#ffxiv unwilling wol

[stormbabylore]

I unlocked paladin strictly because I wanted the full role quest lore for ShB. I didn't get excited about it until I got this top in a dungeon and put together this glam, and from there an entire unwilling WoL AU was born. Then the EW role quests gave me that perfect parallel with Kan-e-Senna, and now I'm sold.

I have too many AUs for this child.

Anyway, I really like how this picture turned out.

[chryza]

For ask game: 12 & 23

Thank you!!

12. The unpopular character you like and why more people should like them

Oh god hmm. I think Regula van Hydrus is one from FFXIV who doesn’t get enough love, my friend got me started on his hype train when I did warring triad, and I think that he’s an interesting character that’s easy to gloss over as B list Gaius when in fact he’s just like. A Garlean dude. Honestly gives a fascinating look into the more normal Garlean military hierarchy. Idk I would smoke weed with him.

23. Ship you’ve unwillingly come around to

Oh Jesus. The most unwilling I’ve been about an FFXIV ship was azemet until my revelation where I woke up one morning a true believer. But besides that? Probably WoL/Ardbert. Not one I understood for a hot minute but over time I started seeing the pieces and yeah. Yeah.

[rainofaugustsith]

Who is a shard?

Just for fun, I keep a running list of everyone I think may be sundered in FFXIV. Best guesses right now.

Warrior of Light (S) - Ardbert (F) - Zero (13th) OR Warrior of Light (S) - Ardbert (F) - Golbez 1.0 (13th) 

OR BOTH 

If the Warrior of Light IS a Golbez, I believe it's the one who was in the memoria crystal and became Zeromus. 

- In the First, the Warrior of Light barely escapes succumbing to the Light and becoming a Lightwarden. - In the 13th Golbez 1.0 succumbs to the Darkness and does become a voidsent. We have a parallel there. 

Golbez is also recognised by passerby in much the same way as the Warrior of Light on the Source. In the Lunar Subterrane dungeon, passerby seem to recognize the Warrior of Light as Golbez. 

However: 

- The Warrior of Light's personal crystal from Hydaelyn resonates with Zero.  - Zero has an extraordinary trust of the Warrior of Light.  - Zero's dialogue in the last sequence is very Warrior of Light-esque.  - Zero as a reaper avatar did not voluntarily work with Zenos. If she shares a soul with the Warrior of Light, it would explain why Zenos wanted her. He's obsessed with the WoL, after all. 

- Zero was thrown into the rift to avoid being killed, exactly like the Warrior of Light before ARR. 

During the final dialogue between Zero and Golbez 2.0, the Warrior of Light is not seen, and there seems to be an Echo flicker. Zero also finds the strength to regain her form as a paladin. It could possibly be because the Warrior of Light lent her strength to Zero and briefly merged with her. 

I feel like there's a possibility an Azem shard from another reflection somehow ended up being filtered to the 13th - perhaps as an attempt by Hydaelyn to give them help and avoid destruction. Hydaelyn would have been at her most powerful and we know that even after Shadowbringers she has enough power to bring Minfilia and Emet-Selch's souls back to the aetherial sea on the Source. So this would have been simple for her when the 13th was going downhill.  The names Zero and Zeromus are very similar and we know SQEnix doesn't choose names randomly, so maybe this is meant to pull the player toward realizing both are Azem shards.

Minfilia (S) - Ryne (F) - Golbez 2.0/Durante (13th)

Minfilia and Durante both have the same braids on the sides of their heads - just opposite- the same hair color and the same eyes. -

In Shadowbringers, Minfilia refers to the WoL as her "dearest friend" and is very affectionate toward her even after they've just met in ARR.

If your WoL has carried over from 1.0, Minfilia remembers the WoL clearly when nobody else, including those with the Echo like Papalymo, does not.

Minfilia, as Antecedent of the Scions, is also really successful at bringing together a lot of disparate recruits.

In addition, while Minfilia in the Source is not a fighter, she does stop the entire Flood of Light on the First with the Warriors of Darkness' help. Also, her numerous incarnations in the First all are documented to have fought very successfully against Sin Eaters. 

Minfilia in the First stops the Flood of Light. Her shard in the 13th causes the Flood of Darkness. It really makes sense and brings things full circle. 

Yotsuyu (S) - Barbariccia (13th)

Zenos (S) - Vauthry (F) - Cagnazzo (13th)

Cagnazzo is depicted as being someone who gets off on fighting, believes in no one, and is searching for the perfect fight to fulfill him. That forms the core of his identity. I don't think they could make this any clearer. 

- Vauthry was turned into a monster by his parents and Emet-Selch; Zenos was turned into a monster by his father and Emet-Selch. 

- Vauthry controls those in and around Eulmore by feeding them meol, which when activated turns them into his unwilling servants. Zenos controls those in and around Garlemald with his towers, which when activated temper anyone who isn't protected and turn them into his unwilling servants.  - Both the towers and the meol are made with body parts of the dead.

Both think of absolutely nothing but their own gratification and see those around them as mere tools to be exploited. 

Hautdlong (S) - Traynor (F) - Rubicante (13th) OR  ???? - (S) - Nyelbert (F) - Rubicante (13th) Hautdlong (S) - Traynor (F) - Unukalhai (13th/F)

Rubicante is a noble mage who watches his friend die and mourns for him forever. That's the story of Traynor and Nyelbert exactly. Traynor and Unukalhai are obviously kindred spirits - when U. comes to the First, Traynor comments that he can work with U. like he's known him forever. As though he's Nyelbert's shard.

Urianger (S) - Cyella (13/F)

Both are Elezen with grey hair and questionable pasts. - Cyella betrays her friends to try to save her world, but make amends and saves them in the end by rescuing their bodies from possession as the Cardinal Virtues.   - Urianger betrays his friends to try to save his world, but makes amends and saves them from being defeated by the Warriors.  - In the scenes where the Warriors of Darkness fight the Scions, Urianger appears as the sixth "Warrior," in the spot Cylva occupies with the WoD on the First. 

Haurchefant (S) - Ser Tolas (F) Both are noble Elezen knights who are fast friends with the Warrior of Light/Darkness. Tolas is more contemplative, perhaps, but he also gets the Warrior of Darkness to go sit in the spa with him after just meeting them, as though they're really comfortable and get along well.

Lalai (S) - Lamitt (F)

The most obvious of the parallel souls they show with the Warriors of Darkness. - They look almost identical  - Both leave their homes in search of forbidden knowledge and have to more or less teach themselves - Both are seen as pariahs by their peers - Both are possessed - Lamitt's body by the Cardinal Virtue (evil); Lalai's body by Shatotto (good).  - Both have a very significant unmasking scene - Lamitt has an unrequited crush on someone.  - Someone has an unrequited crush on Lalai.  - Lalai: black mage - Lamitt: white mage - Lamitt: cast out and finds found family - Lalai: accepted and finds found family

Solkzagyl (S) - Branden (F) Leih Aliapoh (S) - Renda-Rae (F)

Gerold (S) - Grenold (F) Rowena (S) - Mowen (F) Drusilla (S) - Lorathia (F)

[voidedleylines]

FFXIV Write 2024 Day 22: Free Day 3 (Dear)

In which soul tests body

Rating: G || No CWs apply || Dawntrail spoilers || Azem & Warrior of Light // Azem & Wuk Lamat

Enjoy!

(also A/N lol: if you've been reading my other stories this month you know my Azem had a baby before the sundering. I have a sort of non-WoLverse canon divergent story where the baby survived and Emet-Selch took them in, for better or worse.

However, in "proper" game canon w/ my WoL, the baby was sundered with everyone else, and they live on as Wuk Lamat's shard. I figured this pretty early on while playing DT and it set up just. So much for the rest of the plot lmao. Anyways, all this to idk clear up any confusion some may have w/ previous entries from this year lol. Bye!)

Freyja has no control over the body she inhabits and it has never really bothered her. She knows the thoughts and feelings of this vessel and treats them as her own.

Most of the time.

Now, they appear to be at a major cross road as she feels her child close. The child she lost all that time ago, at that point just a small babe, barely old enough to stand. Taken away from her in the cruel fate her love tried to stop. It was all for not.

Until now, as the faint glow of its soul resides in the woman in front of her. The woman about to duel with a foe twice her size. It wasn't a fair fight and she could not understand why this vessel was standing back, unwilling to help.

Shamefully, she’s acting like she would, lame and shy. Too anxious to step on too many toes; content with a status quo that should’ve changed long before it was too late.

This vessel wasn’t that, not in the slightest. So it was concerning when her legs were firmly planted, no matter how hard Freyja was trying.

‘Please,’ she tried to will, ‘Please we must protect her!’

She felt a foot stumble at that but it wasn’t enough to push her forward. A hand rests on the vessel's stomach as if it was a response of ‘no.’

If Freyja could still feel anger she thinks she’d feel it right now. She pushes again. This time with enough force to actually move one foot forward. The fight had already begun, they needed to move quick.

“Stop,” a voice calls to her. It’s the vessel; the hand resting on the stomach pushes further inward.

She pauses her attempts out of sheer bewilderment. Why didn’t she care about this? Surely it was felt by her too. The dreams had to mean something to her all this time. ‘I can’t lose them again,’ Freyja pleads. Desperation rises in her continued movement.

The vessel takes a step backward now and clings to the tree in an attempt to hold steady. “You won’t,” she says, “I promise you.”

In that moment she feels their thoughts and feelings back in alignment. Freyja feels herself cool, backing into the small flame she usually is. She closes herself off for the rest of the battle, but sparks up again when she hears the voice of one Wuk Lamat.

