain that E’andhris had been about to kiss him. Rubbing at his eyes hard, he turned to look for the white mage among the crush of revelers. It wasn’t hard to find him thanks to the shock of Alisaie’s white hair. 

The object of his obsession was currently twirling the girl about with a broad grin, bending low as they both ducked under their joined hands before falling away form each other, only to come chest to chest again. G’raha smiled at his inspiration’s obvious happiness, and leaned against the wall to watch them. His admired the way the man’s blue robes flared as he moved, revealing a scandalous amount of leg that combined with E’andhris’ bared arms made the Exarch’s mouth feel suddenly very dry. 

He wrenched his thoughts away from that train lest his mind turn to static as it often did when presented with so much of the Warrior’s skin. It was interesting, he thought instead, that none of the tales that the Exarch had heard of the Warrior of Light had ever given any inkling that the man could dance so well. As for his own experiences with E’andhris, he could only remember drunken summer nights gallivanting about the Seventh Heaven tavern in Mor Dhona together. It made him wonder what other hidden talents the hero had developed in their time apart. 

The Exarch found himself tapping his foot idly along to the beat of the music, and watched as Y’shtola intercepted E’andhris for her own turn dancing with their other miqo’te. Alisaie pouted, and G’raha wondered what the story there was. He had assumed she was merely protective of their mutual friend, but perhaps there was an undercurrent of a jealousy. 

“Exarch!” A heavy arm draped around his shoulders and G’raha very nearly jumped out of his own skin, his tail puffing beneath his robes. The seeker turned wide crimson eyes on an apparently very drunk Thancred, bewildered by the hyur’s sudden appearance. Where was...? Ah, Ryne was with with E’andhris, shyly requesting her own dance from him. “If you stare any harder at him, you might succeed where the Light failed in felling him.”

“I’m quite certain I have no idea what of that which you speak,” G’raha groused, trying to school his ears into not giving him away too badly. 

“Now, now, none of that,” Thancred nudged him with a playful grin. “I may have been out of the game for a few years now, but I know the look of someone utterly besotted when I see it. What I don’t know, however, is why you’re all the way over here, when he’s all the way over there?” 

The Exarch considered playing dumb a moment longer but a wave of weariness overtook him and he sighed, as heavy as his eyelids. “I’m afraid I find myself in dire need of a bed,” he confessed. He pushed himself from the wall, intending to make his way up to his chambers within the Crystal Tower. Instead, he pitched forward. Thancred’s grasp on him was his only saving grace against falling face first onto the pavement. 

“I suppose getting shot and spending several days as a guest of an Ascian would do that to anyone,” Thancred quipped cheerfully, hauling him back upright. “Need help getting to bed, old man?”

“I can take him.” In G’raha’s distraction, he missed E’andhris’ approach. He placed a steadying hand at the Exarch’s waist.

Thancred beamed at their friend, grasping G’raha’s arm and wrapping it around the taller miqo’te’s shoulders. “Ah, the man of the hour! We were just talking about you,” he teased. E’andhris quirked a curious eyebrow at that, and gave G’raha a wry smile. He moved his hand to fold his arm around G’raha’s waist instead. The Exarch sank heavily against the mage’s side in gratitude. 

“Come, let’s find you a bed,” E’andhris said softly, dipping his head low towards G’raha. He had an affection in his eyes again that the smaller miqo’te didn’t know what to do with. So he simply nodded his acquiescence and allowed the Warrior of Darkness to guide him away, missing the wink that passed from Scion to Scion. 

He did, however, relish the warmth of the man holding him up. He had more muscle to him than G’raha could recall from their time together with the Sons of Saint Coinach. More scars as well, he thought as he gazed up at the prominent one gracing the side of E’andhris’ jaw. “A gift from the Dravanian horde, before we became friends,” the mage uttered when he noticed G’raha’s stare. He brought them to a stop at the base of the stairs leading up into the Crystal Tower and cleared his throat. “So! Will we be retiring to your bed tonight or mine, my lord?” 

G’raha’s mind went blank. What? His mouth opened and closed in a facsimile of a fish. “I beg your pardon?” he finally choked out.

“To sleep, G’raha,” E’andhris soothed with a patient look. His left ear twitched, betraying his nerves. “Look, you’re practically dead on your feet, and I am too. Let’s go rest.”

“You’re very...familiar tonight, my friend,” G’raha breathed. He clung more tightly to the Warrior’s robes, his ears pinned. E’andhris hoisted him closer and bent to nuzzle against his forehead. 

