#friend: night's sorceress (y'shtola)

[flowering-darkness]

9 14 and 15 for Lorenza please!

Certainly, Merlin! Thank you very much for these!!

(question source: "ask game: self-insert lore" by celestialship)

9. who are your self-insert’s closest friends? - By this point, I would say that Brynblyss and Tsutsuji fill this role most closely, as they are the friends she spends the majority of her time with and thus knows in a more close way than others she may be seen as getting along better with. (I specify these two and not Clio because she and Clio are meant to be in a romantic relationship, I just.. keep not developing it at all.) Lorenza’s personality may be quite different to either of theirs, but the fact she has shared so many experiences with them over the course of the story is what provides that innate tight-knitness to their dynamic. Initially, this closeness first originated from Tsutsuji being the mage who initially made a pact with Lorenza and whom she was therefore arguably most bound to, while Brynblyss was the one who noticed her struggles with food (as opposed to just directly siphoning aether while in the void), and reached out to help her work around it using his knowledge of potion-making. This gesture wasn't something Lorenza expected of him, but it meant a lot to her, and it did a lot to bridge the initial gap that existed between the two from the aforementioned personality clashes/lack of trust on Bryn’s end.

Outside of the immediate light party, though, Y’shtola is the Scion whom Lorenza gets on best with (followed probably by Urianger?), and she shares a unique closeness with both her and Tataru, because the two of them have directly witnessed more of her nature as a voidsent than the others. Specifically, Y’shtola using magic to visualise aether after losing her vision to the Lifestream meant she was unwittingly faced with the full truth of Lorenza’s nature during Heavensward, while Tataru insisted on weaving a new outfit for Lorenza before Stormblood (to demonstrate that she was in fact part of the Scions and her presence was welcomed instead of just being tolerated), and Lorenza tentatively allowed her to privately take the necessary measurements, despite being reluctant to admit that her wings were not in fact fashion accessories.

14. what hobbies does your self-insert have? - Before the Flood of Darkness, Lorenza’s main hobbies were reading, dancing (particularly very fast dances that were hard for others to keep up with her in), and swordsmanship (much to her mother’s chagrin). She didn’t use to like weaving back then, but became more fond of it “recently”, as an activity done with her old friend Cessair during the Fifth Astral Era. She views a lot of different hobbies as something quite nostalgic to her, because seeing people participating in them nowadays on the Source reminds her of what the Thirteenth used to be like before its destruction. So she might have a go at things here and there.

15. how does your self-insert play a role in the plot of the story? does she help directly defeat the villain, support the heroes, etc.? - While she doesn’t give off the typical impressions of a protagonist, Lorenza does assist the heroes of the game, because those are Clio and the rest of the Scions (including the party she travels with/is part of). Her most active roles as a driving force in the story are during Crystal Tower (which is where she enters the Source and helps NOAH get into the World of Darkness), Shadows of Mhach (in which her history as a voidsent previously summoned by Mhach comes into play), the last zone of Endwalker (as she is captured by the Meteia), and the post-Endwalker main scenario (because of course she is, it’s all about Zero and the Thirteenth). But, she's part of the light party for the main scenario after her introduction!

I hope that these answers were alright! Thank you again for taking the time to send this in when you did~

[kalina-moonbride]

First Time Sleeping Together

Context: Level 84 quest “Returning Home”. Spoilers: References to character beats from Shadowbringers. Warnings: Sexual interactions and innuendo, non-explicit. Challenge: @ffxivpolyamoryweek! Details here.

Kalina Moonbride and Y'shtola Rhul stood outside the andron, their conversation drawing to a close with Y'shtola satisfied in the Warrior of Light's well-being. “I suspect it will grow colder as the night wears on,” said the sorceress, “so do be sure to stay warm. Sleep well, and may the shadows keep you.” She bowed, with arms folded and held forward: the little parting benediction of the Night's Blessed.

Cold or not, Kalina's heart melted in that moment. She and Y'shtola were the only ones in the whole of the Source for whom that gesture held special meaning. Thancred and Urianger were familiar, sure, but they didn't believe, they hadn't practiced it. Being of the Night's Blessed was a small, strange, secret bond between these two women alone in all the world.

She had declined an invitation to enter the andron, when she arrived, but maybe… “Shtola… don't go yet, please.”

The Miqo'te's ears twitched at the affectionate omission of the tribe marker from her name. “I've said what I came to say. Is there aught else?”