‘Okay,’ she thinks, ‘Thank you.’

She goes back to her usual dormant state, clinging on to the muffled heat of the soul nearby.

She had won, and all by herself. The joy in her voice is something she wishes to hear always. The vessel reaches out and touches her cheek. The sensation of the fur and overall contact makes her warm.

[marrrow]

When Alisaie talked about Alphinaud in 5.4, she confirmed all of my thoughts about how he & Dieter might be similar, so this is part two of my victory lap in celebration of being right, lol

[rosafulmen-a]

BLOOD  RELATED  PROMPTS   /  accepting  |  @clemencied  |  “  a  little  blood  never  hurt  anyone. ”

𝙝𝙚  𝙬𝙖𝙨  𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮  𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩  :  𝙖  𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚  𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙  𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧  𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩  𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚.  It  was  that  said  technicality,  however,  that  threatened  to  give  her  a  headache  so  acute  she  was  convinced  Hydaelyn  was  going  to  give  her  an  aneurism. 

Scratch  that,  she  actively  wished  Hydaelyn  would  give  her  an  aneurism  and  put  her  out  of  her  misery.

“ Sure,  a  little. “  There  was  the  pregnant  pause,  a  thrust  of  two  index  fingers  pressed  tightly  together  towards  their  quarry.  “ So  how  much  hurt  is  all  of  it  ? ”

[addicted-to-darkness]

Prompt #5: Vault

Warnings: None Summary: You would become His most radiant of possessions, His Opus Magnum. Implied One-Sided Innocence x Warrior of Light

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast

The moment you had first set foot into the hallowed halls of His magnificent kingdom, He had known it to be more than mere chance which had brought you before Him.

Like a dirty rag draped upon a body pristine, you wore your ill-conceived convictions, blind to their true, vile nature; Both villain by choice and victim of false pretense.

He would make you see the error in your ways. It would be Him who would bring you to your knees, voice broken by prayers and cheeks stained with tears of genuine redemption. You would plead for His forgiveness, beg Him for His blessing.

And – merciful and benevolent God that He was – He would grant it upon you.

An unpolished gem amongst the dull husks which you seemed so keen on surrounding yourself with, you would be His greatest triumph; His most prized treasure. It had been your interference which had proven the last step in His exaltation, and now it was His turn – no, His divine duty – to realize your true potential.

He would shine upon you, bask you in His virtuous light. With you in His nurturing embrace, He would rebuild His kingdom in the image of the excellency of your heavenly union.

Yes.

The moment you had first set foot into the hallowed halls of His magnificent kingdom, He had decreed it.

You would never leave again.

[stormbabylore]

Continuing this series of love-related asks.

ˋ°•*⁀➷⁠ Round 1 Here.

Round 2: cannoli, chouquette, and croissant!

3. cannoli - how does your muse express love? how do they act when in love that differs from how they act around others normally? ─☆─ There's not a terrible lot of difference between how Aeryn treats those she loves and those she doesn't otherwise hold in exceptional regard; and what does differ might be very subtle. Furthermore, I think her powers of observation would be such that she would offer different expressions of affection to everyone she cares about based on their needs and not her own preferences. Aeryn was such a blank canvas as she developed her understanding of how to care that she likewise adopted a variety of different ways to then express that care. Those nearest to her would recognize she is much more open with them: that she possesses a certain comfort level allowing her to more frequently smile (fully and truly), laugh, speak, make prolonged eye contact, and express her core emotions. Those shifts, though subtle, would suggest she feels a stronger connection to anyone paying close enough attention to note the distinction. She also becomes more tactile over time with those she trusts, in particular those who accept and reciprocate. Urianger is not wholly unique in recognizing and learning to speak Aeryn's love language(s), but they do develop certain expressions of habitual affection over time that are largely unique to them: her reaching for and holding the sleeve of his robe is one example, and their forehead touches (I am so weak to them) is another. Those gestures become their own little brand of "romance," but are shared more so as a means of offering comfort and reassurance of affection between two people who are more reserved in their manner. 4. chouquette - does your muse believe they deserve to be loved? why or why not? ─☆─ She's never paused to give it due consideration, but if she did, I think Aeryn would come to the conclusion that she deserves to be cared for just as much as anyone else. She's content in her friendships and her found family, and she doesn't pause to question whether or not she's in any way "deserving" of them. (Honestly, Aeryn spends so long trying to make sure the other Scions - I'm thinking especially of Thancred here - know they deserve to be cared for that I can't fathom her feeling differently regarding herself.) That said, in my unwilling paladin AU, Aeryn has some very unhealthy views of herself and does develop a stigma of this nature. Because she doesn't feel worthy of anyone's partiality, she actually runs from her budding affections and doesn't take the time to sort them out, let alone act on them. I haven't resolved her story, yet, and don't know if she'd ever accept any love she might be offered. 5. croissant - what is your muse's ideal date? ─☆─ Anything that isn't a date. If any kind of title or expectation was placed on a moment spent together with the people she cares about, she would likely clam up out of confusion. I'm thinking about dinner with Aymeric as an example, here - Aeryn wouldn't have thought anything of it at all until others started making a fuss about it being some sort of big deal, and that would have thrown her off so completely that she might not have known how to act once in the midst of it. She's fortunate that she chose to give her affection to someone as equally content to find enjoyment in their ordinary routine as she is. Aerinager "dates" are just them doing as they've always done: sitting together while one sketches and the other studies, stargazing, etc.

[ungrateful-cyborg-moved]

Things I like RP partners to know

I like to be called: Skaar or any of my characters’ name.

One Several things you should know about me:

Well, I think I’m fairly chill and patient with people overall. I understand that real life comes first and I know what having health issues is like since I have a bunch myself so no pressure from me to be quick to reply or anything like that. I also don’t expect anyone to be perfect. The only thing I really care about in that regard is OOC communication: I don’t like being left in the dark, especially since I struggle with social cues and social interactions in general.

I would also ask you to come to me with at least a basic idea for a first thread because I’ve had too many people contacting me and making me do all the work (and then our first scene, if it started at all, inevitably never reaches its conclusion). I have a limited stock of spoons I’d rather not waste on carrying characters interactions alone. You can totally come say hello without intent to RP with me, however! I’ll happily do things with you in game (though I’m mainly playing SOLO lately).

Beyond that, hm... I like a measure of realism in what I write. As fun as being cheesy and tropey can be, I find RP more impactful and interesting when actions have consequences, be them social, physical and/or psychological. That being said, it doesn’t have to be serious or sad consequences! It’s all really dependent on what’s going on in a scene.

One thing you should know about my muse(s):

I try to make them as human and realistic as I can, which means that all of them have their contradictions, things they do and say that conflicts with something else they may have done or said before. They’re also all stubborn to some degree and unwilling to compromise about certain things. Some lack the confidence to say it right away, others could learn to shut up and be more patient and willing to give others a chance, but regardless of how fast it comes, there will be conflict and disagreement at some point between them and my partners’ characters. Which is great imo but doesn't necessarily mean I agree with them on everything, even though I usually understand why they do what they do.

I say “usually” because sometimes they’ll just do things and I’ll be like “wtf just happened?”, but well, that’s what makes roleplaying fun.

First language: French

Highlight: I only have this blog since my OOC blog is more or less dead now and I cannot express how deeply I dislike Twitter and other social media.

Age range: under 13  |  14–17 | 18–22 | 23–25 | 26–29 | 30+ | 70+

Am I okay with NSFW? yes | no | some nsfw (of the non-sexual variety)

My favorite/most common thing to rp is: angst | fluff | smut | crack | action | plots | AUs | violence | slice of life | performances

For the most part, it’s a matter of “everything has consequences”. I don’t do angst for the sake of it and I’m not into torture porn either, but a lot of my muses live dangerous lives and have to deal with various traumas, which means that angst and dark subjects are regularly on the menu. I don’t write abusive relationships and sex scenes however, and I’ll most likely refuse to actively write torture on either side.

As for fluff, crack and slice of life... As fun as light scenes can be from time to time, it just doesn’t hold my attention for long, and humor at the expense of realism simply doesn’t interest me. Which isn’t to say that all my threads are extra serious, though. There’s a lot of humor in what I write, it’s just not my focus.

Canon character friendly: yes | no | depends

I don’t play a game as driven by the story as FFXIV is to ignore the MSQ so canon characters are absolutely welcome! I use NPCs regularly in my threads and in a few of my muses’ backstory anyways.

That being said, anything too impactful will be treated like an AU/its own verse as will any rp with WoLs or lore-breaking canon characters.

RP blog: does contain ooc posts | doesn’t contain ooc posts | occasionally contains ooc

OOC content on this blog is 95% FFXIV related, 5% blog management related. I don’t really like talking about my personal life online and I despise callouts so sundered-souls is drama free and I intend to keep it that way.

Tagged by: @flood-of-shadow​, @under-the-blood-moonlight​ & @luck-and-larceny​ (ty!!) Tagging: I’ve barely been on Tumblr those last two... three weeks so I don’t know who did it and didn’t beside maybe 5 people and that includes the three that tagged me x) Feel free to do it if you wanna say something to your partners/potential partners though!

[thebmatt]

Another set of Character Development questions, this time very specific to FFXIV

I cam across another set of character development questions on the Emet-Selch Bookclub discord, and since I love these things, I’m going to answer all 35 of them for all 4 of my crew! Ready? Let’s go!