“I lost you once, Raha, and almost did a second time. I don’t intend to again,” he whispered againt the Exarch’s ear. G’raha shuddered, looking desperately up into his odd eyes. “If it’s unwelcome, pray tell me now, but I would sleep easier with you at my side tonight.”

Tears sprang to G’raha’s eyes. “Please,” he begged. “Your room, please.”

E’andhris gave a single nod, face splitting into a broad smile. “Can you do your little invisibility trick? I’d prefer to avoid being waylaid an hour or more by our adoring public.”

“For you, I can do one better,” G’raha proclaimed as he gave a giddy little laugh. He reached for the power of the Crystal Tower and pulled. He felt the world shift beneath and around them, and then they were standing in E’andhris’ suite in the Pendants. The hero gave an impressed whistle before tugging him to bed.

His Warrior bade him sit with a gentle push against his chest, then knelt at his feet. He pulled his feet into his lap and unfastened his sandals before sliding them from his feet. “I knew, you know,” E’andhris said quietly. He kept his eyes low as he firmly kneaded G’raha’s feet in a brief massage. “Your identity - I knew it.”

G’raha felt his fight or flight response kick in them, his ears standing tall at attention. “When did you guess?” he gasped, gripping the sheets beneath him in an iron grip. E’andhris kicked off his own shoes and slowly raised to his feet, regarding G’raha with an unreadable look. He loosened the clasps at his shoulders and let his robes fall to the floor, leaving him in only a pair of black shorts. As he climbed into bed alongside G’raha, he suddenly felt very warm for a completely different reason.

“I suspected when we met at the gate,” E’andhris admitted, reaching to strip G’raha’s layers away until he was down to his black robe. Then he drew them both down to lay, pulling the blankets up over them. “But I knew it to be true when I first heard you laugh - at one of my gods awful pun, no less.” 

E’andhris pulled him closer into his arms, and G’raha went willingly. He tucked himself under his Warrior’s chin and felt the man purr deep in his chest. “I apologize for my deception,” G’raha whispered. He wrapped his arms around the mage’s torso tightly and hid his face against his neck.

“I know you only did what you thought was best, my Raha. You’ve been forgiven from the moment each lie left your lips.” G’raha’s face burned both from shame and the intimacy of hearing his name on his inspiration’s lips. “We should sleep, though. We’ll have more time to discuss this tomorrow,” E’andhris whispered against his ear.  

Time. Time for G’raha had ever been a finite resource, counting down to that fated day on Mt. Gulg. A fate that was averted, leaving him with what? “That we do...Andhris.” Joyful arms clinched tightly around him.

“Good night, Raha.”

[mirroralchemist]

Untitled FFXIV Trash pt.4

I think at this rate Imma forego my monthly writing update for this month since LOOK AT ALL THIS WRITING I’VE BEEN DOING

Notes: Still in ShB spoilers hell. This is after pt.3 and just after WoL and Ryne reunite with the others. That and the Thancred scene(tm) before it are my absolute favorites from the expansion (so far) so it was inevitable that I would write Ami’s feelings about him almost dying. This is just more me being wishy-washy on will they or won’t they.

Also more sad times.

“ ‘Filia, we have to go.” she said.

“But Thancred!” the Oracle of Light cried.

Blue eyes stared at his form. He was ready to fight the Eulmoran general, she could see that. This was a fight that he was adamant on having. His words earlier still ringing in her head. He was going to protect the resolve of this Minifilia with everything he had.

“He knows what he’s doing.” she finally said.

The Warrior of Darkness took a deep breath as she focused her energies into her speed. She nodded towards him before taking Minfilia’s hand and running towards their destination. She didn’t look back. Not even as the sounds of battle began. She couldn’t look back, lest the temptation to fight by his side win out.

He trusted her to protect this child.

That was the least she could do.

‘Don’t you dare die on me Thancred I swear to the Twelve.’

*   *   *

The Warrior of Darkness stopped. She and Minifilia were well on their way to their place. Minfilia stopped as well, seeing her pause. Blue crystalline eyes looked at her in worry.

“Ami? Is something the matter?”

Ami said nothing at first. She could only look down, her hand touching her chest. Something felt wrong. She soon felt a pair of hands reach up to her cheeks, wiping the tears strolling down her face.

‘Tears?’

“Ami, please speak to me.” Minifilia pleaded.