Kalina looked down, willing herself past shyness. “You wouldn't have to … say … anything.” She reached out and put a hand under Y'shtola's, open, that she might freely withdraw if she wished. “Help me stay warm? Like you want me to?”

“Ah…” Her pale eyes filled with sadness, and she too couldn't look into the other's face. But she closed her hand over Kalina's.

“I know you miss Runar. Maybe not as much as he misses you, granted.” Kalina glanced up to see how that landed; Y'shtola smiled a little, wistful, not offended. “I don't want you to forget. But I could help fill the absence, if you'd have me.”

Shtola reached up with her free hand, touched Kalina's fur at the collarbone. Her fingers slid under the chain that connected the bodice of Kalina's Makai jacket to the choker around her neck, closed around it, a faint tug. “This is your desire? To be something more than friends and comrades?”

Ilms away from those fingertips, Kalina's heart raced. “Yes! It has been, for some time. I… guess I lacked the courage until tonight.”

Y'shtola let out a breath between her lips, not quite chuckling. “That you of anyone would speak of failed courage! But it is a dangerous thing, is it not.” She looked up, searching Kalina's face with those literally soul-piercing eyes. But whatever she found there seemed to settle her mind. “…Very well. Let us see what comes of it, together.”

Gods, she wanted to freeze this moment, keep that look on Shtola's face and those hands right where they were, but… the door. She tightened her grip on Y'shtola's hand, turned and pushed through into the andron.

“Oh?” Y'shtola hesitated, and let go of Kalina's hand, as the door shut behind them. There, curled up tight with a pillow and a blanket atop a little padded bench, lay G'raha Tia, sound asleep.

'Oh' indeed. Whoops. “Uh.” Kalina lowered her voice. “Right. Raha came knocking too, maybe a bell ago? For much the same reason as you did. Checking on me, like, to see if I was okay?” She made frantic, meaningless little gestures with her now-free hands. “And yes, I invited him in, too, just like you but… no, different! It's not, um, physical, with him?” She found it more and more difficult to keep her voice to a whisper. She fussed with her choker and its chain, beneath which her skin still felt hot. “I mean, even if it were, it'd be fine! It is fine! We can all be together, it's okay.” She met Y'shtola's eyes directly at last, her expression desperate and pleading. “If it's okay, I mean. With you?”

Y'shtola's body language went very tense and strange, as if she were caught between three different possible reactions at once. Was she about to turn back toward the door, or put her hands on her hips, or lean her head onto one palm? But finally her shoulders relaxed and her expression softened, and she let out a little huff of suppressed laughter. “You're sure he wouldn't object?”

“Yes!” She said it at full volume, and realizing as much, clapped a hand over her mouth. Thankfully, the man on the bench didn't stir. She lowered the hand along with her voice. “We've talked about it, even. What it'd be like, if some of us Scions were … closer. He'll be delighted, I promise.” A parade of thoughts came crashing to a halt in a disastrous pile-up. “But, um, it'd be kind of us to let him sleep. We shouldn't do anything… loud.”

Shtola giggled, the most girlish outburst Kalina had ever witnessed from the woman. Then she closed the distance between them with three long, slow, stealthy strides, and looked up at Kalina.

“I think we can manage.”

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

🖊

"He didn't want us to come." The words were like a bomb going off, and Y'shtola's head whipped around.

"What did you say?"

"I said, he didn't want us to come." Mathye repeated himself. The air around him sizzled with aether--his own and that of his dragon. Both were frustrated and tired, and the thought briefly flashed through Y'shtola's mind that she should probably leave, and allow the hyuran man to rest. She could question him later-

No. This was too important, and she knew that Mathye fully understood. Every instinct she possessed had been screaming warnings at her ever since she'd met the Crystal Exarch. The man was up to something, she was certain. Urianger's total acceptance of the Exarch's honeyed words had only buoyed her suspicions. To keep from acting rashly, she had left. But as the months passed, and she settled in amongst the Night's Blessed, Y'shtola had started to question herself. Had she been too suspicious? Perhaps she'd only been seeking trouble. Mayhap the Exarch was...well, a shite magician.

Any and all doubts had fled the moment Urianger had chastised her for not recognizing Riven's aether. It only had been years of self control that had kept her from crying out in shock, had Urianger gone mad? The thing that stood in the midst of her friends--that was not the gentle and pure Light of the Crystal, it was rotten, it was corrupted--

And then Riven's voice. Small. Quiet. Filled with hurt.

You truly thought me a sin eater?