1. Where were they during the Calamity? 

Franks had not yet made the journey between their worlds yet, he only did so about a year into the Seventh Umbral Era.

Fearless was still living on Aerslant, which I don’t know if there’s any canonical description of how the Calamity affected that region, but I’m going to go with “they felt the effects, but it wasn’t quite mass chaos like it was in Eorzea”

Dahkar and Rheika were both living in the Black Shroud but were mostly spared the direct effects. 

2. How did they acquire their Echo? 

All four of them received the Echo as it plays out in the MSQ. Dahkar and Rheika got it after dealing with the enraged treants at Lifemend Stump, Fearless and Franks after fighting the frenzied Mossback at the Seasong Grotto

3. Does their Echo function like it does in the MSQ? Or is there a twist to it? 

For the most part it functions like it does in the MSQ, but there’s some extra abilities that it provides that I’m planning on exploring in a future fic. To summarize: the Armory system is represented as a pocket dimension the Warriors can store clothing, weapons, and tools in. The Echo also allows them to “pause and save” any learning they have done in a particular discipline and resume it as if no time had passed whenever they choose

4. Do they have a canon mount or minion? What's its name(s)? 

All four of them have their chocobos, which I don’t have names for yet (the ones in game aren’t canon, as they’re mostly inside jokes). Aside from those, two of my crew have a couple of mounts special to them.

Franks has kept Maggie, the Magitek Armor liberated by the Garlond Ironworks. Most recently, he’s taken to using a Gabriel Alpha magitek unit that he liberated and rebuilt from the Bozjan Southern Front

Rheika is incredibly fond of the True Griffin she befriended while helping the Ananta at Castellum Velodyna. 

5. Where are they from? What was their childhood like? 

I’ve covered this in some of my “Details!” posts I’ve done for them all, so I’ll be brief here

Franks - from another world, grew up on a farm, pretty normal farmer’s childhood

Rheika - grew up outside of Gridania in a Keeper of the Moon community, a middleish child of a large number of sisters. Aside from being made to understand WAY too early that the Wood Wailers will always treat her like a second class citizen because she is a Keeper of the Moon, she had a pretty happy childhood

Dahkar - Born on the Azim Steppe, mother took him to Gridania after his tribe was killed. Similarly treated like outsider, but otherwise kept mostly to himself, only meeting a couple of friends growing up.

Fearless - born and raised in Aerslant, the Sea Wolf Roegadyn homeland. Child of wealthy parents, she had a privileged upbringing but no choice in anything.

6. How did they deal with the massacre on the Waking Sands? 

All of them were horrified and angry by it. Franks had never really experienced the Garlean Empire’s brutality firsthand before this, and it cemented a personal desire to fight them. Fearless, who’d begun to develop serious feelings for Minfilia, was almost beside herself with worry. 

7. How did they deal with Haurchefant's death? 

All of them took it pretty hard, but Dahkar, who’d been romantically involved with him by this point, was almost broken by it. His grief nearly consumed him in rage, quite literally, but “Fray” managed to help him hold it together until he could process and grieve. 

8. How did they feel about the liberation of Ala Mhigo? Do they feel it could have been handled differently? Where they at all bothered by how they were involved? 

I get the sense from the way this question was worded that the original author doesn’t care for the Stormblood storyline much, but honestly, I don’t have a problem with it. None of my crew are native Ala Mhigans, but they were all too happy to participate when it became clear that the time for it to happen had been chosen for everyone by Ilberd’s actions. Plus, y’know, there was that whole potential Bahamut-level primal they needed to deal with. Losing so handily to Zenos was a serious morale blow that messed them all up quite a bit, but all four of them went along with the plan. It offered them a chance to get better, to weaken the Empire and strengthen themselves. 

9. How do they feel about Zenos? 

THey all hate the guy for nearly killing so many of their friends and injuring them so badly. Later, pretty much universal relief when he died, pissed off that he didn’t stay that way, and now hell-bent on ending him once and for all. All of them pretty much agree that bastard needs to die.

10. How do they feel about their relationship with Hydaelyn? Midgarsormr?

Initially they accepted that Hydaelyn was a benevolent force, but once they learned of her origin, especially that she was a primal, a private debate broke out among them all the first chance they got to talk about it (which was after the Shadowbringers 5.0 MSQ when Rheika finally got back to the Source). Franks is very concerned that they’ve been tempered. Dahkar is now extremely wary of her, but isn’t certain their free will has been removed. Rheika and Fearless are unwilling to give up on her, but don’t understand why she stopped speaking to them. 

Initially, they were all furious at Midgardsormr, but came to realize that his deeds in severing their connection to Hydaelyn definitely made them stronger. They now regard him as a friend and a source of wisdom.

11. Were they more sympathetic to the dragons, Ishgardians, neither or both? 

Franks wasn’t certain of this, having known sentient dragons that had absolutely been wronged by mortals in his homeworld, but he didn’t see a way to fix this on his own, so he went along with helping the Ishgardians. He was absolutely on board with Alphinaud’s plan to try and end it, however. 

The others had far less experience with Dragons, and initially accepted their version of events without much thought. They immediately turned on the whole idea when the deception was exposed, though. 

12. How has their job affected whatever headcanon version is of the MSQ if any? 

As I’ve explained in previous posts, I’ve parsed out all of the jobs (except Monk) to my characters, with the aim of balancing the following ideas.

○ At all times during the story, one of them should be capable of tanking, one healing, and the others DPSing ○ If possible no one should have more than 1 job from any of the 5 roles ○ Obviously, don’t give jobs to characters that make no sense for them to pick up

It’s taken a few revisions, but I’m currently happy with the setup they have. For the most part, they’re extremely proficient with their chosen fighting styles and don’t mind swapping around to fill whatever need is present. For Heavensward, the trio who got their new jobs in Ishgard chose to stick with them for the most part, and for much of the Far Eastern parts of Stormblood, Rheika and Fearless chose to stay Ninja and Samurai for the most part, since it felt “right” to them to use those arts when fighting for Doma’s liberation.

13. Are they close with any of the other Scions? Who do they get along with the best? 

Franks gets along best with the more scholarly minded members of the Scions, specifically Y’shtola, Urianger, Krile, and G’raha when he later joins. 

Rheika and Tataru have become the best of friends since she joined. She’s always encouraged Tataru to better herself however she wants, and really loves the newfound confidence she’s gained

Dahkar is closest to Thancred among the senior scions. Among the other members, he’s flirted with Ephemie a fair amount, and is considering whether or not he wants to deepen that to something more serious.

Fearless is probably closest to Alisaie. She admires her confidence a great deal. 

14. Of the Scions, who are they most worried for? 

Franks is most worried for Y’shtola and her “aethersight” draining her life force. He’s actively trying to modify the SCH magicks that cured the tonberry plague to restore her eyesight (and Thancred’s ability to manipulate aether)

Rheika is probably most worried about Urianger, as he’s shown a very disturbing pattern for pursuing a hidden agenda to further the scion’s goals, He claims to be done with that, but she’s worried he might slip into old habits in the future.

Dahkar and Fearless aren’t particularly worried about any of the Scions, beyond the default “these are my adopted family and I don’t want anything to happen to them” level of fear.

15. Is your WoL promiscuous? Celibate? Or just waiting for the right person? 

Franks has so far been unable to move past the death of his wife to consider any new relationships. He’s also far older (if only mentally) than anyone who’d be interested, which also blocks him from considering anything new.

Rheika is aromantic, but pansexual. Romance does nothing for her, she just likes having fun with anyone she considers attractive and will respect her rule. She’s got a number of paramours in various parts of the world.

Dahkar is bi, and willing to engage in casual liaisons but at his heart, he really wants a committed relationship. After Haurchefant died, he hasn’t been involved in anything serious since, only crushing on people emotionally unavailable, such as Yugiri (bound by her oath to HIen) or Kurenai (bound by the oath of the Ruby Princess). He’s recently come to realize that this was a form of self-sabotage and is trying to open up again.

Fearless crushes on every pretty girl she has come across, but is usually too shy or lacking in self-confidence to follow up on them. She greatly regrets never telling Minfilia how she felt about her. Her time as a Warrior of LIght and the friendship she’s built with her fellows has helped tremendously. She’s currently involved in a poly triad with two other women.

16. What does your WoL do to relax? What sorts of distractions do they seek? Do they foster any bad habits as a result?

They enjoy spending time together or with the other Scions. If they’re at a point when they need to be alone, they’ll do the following.

Franks likes to tinker, build things, or solve arcanima problems. He can sometimes get wrapped up in any of those and lose track of time. He’s also prone to hiding away to avoid socializing.

Rheika will generally find someone to take to bed if she’s really stressed, otherwise she’s fine just hanging with people 

Depending on his mood, Dahkar will either find a monster to fight (never something he’s not confident he can beat) or leap to whatever the highest place he can find is and just enjoy the view.

Fearless enjoys reading novels, but as of late prefers spending time with her girlfriends.

17. Who is their favorite Alliance leader? Who do they get along with the best out of them? 

Counting only the 5 members of the Eorzean Alliance, in order from most to least.... 1. Lyse - because she’s one of them, come on 2. (tie) Merlwyb/Aymeric - because they are good people who have the strength to move their nation forward to a better place 3. Nanamo - she’s trying to make Ul’dah better, at least, even if she isn’t able to affect change. Plus she’s not doing enough to address corruption in the Brass Blades 4. Kan-E-Senna - she seems entirely content to leave her people at the mercy of elementals and isn’t doing NEAR enough to address racial inequality in Gridania

18. Does your WoL fully embrace their role as the WoL or do they try to remain humble? 

For the most part, they’re humble, but all of them are not afraid to use their titles/fame to get what they need or to make someone’s life better if they can do so. 

