#and seeing every place he used to hang out with moenbryda

[anneapocalypse]

Old haunts.

[pangolinheart]

These are all great! Thank you for the suggestions! If one were ever to write a long-form fic about Rhiki these would definitely add some drama to the ShB section. I'm not sure how interesting they'd be as standalones, or to people who aren't already invested in Rhiki (so just me lol). These would be great additional elements to something like that, though! I'm just still a little self-conscious about Rhiki because I still can't find anything cool or different or interesting so I don't even know if I'd be comfortable writing about her. But!

Getting on Thancred's case definitely sounds like something Rhiki would do. She has a bit of experience with this with Sid and Rielle. She can identify with getting really caught up in your own emotions and not doing a very good job of hiding it, but she draws the line when those hang-ups start to negatively affect an innocent kid. And it's obvious that Ryne has realized that he'd prefer to have the original Minfilia back and is trying to compensate for that by trying to "not be a burden," or make herself "useful," or "repay them for their kindness." Every time Rhiki hears these things from poor Ryne she can't decide if she wants to hug her or just scream. (She thinks: You're like 13!!! You don't need to earn your keep!!! You don't have to earn our protection or affection!!! We'd give them to you even if you never did anything for us!!!) I could see her taking Thancred aside and shaking him by the lapels a little and telling him to pull himself together (though probably not in front of Ryne because she doesn't want to stress her out.)

I don't think Rhiki has ever actually told anyone about how she feels about Minfilia, and I'm not sure who she would tell for Thancred to overhear it. She might have told Haurchefant but that would have been while Thancred was living in the wilderness. Maybe she told Sid one night when she'd been drinking? But she's also never told the Scions about how she became a Dark Knight or about Sid and Rielle/who she sneaks off to see in Ishgard, so I feel like if Thancred did happen to be in the right place at the right time that would make for an awkward mix of anger over her lukewarm opinion of Minfilia, and confusion over what she was doing in a shitty bar with a random lizard guy he's never seen before lol.

I'm not 100% percent sure on the Urianger thing, though I guess he might be collateral damage if she blew up at the exarch. I still feel like she'd try to express her disappointment in him rather than flying off the handle. It would suck for her if it strained her relationship with Alisaie and Alphinaud, though, because they're the only two on the First she can really connect with. She does know that Alisaie especially is close with Urianger (they talk a little about it in the Coils of Bahamut), so not wanting to create conflict with the twins would probably take precedent over taking out her anger on him.

As for G'raha, you're correct! I don't know that Rhiki and G'raha were inseparable, but they did develop a friendship over the course of the Crystal Tower series. Moenbryda had just died and Rhiki had realized she couldn't rely on the Scions for emotional support, so going to help Cid on an archeological expedition seemed like a good change of pace from saving the world and like it would distract her a little bit. (Of course, it turned into a "saving the world thing"). Rhiki likes making new friends and sometimes it's nice to see another Miqo out and about, so I think they got along pretty well. Because he wasn't directly involved in the Scions she felt comfortable confiding in him about some of her struggles and doubts.

When he decided to seal himself away in the Crystal Tower (ostensibly forever, or at least until long after everyone he knew was dead) Rhiki... didn't take it well. She didn't have the context to understand his decision. She doesn't have the perspective to understand his fixation on the Allagans, his feeling of finding his "destiny," or why he feels beholden to his lineage. To her, it seems like he was abandoning everyone that cared about him just because it was what a bunch of people who died thousands of years ago would have wanted. She was wrapped up in her own feelings and was still processing the loss of a different friend, and in all of the turmoil she ended up shouting at him before he sealed himself away. She essentially told him that she hoped she never saw him again. Later she felt really bad for this - it was cruel and she didn't mean it, she was just lashing out because she was hurting. As she matured a little and learned to cope with her feelings a bit better she realized that if she did ever see G'raha again she would have to apologize to him.