"What do you mean 'didn't want you to come'?" With a grunt, Mathye let himself drop down onto his cot, wanting to scream in relief as the weight was removed from his prosthetic limb. He closed his eyes.

"According to Riven, he gave her the runaround on summoning us to help. Tried to talk her out of it. Said that it wasn't possible to call us over. Which was bullshit, because he told her the summoning spell latched onto those who were close to her heart. And she was able to cross the portal and help us come over."

"Close to her heart..." Y'shtola repeated. Twelve be good! If that was the case, Augustine, Reinhardt, Mathye and Sebastian should have been pulled over as well. All of Riven's friends and loved ones should have already been on the First prior to her arrival.

A teleportation spell can malfunction yes, but with those requirements... Another piece of the puzzle was clicking into place for Y'shtola, and she didn't like the image that was starting to form.

He wanted her separated from them. Isolated with just us. Whatever he's planning, he must have known that they would become aware or figure out what he was up to--and when it comes to Riven's safety, they have zero qualms...

"I need to know everything that's happened from when you first arrived." Mathye opened his eyes, looking at the sorceress.

"Everything?" He asked.

"Everything that involves you and your battle brothers, Riven, and the Exarch." Y'shtola responded.

[elizabethrobertajones]

a very intimate kiss on the forehead/hand

From the "unresolved feelings prompts". Please and thank you. :)

:3 I went with my favourite unresolved ship... Who knows if/when this will EVER be more than stupid pining on both sides. No, please, who knows. Tell me, I'm in so much pain here.

Mid-Endwalker spoilers. Unlike everyone who picked Estinien for That Cutscene to see him jump out the window, I went with my wifey.

-

"Promise me you will be careful. That you will seek my counsel if you feel unwell."

Y'shtola spoke with such firmness that it was all Bounding Frog could do but to nod and smile, comforted simply from seeing the concern rolling off her dearest friend.

A smirk crossed Y'shtola's face at that nod, comforted in her own way by the Warrior of Light's circumspect replies, and her posture relaxed somewhat. "That puts my heart at ease, if only a touch. I suspect it will grow colder as the night wears on, so do be sure to stay warm."

Frog's mouth fell open, caught between wondering if she had misheard or overinterpreted an invitation to come warm Y'shtola's heart, not simply been warned about the biting cold of the Sharlayan nights. No, Y'shtola had been her first introduction to the Scions, a beloved friend since then, and had always looked after Frog, been quick to defend her when Frog herself had not perceived a slight, or trusted far more than the Sorceress did. But even at this late hour, figuratively and literally of their journey together, Frog had to be imagining Y'shtola reaching out to her that way. It would be unseemly to hit on the Warrior of Light, so obviously Y'shtola would not be doing that.

While she had been standing gawping, Y'stola smiled fondly and bade her farewells with a familiar bow. "Sleep well, and may the shadows keep you."

Madness seized Frog and she herself dropped into a bow of her own, falling too one knee, and she took Y'shtola's hand. "Goodnight, my friend," she whispered, and pressed her lips to the back of Y'shtola's hand, the chivalry flowing through her perhaps a whisper of the Paladin soul stone still tucked in the pocket close to her heart. Or perhaps in Urianger's absence, someone needed to be the weirdest Scion. Whatever it was, she realised what she had done a moment too late, and dropped Y'shtola's hand.

The terrifying Sorceress merely put her hand to her lips to cover a giggle, and, shaking her head, turned and walked away. If she blushed, Frog did not get a chance to see.

She shut her door a little too loudly, and smacked herself hard on the forehead, before heading over to close the window, and only then remembered her terrifying vision of a bloody sky and falling fire. How could she call Y'shtola back to discuss it after that scene?

She went to bed, still furious at herself.

[winterstorm032802]

Detective

Alphinaud: I need to know, who took my sketchbook?

Thancred & Alisaie & Y'Shtola & Urianger & Ryne & G'raha Tia: ...

Alphinaud: Oh? The silent game, I see, well I'll have you know that *puts his hand up pointing one finger up* Nora here is a world class detective, during her ways whilst saving Eorzea *looks at Nora*

Nora: *wearing a dark purple chic tuxedo dress with black leggings and black flats* I got this Alphinaud

Alphinaud: *blushes and smiles* I believe in you

Nora: *winks*

.

Nora: *puts down a folder and looks at Thancred* Thancred Waters, gunbreaker, romancer to all. Where were you last night?

Thancred: I was sleeping

Nora: Oh yeah? Pray tell, whilst sleeping did you mayhaps awake to find someone out and about?