19. What do they think of the Heaven's Ward? 

The only ones they really got to know were the two that tried to condemn Alphinaud and Tataru for “heresy” and the one who attacked them when they were meeting with Hilda. Those were...not positive experiences. That, coupled with the fact that all of them willingly followed the Archbishop into summoning Primals into themselves pretty much sealed their opinion on the rest. 

20. Of all the places they've been to, which is their favorite? Do they like to go back there? 

Franks enjoys spending time in Ishgard, both because the manufactory is there and he enjoys collaborating with the other machinists and because he really enjoys working on the Restoration of the Firmament.

Rheika enjoys being in Mor Dhona and the Crystarium the most. It’s full of people all working together for the same end, and she’s happy being a part of it and doing her part to help.

Dahkar also loves Mor Dhona, but he’s found going back to the Far East oddly soothing. He feels a connection to the Azim Steppe, despite not really knowing what it means to live there, he wants to learn. 

Fearless has made Kugane her home, thanks in part to her one of her girlfriends living there and the other currently on an extended tour there as well. 

21. Are there any raid storylines (Ivalice, Coil of Bahamut, Werlyt, etc.) you consider to be canon for your WoL? Which ones don't you consider canon? 

I consider all of them to be canon, save potentially the NieR crossover alliance raids. Honestly, the entire story of that place just felt so odd and out of place that I didn’t really enjoy it, and I’m tempted just to say it didn’t happen. Everything else, though? Absolutely canonical.

22. Do you  have a unique tale for their job class or is it pretty much like what it is in the game?

Most of them are pretty much as they were in the game, though I have some personal headcanons on how Arcanima and the Paladin job work, the latter of which I’ve explored in one of my fics. The former will be somewhat explained in the current longform fic I’m working on.

23. Are there any side quest storylines that you're particularly fond of or think of as being canon to your WoL's experiences? 

Aside from the raids, alliance raids, and trial series, which 21 covered, I’d say all of the Beast tribe quests, the Scholasticate quests (which I suppose means Hildibrand has to be canon too), and most of the sidequesting in Sui-no-Sato are all canon experiences.

24. Does your WoL have any phobias? 

None of them have any real strange or irrational fears of note, not that I’ve been able to think of that make sense to the characters, anyway.

25. Do they have any habits or rituals that they do to soothe themselves? I.e. Playing with their hair, chewing their lip, fidgeting, etc. 

Franks will absentmindedly fidget with a tool or some spare parts. He’s actually built a small gadget that has some switches and buttons that do nothing for this purpose.

Rheika is restless and prefers to move while thinking. She tends to bounce a leg if she has to sit still too long.

Dahkar is pretty capable of concentrating without needing any kind of habit to aid in it.

Fearless tends to bottle it up until she can release it in private, either by meditating or dancing, depending on her level of anxiety and privacy expectations 

26. Do they suffer any traumas from any of their adventures? How do you foresee this affecting them going forward? 

Fearless was actually persuaded to pick of the Astrologian job thanks to the trauma of the banquet. She wanted to be able to predict anything that awful from happening to her and her friends again. 

LIkewise Dahkar was so traumatized by that (and the Braves’ betrayal), it was the final catalyst needed for him to be open to his Darkside and become a Dark Knight. He’s also the one most affected by Haurchefant’s death, and as I explained earlier, it’s subconsciously kept him from going after other romantic relationships

Rheika had nightmares about Tesleen for months, and they were made worse when she herself nearly became a sin eater. She practiced quick drawing her bow and hitting accurate long distance shots for a long time after that, wanting to be prepared to save someone from that kind of distance if she had to.

Franks has dealt with enough trauma in his previous life that a lot of what he’s seen on Hydaelyn doesn’t affect him as much as it otherwise might.

27. How did the events of Shadowbringers impact them? 

Rheika was the only one present for the events of 5.0, and my headcanon is that she wasn’t able to get home until after Hades was defeated. She felt alone and adrift without her fellow Warriors, and the trauma she endured did not help matters. Seeing them summoned to aid her was a balm on her soul, and when Franks figured out how to get the others to the First a little before the events of the Eden raid, she was overjoyed. 

28. Were they suspicious or open to Emet-Selch's presence when he first appeared? 

Rheika never believed he had good intentions. She always expected him to betray them at some point, but there didn’t seem to be much she COULD do before that happened. Even after he rescued Y’shtola, that was never enough for her trust. 

29. Did your WoL suspect anything was amiss with Urianger or the Crystal Exarch? Did they feel betrayed? Upset? When the truth finally emerged? 

Rheika immediately recognized G’raha Tia (”I mean he wasn’t even TRYING to change his voice!”), but she assumed there was a reason he was hiding from her, and she trusted Urianger’s vision. When the truth came out, she was angry about being lied to. She understood their reasoning, but threated to beat the crap out of both of them if they ever tried something like that again.

30. What was their highest point in Shadowbringers? Their lowest? What caused it? 

High point - ending Hades. Low Point - failing to save Tesleen

31. What were their first impressions of Hien? 

Aside from Rheika and Dahkar finding him very hot, they were all very impressed by his willingness to sacrifice his own life if his people chose not to fight any longer

32. Did they trust Asahi right away? Why or why not? 

Not right away, no. None of them are quick to trust Garlean officials, and Asahi felt way too slimy. None of them were all together surprised with how things turned out, save for when Maxima agreed to abide by the exchange after everything went south. 

33. How did they feel about what happened with Yotsuyu? Did they feel like she was justified in her actions? 

All of them felt bad for Yotsuyu’s horrible upbringing (and have made it VERY clear to Hien that he needs to make sure the new Doma does NOT allow for this to happen again), but accept that she made the choices she did and that ultimately, she needed to be stopped. 

34. Would you say your WoL is fundamentally a good person? Or are they a bad person that's been persuaded to do the right things? 

All of them are absolutely good people fundamentally. They know they’re the only ones that can fight the ridiculous battles they get into, and they’re okay with doing it, because ultimately, they want to save lives. 

35. How do they feel about the fact that they've killed a lot of people and/or things?

They all understand that for every life they have to take, it means more are safe, sound, and happy down the road. All of their choices are made with that goal in mind. 

[forgiven-whimsy]

The Red Violin

FFXIV write 2020 prompt 2: Sway

Shiloh’s song  Shiloh and Emet’s duet (note the spotify version has a longer piano opening.) 

Anyways, touches of Lominsan/Vylbrand headcanons (they’re the ff Newfoundland, imo)  Aumortine music and art headcanons, and Garlean headcanons. Imagery leaning heavily on 5.3 revelations, while I don’t use express spoilers, reader beware. 

Set After Rak’Tika, but before Ahm Areng. 

Rated T - Angst

Wol x Emet-Selch

(Why yes the Red Violin is one of my all time favorite movies, why do you ask?) 

~

“I am a patron of the arts, always have been, the best your kind has to offer is found in the arts, incomplete as it is, there’s a certain charm to be found in it.” Emet-Selch sipped from his wine glass, swiping his gloved finger over the bars surface then wrinkling his nose. 

“What do you mean incomplete? Art is by its very nature subjective, therefore art’s completeness is defined by the artist, not the audience.” Shiloh replied, not particularly keen on hearing about all the ways she was inferior, but curious about how his timeless people made music, or art, the idea of Asciens being artists was a foreign concept, yet getting to know Emet-Selch, not entirely far-fetched. Solus Zos Galvus was historically a patron of the arts, she’d been aboard the Prima Vista and seen the reach of his patronage.

“It would be easier to show you.” And with a snap of his fingers the Crystarium vanished and he transported them to an entirely different environ. They were in a theatre, great gold trimmed red curtains, on stage a spotlight centered on a sleek black grand piano, surrounding it was all manner of string instruments, violin, cello, lute, harp, and even others she couldn’t name, Shiloh itched to touch them, to try them and see what sound they might make. The stage jutted out in a half moon, far more open than anything she’d ever seen, the audience seating surrounded the stage allowing a certain intimacy between artist and audience. Above, there was a massive chandelier whose teardrop crystals twinkled in the soft theatre lighting, the balconies climbed three stories, each gilded and carved with vines and flowers, painted in reds and golds, opulent. Stage left there was one particular balcony that caught her eye, the carvings more elaborate and draped in finery. 

“This is the Great Arena Theatrum in Garlemald,” Shiloh near gasped out, before rounding on Emet-Selch, “you brought me to Garlemald?” She had just let him, an Ascien, teleport her to the heart of enemy territory, and she wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed, furious or ashamed at being taken so easily. The musician in her near fainted with joy. Regardless of Garlean politics, every musician, actor, and dancer worth their salt has dreamt of performing on the Theatrums stage, Shiloh was no exception. While she was the daughter of a Doman refugee, she had been raised in Vylbrand, and the island's lifeblood was music. A house wasn’t a home without a piano, and a fiddle, and she’d been taught both as a child. She could recall playing her fiddle standing on the kitchen table imagining herself on this very stage. 

“Calm down hero, we are in an approximation of my own making, hidden away from prying eyes here in Norvrant, my fool grandson let the Theatrum fall into disrepair.” He sniffed derisively, “when I have proven my point to you I shall return you to the Crystarium without a hair out of place. It wounds me that you still don’t trust me.” He gave her a smile that did not inspire trust. 