Until she found out he was the Crystal Exarch and had orchestrated an entire plot specifically so he could die saving her, of course, at which point her gut reaction was basically "You know what?! I take it back! I was right all along! I'm not sorry!. I did mean it and I mean it even more now than I did then!" - whether or not she actually expressed this to him after they escaped from Amaurot. (When he first took off his hood she was like "You realize this is obsession isn't healthy normal, right?? Like, you understand that this is weird and unhinged? Look at me in the eyes I need to know that you understand this." Poor G'raha... he was trying so hard...) After they get back to the first G'raha becomes one of the only people she enforces the use of her full name (Z'rhiki) with.

@pangolinheart

Why not forget backstory entirely for a moment. The angle of Rhiki's strained relationship with scions and how that ties into the DRK story is really, really good.

Lean into it, remember?

Focus on ShB because it's more or less non optional and later decide if she went home for StB.

Maybe when Rhiki overhears Yshtola and Urianger talking about Rhiki and the Light corruption, she confronts them about it.

She goes at Urianger for acting like things are fine when she's super definitely not fine.

Then she goes at Y'shtola for not caring about her as a person, only as the carrier of the Blessing of Light.

Even with low self-confidence, she can hit her breaking point. She can hear fray in her heart and want... She doesn't know, really, but she can't keep pretending and going along with being the "hero"

I've read many many books on writing and characters and one of my favorite pieces of advice that has stuck with me is someone from Pixar

Paraphrasing: you can use any kind of bullshit, flimsy excuse to CAUSE problems because the story is in RESOLVING them.

Rhiki doesn't need a good reason to start a fight with the Scions, she just needs good reasons for however their relationships end up.

[furiael]

[FFXIV] Marduk/Sigurd -Heavensturn: A confession

“There’s five minutes left, so come out now!”

Yda rushed in, interrupting Marduk and Papalymo’s silent enjoyment. They were having an exquisite liquor that the Au ra got as payment for helping a tavern owner with a bully issue. The Heavensturn event in Mor Dhona got everyone’s attention, and the town was totally cramped, but the scion and the warrior of light decided to stay at the Rising Stones, enjoying a good smoke and the taste of alcohol.

No one had been able to make them come out, and it wasn’t on their inmediate interest to leave the place. Anyways, they could watch the fireworks through the window.

The young monk girl pouted at their lack of response, annoyed at how her words fell on deaf ears.

“Papalymo, we made a deal, and you are coming with me!”

The blond thaumaturge sighed in defeat, remembering his promise to the monk, and excused himself with Marduk, getting ready to leave. “You better got us a good spot for the fireworks!”

“Sure I did!” She jumped in excitement, and as the lalafell joined her, she got ready to leave. But a sight Yda caught through the window made her smile as wide as possible. “Marduk?”

“...” He blew some smoke out of his lungs when he turned to reply to the monk, taking a bit to reply. “Yes, Yda-san?”

“You might want to come out now too.”

“I really don--”

“Hm, it seems Yda is right.” With that, Papalymo pointed to the window, smiling.

Before Marduk would say something, someone knocked on said window, making the au ra quickly turn. Outside, with a smile, Sigurd was calling for him to come outside, trying to tell them that there were two minutes left.

“...!!” The pale au ra almost fell from the chair. Hours ago, from the linkshell, he was told that the dark-skinned miqo’te wouldn’t join him for celebration. That’s why he was to be on his own as usual, until Papalymo joined him.

Sigurd obviously laughed from outside, then made a moved his hand, asking Marduk to hurry out. Quickly, the au ra turned his pipe off, shook it clean, and rushed past Yda and her small companion, leaving the Rising Stones, grabbing his Komebukuro bag on the go.

--

The place was packed. It was a really cold night, but that seemed to be the last of their worries. Everyone was so excited, as Heavensturn was coming in a few seconds. Kids ran around, couples held their hands or embraced as they waited together. The scions were a part of the celebration, as they were to set the fireworks around the main Aetheryte, and among them -except from Urianger, who was as stoic as ever, even with Moenbryda’s company- everything was joy and camaraderie, something that they really didn’t do every day.