Something felt very very wrong.

She shook her head. It was just the worry coming through, she reasoned. She had every right to be worried. Ran’jit was a foe not to underestimate. The few skirmishes she had with the man well warranted her fears. She knew her Scion couldn’t die. He had cheated death so many times already. When this was all over, they would all meet up again and have a laugh over this.

The pang of emptiness gnawing at her chest didn’t go away.

“I’m fine? We’ve been running for a while, lets take a small break.”

*  *   *

“Your hair, it’s different.” Ami remarked.

Minfilia took a lock of her hair, blue eyes staring at shock. Not only did the Minfilia she had known changed this girl on the inside, to give her full reign over her abilities, but on the outside too. If no one had knew before hand, the girl standing before her now could never had easily figured out as the Oracle. Worry etched on Minfilia’s face.

“Thancred is pr-”

“He’ll be fine.” Ami assured her, “I’ll walk with you to meet him. He doesn’t stand a chance if we double up on him.”

That brought a smile to the young woman’s face.

“You care for him deeply, don’t you?”

Ami froze at that statement. She let out a small sigh. Whether some residual feeling from the Minfilia she knew or just the girl’s excellent observation skills, she couldn’t decipher how she knew. But Ami would not deny it. Not to this girl who shared so much with her.

“I do.” Ami admitted, “He most likely didn’t tell you this, but he was the one who recruited me to the Scions.”

She stared towards the sky, its unyielding light a reminder why they had set out here on this day. A feeling of nostalgia washed over the Warrior of Darkness. Back before all of the battles she would soon face, she was just a novice Pugilist sent to find a noble.

“It feels such a lifetime ago. We have changed in those times since we took down a voidsent together. As comrades and friends we have grown. I can scarcely imagine where I would be in this moment without him.”

She shook her head to will away those thoughts. She soon turned her gaze towards Minfilia, letting a small smile appear on her face.

“The others should be waiting. Let us go meet them.”

*   *   *

Words failed to express what I am seeing before me. We were all together again. But sitting at the steps of an abandoned station was Thancred; and he looked worse for the wear. His pristine white coat caked with dirt and tears at the tails. Dried blood and dirt smudged his skin as well.

I thought back to that moment earlier, where the emptiness had started to hit my chest as he recounted the tale of his encounter with Ran’jit.

He had nearly died.

If it wasn’t for the quick timing of our friends’ healing arts, he would not be standing here.

I took a deep breath as he reunited with Minfil-no, it’s Ryne now. We had said goodbye to a dear friend, one that brought us all together. But we welcomed a new one into our fold.

But it picked at my mind that I could have lost two friends this day.

My hands balled into fists as the realization set in. For the sake of not souring the relieved atmosphere, I kept my emotions hidden. We were so close to the possible location of the Lightwarden here, we couldn’t afford more delays than what we have already. 

I let myself fall back as we traveled through the trolley tracks towards Malikah's Well. Ryne was really taking to her new abilities. Regardless of other events, seeing her with this new found confidence made me proud.

“We’ll have to go deeper.” she said.

We all gathered at the opening to the mining area. It was expansive, so it was ideal that we took a small break to prepare ourselves before exploring its depths. I still couldn’t take my eyes off of Thancred’s current state. It was a harsh reminder of what could have happened.

I dug into my pack and pulled out a bolt of cotton cloth and a vial of filtered water; leftover material from my crafting ventures. I bit into the fabric, making a haphazard strip before pouring the water over it. It was an automatic process as I made my way towards him and began my attempts to clean him up a bit. My hands trembling as I wiped the soaked cloth against his cheek.

It must have took a full minute for him to realize what I was doing before he grabbed my wrists.

“Ami?”

“You look terrible.” I could only say, voice wavering.

There was that smirk that I had come to get used to over the time of knowing him. Any other time, however, I would just play along in a knowing smile too. But I was drained mentally. I dropped the items in my hands on the ground as I lowered my head and the tears pooled around my eyes. It didn’t take long before they soon fell. By some small grace, it wasn’t as obvious I had begun to cry.

It was reminiscent of watching Haurchefant die in front of me; the thoughts of regret and guilt ready to consume me.

Once again, you almost were too late.

How pitiful, you cannot even save those you hold dear.

The stoic mask I had carefully constructed had cracked. The silent tears gave way to muffled sobs, growing louder and louder. The hold on my wrists lessened only to move to my shoulders. Words were being said to the others but I couldn’t discern what was spoken. I was too wrapped up in my emotions to be fully aware of the situation.