He walked her into the spotlight, his gloved hands touching her lightly at the elbow, the twinkling light from the chandelier painted stars onto the raised top of the grand piano exposing the finely curved wood and strings within. Sitting on the piano bench was a violin case, Emet-Selch presented it to her with a flourish. Shiloh sat and opened the case to reveal the most exquisite violin she’d ever beheld. The spruce top had been stained a deep red with a bow to match, she delicately ran her fingers over the curving wood, the strings, the bow. Shiloh made a noise in her throat as she lifted the rare treasure into her arms, that prompted a chuckle from her Ascien companion. “A peace offering, the only condition is to play me something that stirs your soul, something original if it please.” He lifted her chin forcing her gaze from the violin to him, “move me, and I shall show you what your music once was.” 

“No pressure,” Shiloh held his gaze, seeing a spark of something she couldn’t describe in his golden eyes. “It’s been years since I’ve played, anything.” The weight of his expectation was heavy. He only smiled. 

“I have faith in you, dear hero.” Emet-Selch snapped his fingers and he disappeared into a black portal, she heard it re-open stage left, and there he sat, every inch an emperor in his gilded private balcony. “Take whatever time you need to warm up.” he called from his lavish chair, glass of wine in hand. With that, the theatre lights dimmed, the instruments, all save the grand piano, vanished, the spotlight remained on her. 

Shiloh felt like a mouse being toyed with by a cat. Squaring her shoulders she set the violin to her chin and prayed to all the Twelve and Kami, The Light and Dark both, that the bow would glide across the strings without screaming. The last time she’d picked up a violin was at Haurchefant’s funeral, at the behest of Lord Edmont, nearly two years past. A lance of grief sliced through her.  She could refuse, she could tell him to bring her back to the Crystarium, but then, she’d never know what Ascien music sounded like. It was the memory of Haurchefant, the two of them sitting shoulder to shoulder playing a silly duet on his childhood piano in the Fortempt music room that steeled her spine.

She started with a slow scale, each note sung and not screamed, to her considerable relief. Shiloh exhaled, it wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t terrible, her fingers remembered the strings. She warmed up with scales, old childhood lullabies, folk songs played around the kitchen table. Finally she played an Ishgardian waltz, the sheet music a gift from her departed friend. She felt herself smiling, eyes shut, tail swaying in time with the tempo. Her mind filling in the missing instruments as the red violin sang with a full and mournful voice. So focused on practicing and remembering, Shiloh didn’t hear Emet-Selch’s portal behind her. 

“All very lovely, my dear, I’m sure Master Jevant Dufet would be pleased with such an able rendering of the Midnight Waltz, and without sheet music, most impressive.” 

Shiloh startled, spinning around to face him.

Emet-Selch tutted her while he approached, he placed gentle hands at her waist, spinning her back into the spotlight. He was in her space and she could feel his warmth, smell his scent. “I didn’t ask you to stop.” His long arms reached around lifting the violin back to her collar bone, he tilted her head just so before tracing a gloved finger along her jaw and arched neck. “I want to hear the song that resides in your soul.” His breath ghosted along her cheek, the timber of his voice resonating along her horn, and she felt her skin pebble. “Will you play it for me?” 

“I don’t know, I don’t have any original composi-” 

“Stop thinking, close your eyes, listen, and play.” His voice was patient, while he lifted her bow arm to the right position. 

Shiloh inhaled, and did as she was bid, listening, for what, she didn’t know. She felt the quick beat of a Thanvarian flamenco fluttering in her chest and slowly bow met strings, and the song that flew out was urgent, her bowing quick and precise borrowing heavily of the Thanvarian style, but so too was there a distinctly Ul’dhan quality, in her mind's eye she felt as a bird flying over the dunes, weaving over the rising heat. 

Emet-Selch’s touch was soft, gone was the silk of his glove, replaced by warm skin, his snap fit within her song and suddenly the guitar, the percussion, the accompanying strings, the piano, the light horns, the full voice of her song burst forth, the violin threading through each section. “Open your eyes.” he whispered against her horn, and she did. 

Gone was the theatre, they were bathed in the colours of the sunset, and above them flew a phoenix, dipping and diving along all the lands she’s seen, and saved, and loved. “Don’t stop.” he whispered, setting a hand on her hip and squeezing. She gasped at the sight, at the raw beauty. And she played with a bursting heart, tears slipping from unblinking eyes unwilling to look away from the dancing phoenix. She increased the tempo, bowing more quickly, the notes tumbling along the winds of the star, knowing that it would end if she stopped, and she didn’t want it to stop. She let the fire in her soul burn as brightly as she could, uncaring of the ach in her fingers, knowing only that the creature above was born of her music, and so she played for it’s pleasure, and it soared, the violin it’s voice and heart. Until in a burst of flame it was consumed, and the song ended. 

She swayed on her feet, consumed by emotion, bittersweet tears running down her face. She leaned against Emet-Selch who remained behind her, his hand at her throat, and hip moving gently, caressing. Overwhelmed she exhaled a shuddering breath. 

“Do you understand now, what was lost?” He asked quietly, voice heavy with the same emotion she was feeling.

“How did you?”

“I assure you my dear I did nothing but lend you a sliver of my power, the song, the image, everything, was born of your heart, your soul. And so it was that all art was created in a similar fashion. The full intent of the piece complete.” 

Shiloh spun in his arms, still clutching bow and violin, she was met with a half quirked smile and a softness in his eyes she’d not thought possible. He tenderly brushed the tears from her cheeks, “yours was always a beautiful song, so full of passion.” 

Shiloh’s head was swimming, she wanted to keep playing, she had so many questions, and yet she found herself drowning in the liquid gold of his eyes, the same pale gold as her own. She licked her lips, and leaned against the palm of his hand where he held her cheek. 

“Play with me?” she asked breathless, “before we go, play with me, a duet.” He closed his eyes, his expression pained, “please, Emet.”

“How can I turn down so earnest a plea?” he gave her a rueful smile, “but, first.” He pressed his forehead to her own, and she felt something, cool, and comforting wash over her, where her song, her aether, she belatedly realized, was like the sun, Emet-Selch’s aether, his soul was as the moon. Her own aether responded, curious and warm, until their essence mingled, until there was no ending nor beginning between them. “There, that should serve.” 

Shiloh both did and didn’t understand what he’d done, he stepped back going to the grand piano. His presence remained, slowly curling around her, lazy and familiar. “As before, listen, and play.” 

Shiloh lifted the violin, and tilted her head, giddy with anticipation, moving to be in sight of him and waited. 

Emet began the song, quiet notes on the piano, Shiloh did not close her eyes this time. With each passing note the theatre fell away replaced by blackest night until a city made of stardust rose around them. He met her eyes and nodded and she knew her part had come and she joined her song to his, she knew the notes, a song from a past she couldn’t place, suddenly the starlit city filled with people wraithlike and sparkling. But it was two individuals that caught her eye. Emet-Selch changed the tempo to a style she’d never heard before, yet it was familiar, she adjusted her tempo to match. The two wraiths danced, spinning through the grand city, there was joy in their movements. Unadulterated love between them. One lifted the other, and she could swear the one who was lifted laughed, when placed down they ran from the first, a game. The first chased, sometimes catching them in a kiss, sometimes missing, until the other rounded back to jump into the firsts arms. Shiloh’s heart ached, the song and starlit players a half remembered memory. The song changed again, mournful, the city fell away, one of the wraiths, the one who played, faded, leaving only one, until it also faded, and the song ended. 

She felt the pain thrumming from Emet’s aether still entwined with her own, his head bowed over the piano. Shiloh set the violin back in its case and went to him, wrapping her arms around his back, anything to ease the overwhelming sadness. His hand grasped at her arm, and she felt a shudder from him. 

“I’m here.” She whispered against his ear, soft hair tickling her nose. 

He shook his head. 

“I’m here.” She repeated, not understanding all, but knowing what she witnessed in their shared song had been a glimpse of their story.

He twisted in her arms, anguish on his face, “you left.” his voice a harsh whisper fraught with emotion. 

She had no answer for him, nothing to ease the pain, she didn’t understand, didn’t remember, whatever her soul had been to him, was gone, but it’s echo knew him, called to him, and she kissed his angry mouth, a despairing sound whimpered from Emet’s throat. He grabbed her and kissed her again, and again, hungry, lost, full of longing. Their twined aether created a feedback loop consuming them. His hands were everywhere, and Shiloh arched into him. In a moment he had her against the piano, discordant notes interrupting their growing passion. It was enough to stop them, and for a half beat they stared at each other panting. Emet-Selch was the first to move, tearing his aether from hers, and she winced, the withdrawal a physical pain. He snapped his fingers, returning Shiloh to the Crystarium, as promised, without so much as a word.

She made her way back to her room in the Pendants, still processing everything she’d learned, and seen, and felt. Every so often touching her kiss swollen lips. She slid into her room meeting no one she knew along the way, no one to question the high blush on her cheek and chest, or the dazed look in her eyes. Distracted as she was it took a minute for her to notice the violin case sitting on her kitchen table. She knew before opening it what she’d find within, a promise, a memory, her red violin. 

[gegenji]

Musings on Post-5.3 Roadmap

So, I’ve had a fun little thought on how the plot of Final Fantasy XIV is going to go moving forward for a while now.

This latest patch did add some wrinkles and new information, but ultimately I think it actually makes my little story path I see in my head all that more... interesting, from a personal literary sense?

I’ve mentioned it on some Discord channels, but I figured I should really just put it down “on paper” as it were. To share, to discuss, and maybe come back to it down the road and see how close or wildly off the mark I was on my ideas.