Marduk tried to make his way through the people while searching on his bag, using his height as well to try to see where Sigurd was, but he was totally unlucky. That until he saw a dark-skinned arm raise, with hands decorated with gold claws waving at him.

The au ra reached the spot where the miqo’te was. And just in time, as the final countdown started.

“Marduk!” Filled with joy, Sigurd tackled the au ra, clinging to him. “Aren’t you cold!? It’s freezing here!”

The sounds in the background started, barely letting him hear. “What?”

“Ten…! Nine…!” The people roared around them.

“Never mind, just count!”

The au ra followed the countdown, but he didn’t voice it loud. It wasn’t on his nature. Sigurd was excited enough for the two of them, next to him, and that was all that mattered.

“Eight! Seven! Six!”

Marduk dropped his Komebukuro bag next to him, using his free hand to hold Sigurd’s, getting the miqo’te’s attention.

“Marduk? What is…?”

He looked down, but didn’t say a word.

“Five! Four! Three!”

Sigurd could feel that even if cold, Marduk’s hand was sweaty. “...”

“Two! One! Happy Heavensturn!!”

“I love you--” Sigurd couldn’t hear a word, but he could see the au ra’s lips moving, and knew what he was saying.

Marduk kept staring at the miqo’te after muttering such words, and the lack of reply was getting him nervous. It took him years to actually admit to the other… Maybe it was too late for them?

Everything around them was loud, cheering, and the fireworks echoed through the place… But for them… it was just mute. And that was killing Marduk.

It wasn’t that he wanted to reject Sigurd’s courtship, he actually told him to wait after he confessed his feelings after the third time they went out together. It’s just… that he fell for the miqo’te on his own pace. As they shared time together, as they chatted, as they knew each other’s hobbies, as he understood his personality and way of loving, as he learned his real interests… as they lived. In his nature, rushing wasn’t the idea of falling in love and then screwing a relationship. Marduk liked to nurture it, making a bond strong enough to endure all difficulties. And he felt it was the time to confess. But a reply didn’t come… and he felt like dyin--

“I knew I had to come here tonight. About time you confessed, big guy.”

White eyes -with lime limbals- widened at the response, and he couldn’t help but laugh at it. “You saw it again on the stars?”

“I always do. But you really tested me for a long time, idiot.”

“...I just want my feelings to be true.” Sweatdropping as he said that, he realized that he still was holding Sigurd’s hand and he let it go, to put a small charm on it.

“And this is?”

“I am not good with crafting such things, but I tried to make a charm. Hope you don’t mind if it’s a broken scale.”

Said scale simply had a hole where he put a cord through, maybe for a collar or a bracelet. Marduk had no studies or preparations as a crafter. But then he was good to follow instructions on how to do this kind of things.

“Tell Thancred thanks for teaching you how to do this. And… I shall keep this forever.” Sigurd’s smile was wide as he checked for the details on the scale, and he appreciated the present as if it was a fancy piece of gold, immediately letting it hang on his neck. The miqo’te was wealthy, but these small details always made his life complete. And coming from the au ra… it was even more special. “I love you, Marduk.”

“I know,” Marduk replied, as always. But this time, he added something more. He moved his arms around Sigurd, and lifted him up to have him close and pressed their lips together. “Happy heavensturn.”

“Happy heavensturn~!”

Minfilla and the scions watched from afar and smiled, the fact that these two got together deserved a celebration later.

--

“Marduk…?”

“Hmm?” He walked side by side with Sigurd, their hands held, fingers entwined. He was starting to really feel cold, but the au ra didn’t want to screw the moment with such a comment. The miqo’te instead, was already using his free hand to take something out of his pocket, a wide smile plastered on his face. Somehow… Marduk had the feeling that he would be thrown in another loop by his now boyfriend.

Sigurd took out a small item and had it rest on his palm. It was a silver ring with a huge stone, displayed for the au ra.

“Now how long will it take for you to accept to marry me?”

“WHAT!?”

----

Sorry if there are discrepancies on the Heavensturn events. I just wanted to write fluff. :)