“Come now, Warrior of Darkness, no more tears.” a whispered voice spoke.

“I know the others said you are fully healed.” I said, “I don’t trust my healing capabilities but I have some alchemic knowledge. Maybe some of my medicinal remedies could help?”

“Am-”

I shook my head. I was aware that Thancred was speaking to me, but his words seemed foreign in my mental state.

“Your coat is tattered,” I continued on, “I’m no armorer, but the tears should only need a basic stitching. I can do that at least.”

“Ami look at me. I am fine.”

I glanced up at him. The tears still running down my face. His hand gripped my shoulders just a little tighter.

“Please let me do something, anything.” I pleaded, “I can...I cannot-”

His gaze lowered. The concern on him was obvious for me. It would only feed my guilt more. He almost died, and was concerned for me? 

He picked up the cloth and pressed it into my hands.

“If you insist, my dear.”

I nodded before setting to work on cleaning his face with whatever clean cloth I had. The tears still didn’t stop as I wiped down on his skin. Normally I would assure him I was fine.

But I wasn’t.

Something was happening to me with each instance of primordial Light I had absorbed.

The battle at Lakeland still weighed on my mind.

Knowing definitively that Minfilia has passed; someone I felt a kinship to understand my Echo.

All that to top it all off with the realization that I could have lost Thancred too? It was too much. It must have been minutes before the tears eventually slowed. The transition of my guilt to anger coming in as fast as I shift my fighting forms in battle.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that you almost died and my weapons are my hands, I would hit you right now.” I admitted.

My hands balled up into fists as my eyes narrowed into a glare. Thancred was surprised at the sudden lowered tone of voice. I took a deep breath before poking his armored chest.

“I don’t know if I should be angry at the fact that you almost died or that you are so nonchalant about it. Godsdammit, this is the fourth bloody time and I don’t think my heart can take much more. I don’t want to keep worrying if the next time I see you is going to be my last. I lost too much to get where I am, I will not lose any more. I...cannot lose any more. If I did, then I-”

I put my arms around his waist as I hugged him. At the time I didn’t care that this was considered out of character for me. I wanted, no needed his presence. I needed to feel that he was here. I felt him stiffen, but eventually he arms circled around my waist too. There was only a head difference between our heights, but I still felt so small in his embrace. Even as the grime rubbed off on the bare parts of my skin, even as the buckles and the metals of his armor dug into me I was content.

If only for a moment.

Regrettably, the reality of the situation has sunken in thus we separated.

Now I couldn’t meet his face.

Sobered up from the crack of my emotional mask, I had come to realize what I had done. I felt myself flush in embarrassment. Whether he took the moment as a response to a friend in need or a different matter entirely, he didn’t comment on it.

I remain hopeful that he is blissfully unaware of what I had unintentionally revealed.

“Ready to rendezvous with the others?” he asked.

“Yes...and thank you.”

I stayed a comfortable distance from Thancred as we walked to the others. Belatedly, I realized that I had cracked in front of them too. I couldn’t meet their gazes as well. 

An apology was right on my lips, for slowing them down. For making them concerned over me and my feelings I should be better at controlling. For ruining a genuine heartfelt moment. 

Almost as if she knew what I wanted to say, Y’shtola put a hand to stop me from uttering a word.

“I take it you have had your fill of making maidens cry today Thancred?” she quipped.

I snapped my head up, shock clear on my face. She smiled at me while having that mischievous glint in her eyes. I didn’t think it was possible for me to blush even deeper. But somehow I was. If it wasn’t for the fact that we had a Lightwarden to slay, I would have hidden away by now. I felt Thancred’s hand on my shoulder, patting it lightly.

“You wound me Y’shtola. I have you know that I am quite used to making maidens cry. Albeit for a different reason.”

“Please, no.” came the dry response, “We need not to enrich the others with that kind of knowledge.”

I snorted at the conversation. The embarrassment giving way to a smile before I laughed. It was reminiscent of old times back home. How, regardless of what mission we went on or how far it would take us, this familial warmth would always be awaiting for us.

“There,” she said, “that’s the look I am used to.”

“Thank you.” I spoke in earnest, “Full glad am I that I am making this journey with you all.”

“Come now, the sentimentality can wait until after we bring the night back.”

“Alisaie is right.” I said, “Let us be off everyone.”