This will involve some revelations from the most recent patch, of course, so I will be putting the theory beneath a Read More along with tagging the entire post as spoilers. Since it’s only been... a week and a half? Since the patch dropped.

So, my little theoretical roadmap comes in three parts. One for the rest of Shadowbringers, one for the unnamed Garlemald expansion that is supposedly coming up next, and one for the third and “final” expansion before the FFXIV main story ends and all that follows is just fun support stuff to keep the game alive (and bringing in money) for however long afterward.

So, to keep things tidy, I’ll split this diatribe into three parts to match.

Part One: Shadowbringers

With all our heroes back on the Source, I believe the rest of Shadowbringers will mostly wrap up the situation involving the Sundered members of the Convocation - like Fandaniel the Fantastical shown in the ending cutscenes of 5.3. Mostly since I believe somewhere it was mentioned that this expansion would wrap up the whole Ascian plot. So I don’t see these Sundered Ascians lasting past this expansion, as that would be counter to the aforementioned goal.

So I imagine that these Sundered Ascians may get some attention, but it’s hard to imagine them having the power and presence of the Unsundered like Emet or Elidibus. Unless - and this is what I think may happen - they pull an upgraded version of the Ascian Prime fusion that is done in the Aetherochemical Research Facility (or ARF, as many lovingly call it). This could serve as the final battle against the Ascians, providing a tangible combat threat for the WoL and their allies as well as handle the Sundered Convocation members in one fell swoop.

And since Elidibus took the station crystals with him when he was absorbed into the Crystal Tower on the First, there’s no way to elevate any of the other fragments of the Convocation members to their positions. Ascians effectively handled.

However, while that handles the Ascian situation, it doesn’t close the circle on Zodiark and Hydaelyn. Zodiark just loses its main core of people who are seeking to release him, as well as the main driving force causing the Rejoinings. That does not mean Zodiark is out of the picture, though, as there remains one very tangible individual who I see playing a major role in the Original Elder Primal’s release.

Zenos. (Not a huge surprise, I know, but bear with me!)

Part Two: Kingmaker

This expansion is dealing with the Garlean situation. The Populares as a united unit has been apparently dealt with offscreen given the ending cutscenes of 5.3. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some manner of ragtag band of freedom fighters or something that has been trying to cobble together a presence enough to get Zenos off the throne.

This would be our heroes’ “in” to entering Garlemald. Allying with and supporting this group of rebels against the Empire. Bringing in all the “good” Garleans we’ve encountered before, as well as introducing some others. Showing that Garlemald isn’t entirely full of cartoon villains but a nation of varied thoughts and opinions. It’s just the people in charge still adhering to the thoughts and principles instilled in them by the Ascians. The Ascians are gone, but their machinations still continue in this fashion.

The overarching plot involves getting the Populares reformed, fighting with Zenos’ forces, and - ultimately - putting Gaius on the throne instead. Putting him in the position to rule he had always wanted, but after being kicked down and having to make this climb back up. And perhaps senpai will finally notice Nero and he’ll end up as Gaius’ head of scientific endeavors while Cid remains with the Alliance (and perhaps joins the Scions as well in a more official fashion).

With Gaius on the throne, Garlemald would be in a position for peace with the Alliance and the war would finally end.

However, Zenos - as we have seen - doesn’t really care about the throne in the first place. He just wants to have his Grand Battle with his Best Friend. And the ending of Shadowbringers and the entirety of this Garlemald expansion has been setting up for this great battle. He has just been using his forces to entertain the Alliance and his Friend until he can get everything ready.

In the ending cutscenes of 5.3, it was implied that Zenos and Fandaniel were trying to goad Elidibus into showing up. There’s some ideas as to why, but my personal guess is to teach Zenos one of the few Ascian-related things he still doesn’t know how to do.

Rejoinings.

Either during the final patches of Shadowbringers or during this expansion, Zenos is going to figure out how to do this. Perhaps not as cleanly as the Unsundered did it in the previous Calamities, but he is going to. And that has been his goal during all this: to provide that one last Rejoining that will allow Zodiark to break free from His confinement.

Why? Shinryu 2.0. His goal is to harness the power of the Original Primal and seek to bend it to his will for a realm-clashing battle of the gods between him and the Warrior of Light. Whether he succeeds or his hubris finally comes back to bite him and he ends up a puppet of Zodiark, the now-deposed Crown Prince is still going to get what he wants.

And that’s the Warrior of Light having to do the same with Hydaelyn. The two have their great clash, and the Warrior of Light overcomes Zodiark-Zenos. Likely due to the power of friendship and Hydaelyn more willingly giving Her power to defeat Zodiark than Zenos’ forcing himself to replace Elidibus as Zodiark’s core.

This battle drains both Zodiark and Hydaelyn, finally removing the two Old Primals from the game. Things seem like Happily Ever After...

Until the Sound returns.

Part Three: Terminus Reborn

This is the big kicker: Zodiark actually never got rid of the source of the problem that caused His creation and sealed the end of Amaurot. He was simply holding it at bay - a task taken up by Hydaelyn after the Sundering, and perhaps aided by the problem itself also being split across the reflections. But with both Original Primals gone, and enough Rejoinings in place, the Terminus begins again.

This is where I see a literary parallel happening here. The Warrior of Light - also known as Azem, the wanderer and gatherer of stars - has been gathering people to them this whole time. The Scions.

And while they may not be exactly the same, and certainly don’t have the power, knowledge, or resources of the Convocation - due to not being Ascians, not having the station crystals, and not being in a similar position of power - there is enough of a similarity that one could compare the Scions to a New Convocation of sorts. Perhaps even taking up similar roles in the group dynamic - such as Cid fulfilling a Lahabrea-style position or something. Or Tataru being the Emet-Selch. Or even being identified as the counterparts like in the Scions of Light/Darkness in FFXII.

However subtle or obvious they make it, the full circle is here. The “new Convocation” has to deal with the threat of the original Convocation. From a far more perilous position and unable (and very likely unwilling) to just do a repeat of the past by summoning a new Zodiark analogue.

So the Warrior of Light does what they (and Azem) do best. They travel the world, gathering the help and knowledge of people all over to find out a way to defeat the problem. If there are any parts of the Star (would it still be called Hydaelyn at this point with Hydaelyn gone? Who knows) that have been left unvisited, this is the expansion it happens. New World, Meracydia, etc.

Through this, the true cause of the Sound is discovered (perhaps a previously unknown side-effect of Amaurotine Creation/Primal summoning) and a solution is found and implemented, saving the world. And showing the Sundered races having surpassed the Amaurotine they were fractured from by solving the problem they could not.

Expansion ends, and then all the future content is more or less just fun side stuff or other mini-conflicts that take place on the Star now that the threat of the Ascians, of Zodiark and Hydaelyn, and the Terminus are all resolved.

==========

And that’s basically my thoughts on where I could see the plot going, based on what I’ve seen and what thoughts I have had based on the information that’s been provided. And some adjustments and additions/omissions based on the Discord conversations I mentioned at the very start of all this.

What do you think? Seem plausible? Too far out there? Do you see things unfolding in a different way?

I’d love to see what others think - both of my idea, and their own ideas for how the plot of FFXIV will continue and ultimately conclude.

[therovingstar]

Like Flowers Aflame

Summary: “I took your kill.” He almost starts when she calls to him, turns her head, and meets his gaze across the distance between them, still poised as he is on the wide steps. He questions which strikes him first: her dark eyes, ringed by a fire all their own, or the mild smile playing about her lips. She shrugs a shoulder. “Sorry.” 

Hien x WoL (pre-relationship), <2700 words, fluff and feels, mild descriptions of blood.

@ffxiv-writers

AO3 Link

It is pandemonium, still, throughout the city and beyond its walls. Soldiers, leaders, resistance volunteers; dozens cross his path without him once being able to put a name to a mien. ‘Tis little surprise; he and his are the foreigners here, and there is no one who would recognize his face anymore than he would theirs. There are exceptions, of course, in a precious few, but they are justifiably occupied with the small matter of their nation’s new freedom.

He knows the feeling well. He should be with his own, miles away across the seas. And yet…

Lyse was a beacon in red, waving them down in the crowd. “I saw her earlier,”she said, “helping the other healers. Then I heard she went up top.” The young woman pointed above her head, and he followed her finger to the top levels of the Ala Mhigan palace, gleaming white and smoky gray against the blue, early evening sky.  

“For what reason?” Yugiri asked. Lyse shrugged.

“Something about sussing out the aether in the atmosphere? Making sure that primal doesn’t show back up, presumably. We’ve already removed Zenos’ body. Guess it’s a precaution.”

That was all he needed to hear.

“My lord, where are you going?” Yugiri called to his back. Hien looked back over his shoulder, offering a bracing grin.

“To retrieve our hero, of course.” And before anyone could respond, he rallied himself and disappeared back into the bedlam.

He should be with his people now, or at least crossing those great waters to return to them. And he will be, come the definitive end to this day of revolution. But first…

The Gyr Abanian sun begins its descent in earnest as he traverses the residents’ quarters and approaches the palace. It paints everything in shades of orange and gold, from the stone buildings to the cargo wagons to the dented armor of Garlean machina and the torn uniforms of Alliance soldiers. For a moment, one can almost ignore the carnage of the day, so effective the dusk is at casting it all in gilded hues. It makes him yearn for the sight of the Ruby Sea at such a time, when the waters are burnished with a fire to rival Hell’s Lid.

How surprised he is, then, when he enters the palace under cover of chaos, climbs the staircase, and steps foot onto the shore of another kind of sea entirely.

There is a garden aflame. Hundreds, thousands of them, pink and red and white blossoms swaying as if from the tips of candle wicks under a breeze that teases his cheeks and the white fur lining his collar. Water gleams in golden pools bordered by white marble and teeming with green leaves and lotus.

It is beautiful, a landscape painting turned reality, and made a portrait by the lone Raen woman standing at its center, still as a sculpture.

But first, I wish to find her. See her, speak with her. Just for a moment.

What a ruler he is.

“I took your kill.” He almost starts when she calls to him, turns her head, and meets his gaze across the distance between them, still poised as he is on the wide steps. He questions which strikes him first: her dark eyes, ringed by a pink fire all their own, or the mild smile playing about her lips. Odzaya shrugs a shoulder. “Sorry.”

Hien blinks once, perhaps twice, before he bursts with a laugh.

“Aye! I suppose you did!” He approaches, his steps light, and stops several fulms away from where she stands bracketed by blossoms. “‘Tis fitting, I think.”

She looks surprised. “Truly?” Skepticism coats her gaze and tone as she turns in his direction.

“Truly,” Hien confirms, and crosses his arms, considering. “Zenos yae Galvus took much from me, certainly, but I am hardly the only one. Every Doman, every Ala Mhigan, every person who lost a home or a loved one or a livelihood to the Empire’s greed and his supposed ennui…they all deserved a chance at his head.” His gaze finds the place where the man in question’s body fell; his spattered blood still shines unnaturally jewel-like under the evening sun on the marble, as well as the petals of nearby flowers. Beautiful in the most morbid of ways. He grins suddenly, and looks at her. “My heart warms knowing that you thought of me, however.”

“A brief thought as he attempted to eat me, yes,” she admits, half sarcastic. Hien chuckles.

“Conqueror of Bardam’s Mettle and proud samurai I may be, but I know well that my skills paled in comparison to the man who felled my father, renowned swordsman that he was.” His grin widens. “I could not have hoped to defeat Zenos with my blade any more than a farmer with her hoe or a merchant with his silver tongue.”

“Give yourself a touch more credit, ‘Fire Walker’,” Odzaya replies, a thick purple brow lifting as she smirks. “You would at least do better than the merchant.” Hien guffaws, and her expression turns curious. “Speaking of silver tongues, whose was it that convinced you to come all the way up here?”

“I looking for you,” he answers easily, “of my own volition. Lyse mentioned something about your doing aether surveillance.”

Odzaya shakes her head. “Nothing so pedantic; I’ve not the tools on hand, nor the patience to use them. I was merely satisfying my own paranoia, more than anything.” She shifts back to her previous position of facing the far end of the gardens, and Hien follows without thinking, unwilling to resist his own curiosity. Soon, they both stand on the site of the Garleans’ last stand, where Zenos’ primal – Shinryu, he overheard it called – was previously bound. “Here is where it is most concentrated,” she tells him. “Feel it?”

He does, slightly. Sees it, as well. A strange thickness to the golden air as it enters his nostrils, barely visible undulations of sickly green at the edges of his periphery. A taste on the back of his tongue, just this side of bitter. He cannot hone in on any of it, distant sensations that they are and try as he might, but it makes his skin itch, his lungs reluctant to expand for what they may suck in. He looks beside him to find Odzaya’s eyes closed, her nose lightly wrinkled. Little doubt she senses more, for better or worse. “I will say,” he begins, crossing his arms, “I am glad we have not to compete with such creatures in Yanxia.”

“Mm,” Odzaya hums in agreement. “Be glad they’ve taken so much to these lands, instead.”

Hien thinks, then grins. “Ah, but then we have no Warrior of Light, either. Perhaps it would be a fair trade to deal with the occasional evil being knocking down our doors, to have one such as yourself in our regular company.”

She snorts once, and her smile, having disappeared beneath her concentration, returns. “Selfish.”

“At times,” he replies, and grins wider at her profile. “As we all are.”

They share silence, then, but for the wind through the blossoms and the gentle trickle of water. If he strains, he can hear the din down below, but up here, they seem separated from it all. It reminds him of the Azim Steppe’s plains, where malms of grasses stretch into infinity. Where one could seemingly chase the horizon forever and never encounter a soul.

He misses it. Here, however, with her, it feels as if a small fragment of the feeling has returned to him, even on this foreign soil located on the other side of the world. A power she gained as khagun, her connection to the land allowing her to carry its essence with her? Or merely a power she has all her own and over him, to conjure fond recollections of those days that were as fraught as they were halcyon?

“On the Steppe,” Odzaya begins suddenly. Hien mildly startles, thinking for one impossible moment that she read his mind. Then she continues. “There is a belief, that to interrupt a hunt is to interrupt fate. It is a sacred bond, that of two souls opposed. Predator and prey, seeker and sought. A matter to be left to the gods and the gods alone.” She opens her eyes and shrugs lightly. “A silly thing to consider perhaps, given what soil we are on and my extensive record of solving others’ problems. But…”

“But?” he encourages.

“But unlike those others, who gave me their blessing to act in their stead,” she says, and looks up at him, her sun-red gaze keen beneath the clean cut of her braided bangs, “you did not. And I recognized the desire in your eyes when we fought together in the Naadam and in Doma. To meet blades with those to stole so much from you. Regardless of your chance at victory.”

I see. So that is her quandary, then, and why she has brought it back to the fore, despite his assurances. Hien sighs, thoughtful, and absently rests a hand on the hilt of his katana. “You are not wrong,” he answers honestly. “A large part of me longed to meet the man on the battlefield. Partly for my father, as well as my countrymen. But also for the sake of my own pride.” He huffs once in amusement at his own foolery, and his thumb plays with the catch, teasing a release of the blade. “Would I be able to hold my own against the warrior no other has? T’was a question I could not help but ask myself, however ridiculous.”

“I took away your opportunity to find out,” Odzaya says, her gaze somewhat regretful. Hien laughs aloud.

“Fret not, my friend! Regardless of our blades never meeting, I received my answer well from the ‘hunt’ I witnessed between the two of you.” He takes his gaze to the palace’s tower and surrounding spires, a broken beacon still smoking in the aftermath of their duel. “I could scarce imagine besting the man, let alone a beast of the magnitude he became.” He sobers, and his smile gentles. “No, I am content to have had you there in my stead, and the stead of all those who suffered from his deeds.” He faces her fully, then, and makes a show of bowing low. “Just as it was my honor to have you at my side during my country’s liberation, so it is my honor to have had my personal hopes met by your hand.” When he straightens, only to be met with her widened gaze, he grins broadly once more. “I daresay you are performing your role well. ‘Tis a khagun’s duty to fulfill the wishes of her people, no? And from what I’ve gathered since arriving here, you have many outside of the Steppe.”

To his surprise, the woman scoffs lightly. “As if they would know the title.”

“I am here, yes? And Lyse, as well as a contingent of the Xaela who chose to take the journey here in your name.” He thumps a fist to his armored chest in a warrior’s gesture. “We will inform them.”

Odzaya shakes her head emphatically. “Keep the knowledge to yourselves, if you please. The last thing I need is more unnecessary ceremony. They already make too large a matter of me on this side of the world.”

“Can you blame them?”

“Yes,” she replies bluntly. “And you and Lyse for making it worse if you talk.” When he merely shrugs in answer, she narrows her eyes and angles herself toward him once more, her mouth pursed. He notes the medic’s uniform she wears, identical to the one worn by others he saw about the field but for the extra padding about her torso and arms, her armored boots, and the white and red cloak clasped at her neck. An attempt to make her abilities known, perhaps, while still blending in. Frankly, it fails. She still stands out like a lone lantern in the dark, not just for her scales or the vibrancy of her hair, but for the understated grace and power with which she carries herself. Like the blooms around them, he reckons, his eyes absently finding them; far hardier than they look, for all the epic battle that just took place here put them through. Even the ones that bore the brunt of Zenos’ bloody collapse have sprung back up in a way the warlord definitely did not, bruised but otherwise unscathed, and no less beautiful.

His gaze returns to her, and his smile, for a moment, turns inward. “Fitting,” he says again, this time as a murmur to himself.

“You said that,” Odzaya replies. He forgets about those keen horns sometimes; even Yugiri still blindsides him with all she manages to hear. “Still thinking about it?” she inquires.

“Just wondering what it is like to face a dragon in combat,” he says, in effort to cover his momentary daydreaming. To his surprise, she answers immediately.

“Hot and messy,” she states with all confidence, as if it is a knowledge she is intimately acquainted with. “And terrible-tasting. The blood gets everywhere.” She absently licks at the thick width of her bottom lip, and Hien splutters before he can control himself.

For every substantial thing he learns about her, like her gift for healing or her war-torn past or her casually rubbing shoulders with some of the most prominent figures on either continent, it is the smaller things – the fact that she sharpens the decorative edges of her staves and adores children and has apparently tasted dragon’s blood – that set his heart racing for reasons he is not quite yet willing to ponder.

“I suppose we’re done here. You did come to retrieve me, yes?” Odzaya makes the first move for the rooftop’s exit, her cloak billowing briefly outward with the abrupt spin of her heels. Hien comes back to himself with a small shake of the head, and she lifts a brow. “Are you alright?”

“Aye,” he says, pasting an easygoing smile on his lips. “Perhaps it is the aether, along with the hectic events of the day. My attentions seem to be scattering themselves.”

“You did come a long way,” she replies, and pauses, turning to face him once more. When next she speaks, her voice is softer. “Thank you, for the record. For doing that. Coming.” Hien’s smile widens.

“I said I would come,” he says with gentle conviction. “T’was a promise, yes?” Odzaya shrugs.

“Crossing an ocean is a long way for a promise, especially for a king with a country.”

“I could not well leave my khagun to do battle alone,” he half-jests. “A small difference we ultimately made, but it was a difference, still. And it was the least I could do for what you did for me and mine. And what you have done now.”

It is practically nothing, for all that she has done for him. A hundred years he could spend in attempt to repay her, and he fears he would still fall short. It says something, he thinks, that he still wishes to try.

“Well, you have my gratitude,” Odzaya says, and lifts herself briefly onto her toes, her head lowered just enough for her locced bangs to cover her eyes. A gesture of shyness, he inexplicably recognizes, having seen it last on the Steppe, when her family made such a fuss over her return to their midst. The realization brings that earlier inward smile to his face in full, blatant force before he can stop it.

“As you have mine,” he returns. Their gazes find one another again, and when she returns his smile, it is warmer than the sun on his face.

He dares to think he would cross another ten oceans, just to bask in its heat as he is now.

A hundred years. Ten oceans.

Small prices to pay for her eyes upon him.

[theaetherhealerffxiv]

FFXIV Write - Week One - Prompt 7  - Forgiven

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast

—-

FFXIV Oneshot: OC Based Fanfiction [Wol-verse]

Rating: Rated M because of mental trauma. 

Pairings: Wol oc x Thancred

Summary: Thancred begs forgiveness for the wrongs he did to them while under Lahabrea’s control, and Swath tries to calm him. 

Word Count: 1805

He was sobbing, and all I could do was watch. While the other Scions ran around dealing with the aftermath that the Omega Weapon had created, I was here with Thancred, who was finally awake from being unconscious. I had carried him out of the Castrum, my body was heavy and I was still bleeding and bruised, and he was sobbing. There was nothing I could do. 

“I am sorry,” I heard his soft voice mutter, it was broken and rough. He had been repeating it so often now. His hands where grabbing at the Ascian cloak he still wore, we had not been able to return to the Waking Sands because of our conditions, otherwise I would have gone to get him a change of clothing. My body, exhausted and wounded, and his much of the same, except his mind was broken. He had been taken by the enemy, and had been used against me. The one person he had pledged to protect, and stand by. His Angel. I held my head, my white hair drenched in sweat and mud. “I am sorry,” I heard his weary voice again. I wished nothing more than to heave myself up and collapse around him, pulling him down into a warm embrace. To sleep together in a bed like we had been doing for months now - that is up until he had been possessed. When he had avoided me, avoided our room, avoided touching me. I frowned, was he apologizing because he attacked us and was a puppet? Or because he thinks he hurt me? I lifted my head to see him digging his fingers deeper into the fabric, and the sound of ripping echoed through the room. 

“Thancred!” I called out willing my exhausted form to move from where I sat. Then suddenly I was by him, turning him to me and prying his hands off of his shoulders. He was shaking his head, tears falling down and intermingling with the dirt and blood, his usually calm eyes wild as he realized who held him. I opened my mouth and he tried to pull away, it was futile, while I was exhausted, I at the moment was still stronger than he. I imagine his strength had been sapped from him, all used up in the attacks that Lahabrea had used against me. 

“No!” He groaned, “I -” I clicked my tongue and pulled him into me. His body slumped in my embrace, and I once more  heard broken sobbing. “Did I hurt anyone?” Thancred moaned, “Did I hurt you?” He grabbed fists of my shirt and forced his face further into my shoulder. “I, I remember most of it until the very last. I struggled, I struggled to keep conscious. But he forced me into submission, I did not have a choice, Twelve.” I could only imagine how wild his eyes must still be, he was trying to remember memories that were not there. Trying to come to terms with his body being stolen from him, and being used against those he loved. “I hurt you,” I heard, and then realized he was feeling the bandages all over my body. I cursed to myself, I should have thought through my actions. “Twelve I hurt you!” He began to struggle against me then, feebly, but still trying to get away from me. As if he would lose his mind again and Lahabrea would appear once more to strike at me. I winced as he pushed against various tended to wounds, before he realized that his flailing was hurting me. He shivered and hung his head against my shoulder. I stilled, I did not want to set him off again, perhaps moving him away from me would help.

I pulled him back and his green eyes, puffy from crying looked at me in shock. “Thancred,” I began but was cut off by his hysterics once again, I winced to myself. I, for all my heroics could not even tend to the one who needed me most.

“Gods, I hurt you, Swath I, I am so sorry, I cannot, I,” He looked frantically around us. “Gods, Swath,” Thancreds body was getting tense: he was looking for a chance to run from me. I frowned debating my actions, then throwing caution to the wind. I forced him back into a hug, trapping him. It probably was panic inducing to him, I knew this. But I could not think of anything better at the moment. I wanted to keep him here with me, I was selfish. 

“I forgive yah,” I whispered. “I forgive everything ya hav’ done, yah did not hurt us, bu’ I forgive yah.” He shivered, it was not a good shiver like I was used too. It was not because I whispered loving words into his ear. I held him tighter and continued. “I love yah Thancred, I love yah. I love yah, and,” By the twelve I realized as I spoke tears came from my eyes as well. As the hot liquid hit Thancreds cheek I felt him wrap his arms around me. Now I was shaking. “I was so damn scared.” I sobbed. “I’h thought, I was gunna lose yah, I thought I’h was gunna have to kill yah.” I hiccuped and pulled the man closer. He held me as we both cried. “Yah, ar’ safe I’h aint gunna let them get to yah again.” I rasped. In my arms the man cried hard, I crumpled, my legs giving out as the last of my strength faded. I was turning this into myself, Thancred needed me and I was being reduced into a blubbering mess.

Now, Thancred was holding onto me, gently helping me sit down on the ground. He pulled away and I let him. I had a feeling he was not going to run from me anymore. Lifting his hands up he tore at the cloak, freeing himself from it. Now, wadding it up in his hands he threw it to the side, with as much angry strength as he could muster. The clothes he wore under it were torn and dirty, clearly not spared from our fight. I reached back out to him and was surprised when he came forward and pressed a kiss against my lips. It was frantic, painful, bruising, as it was clear he could not control himself. As if having his body back was forigen to him, and I guess it was. He had not been in control of his body for so long now. I kissed back, pressing a palm against his cheek before he fell to his knees breathing heavily holding my hand to his face. 

“I am sorry,” He said again and I shook my head.

“Enough sorry’s love. Is’ over. If yah feel sorry make up to it tah me by stayin by mah side.” I ran my thumb over a dainty scratch that spanned from the bottom to his lip to the top. His green eyes looked at me, still clearly panicked, but it was clear he was coming down from the anxiety high. Thancred frowned and took in a shaky breath. I watched him carefully, I did not know how to help him. How to heal him from this, all I could do was ask him to remain by my side. So that we could share the trauma of this event together. I could only hope it would heal both of us in time.

“Marry me then,” He chuckled. “I, meant to ask before I, before this.. I,” I could tell he was at a loss for words again, or, perhaps it was my shocked face. I had heard from Minfilia before all of this, that Thancred had been looking at bands. She had told me that she was so happy he and I had found something together, that she couldn't wait for us to be official. Then it happened, he went away on a solo mission, and came back, different. Tears sprang to my eyes as he asked. I wanted him to repeat the words over and over again, I knew that it was likely in desperation. That his words were something that he wanted to get out in case something happened to us again. In truth something likely would, our fates wherever bound to Eorzea as a whole. But we could take something back maybe, together, by binding our souls to each other.

“I’h will happily bound mahself to yah.” I whispered then, fighting back the tears. I watched as his shoulders sagged in relief. 

“I promise to never leave you.” Thancred smiled, and I leaned my head back shivering. He sat next to me and sighed. Laying his head against my shoulder, still holding my hand. The floor was hard, but we were so tired it did not truly register. “Did,” He sighed again and frowned beside me. “How much did Lahabrea hurt you?” He finally asked. I did not want him to fall back into his panicked state, but at the same time he seemed to be relaxing and I did not want to hide anything from him. Hiding the truth would hurt him more.

I nuzzled into his dirty hair and shrugged. “It was chaotic love. “ I pressed a kiss to the top of his head and squeezed his hand. “I imagine nah more than the Omega Weapon an’ Gaius.” I paused and shifted so I was closer to him. “Think nah more of it. We gotta gather our energy ta get up an’ announce ta tha others tha yah are.. Better.” 

I heard a shaky laugh and he pressed himself further into my side. “Allow me to stay like this a little longer. I am suddenly so very tired.” I was lying to both of us and he knew it. We where not okay, he was not okay. He was broken, hurt, and withdrawing. I could feel it and there was nothing I could do. Would he be the same tomorrow as today? Would he be different? Did I truly care? He was my Thancred, and nothing would change that. No trauma, no hurt, nothing could tear me from him. He would likely curse this eventually, but for now I would take solace in knowing he was here with me. That we could share this moment together.

I hummed, “Aye, course love.” 

“Angel.” Thancred muttered, I hummed again in response but he just shook his head. “You really are an Angel.” 

I felt him relax into my shoulder and shiver once more, before being pulled into an unwilling sleep. I would watch over him, like the Angel he needed. Choking back a sob I pressed a kiss to his head and tried to ignore my own pain in favor of being a pillow for the man I loved.