Thancred: ..No

Nora: *slams her hands on the table* Liar! Listen, we can do this the easy or hard way. So which way do you want to do this?

Thancred: What's the hard way?

Nora: *smirks and snaps her fingers*

Feo Ul: LISTEN here mortal! When my Sapling asks you a question you tell her what she wants to know [do you understand me?!]

Thancred: *sweats* I saw Y'Shtola out

.

Nora: Y'Shtola Rhul, sorceress, Master Matoya to others. Where were you?

Y'Shtola: Last night, I went to get a book at the Occular

Nora: Did you cross by anyone?

Y'Shtola: No

Nora: Thank you for your time

.

Nora: Ryne, Oracle of Light. Where were you?

Ryne: I was asleep

Nora: Your story checks out *smiles* Thank you for helping Ryne

Ryne: *smiles*

.

Nora: G'raha Tia, Crystal exarch, keeper of the crystal tower. Where were you?

G'raha Tia: I was reading

Nora: Your clear

.

Nora: Urianger Augurelt, Astrologian, friend of the Pixies. Where were you?

Urianger: I lied in my chambers reading on thy books of Ascians

Nora: Did you see anyone?

Urianger: Mistress Alisaie arrived, and said goodnight

Nora: I see..

Urianger: By chance did thoust figure something out?

Nora: Mayhaps

.

Nora: Alisaie Leveilleur, red mage, sister of Alphinaud Leveilleur, granddaughter of Louisoix Leveilleur. Where were you?

Alisaie: I was asleep

Nora: Lies! Urianger told me, he saw you as you had said goodnight. BUT your chambers is far from his, he resides close to where Alphinaud and my rooms are. So tell me, where were you?!

Alisaie: *sighs* I confess, I did it but look *shows Nora his sketchbook to a few pages of Nora, drawn*

Nora: ...

.

Alphinaud: Nora, did you find the culprit- *blushes* Alisaie! You took it!

Nora: Indeed she did

Alphinaud: Nora, why are you sitting next to her?

Alisaie: She decided to look at your drawings alongside me

Nora: *blushes and looks away* No! I'm looking for evidence

Alphinaud: But you found the culprit

Nora: Irrelevant

Alphinaud: No it's very relevant!

[musesbyarya-a]

@last-of-amdapor​ | Continue form here.

& URIANGER.

“The bounty of night doth glitter as the fairest sea of diamonds this eve.”  the poetic elezen spoke unto the sky, hearing the approach of the sorceress long before he turned to face her with a welcoming smile.

“To what doth I owe the pleasure of thine company, my lady?”

It was not difficult for the Seeker to recognize the aura of her old friend. Even if she had lost her sight several years ago now, Y'shtola was still able to perceive her environment thanks to the different kinds of aether contained in everything. However, she was careful not to say that using her gift all the time tended to tire her out and that was part of the reason why she meditated almost every night before going to bed.

"No one but you can tell me the beauty of the stars as you do, my dearest friend," replied the Miqo'te, stopping beside Urianger, smiling softly at him before looking blindly at the night sky of the Greatwood of Rak'tika. "It sometimes reminds me of Sharlayan, when we spent some nights contemplating the stars, trying to decipher the mysteries of the celestial vault that our Astrologians knew so well."

[catleha]

𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑬𝑻

repost, don’t reblog !

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 !

full name. Y’shtola Rhul. pronunciation. yash-toe-lah R -uh-l nicknames.  Cultured Conjurer (ARR), Lady White Mage (HW), Master Matoya, Sorceress (SHB), ‘shtola (Matoya & Y'mhitra only). height. 5′1″-ish  age. varies; early twenties during ARR - HW, late twenties during SHB zodiac. aquarius languages. Eorzean (English), various other languages (predominately ancient). Language as such later on loses most of its merit for Yshtola learns to read scriptures & tomes based on the aether one can find in the very ink. it does not matter in which language they originally are.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair colour. white. eye colour. formally teal, milky white / scorched silver post lifestream retrieval. After evoking the forbidden spell “flow”, Y’shtola lost her sight. skin tone.  rather dark fur / tan when measured under human standards.  body type. slender built, quite lean. Certainly feline. accent. British according to modern standards dominant hand. right handed. posture. rather elegant & upright, can be considered crooked now & then whenever exhaustion overwhelms her. tattoos. circle of knowing tattoo on both sides of her neck. most noticeable features. scorched eyes, cat-esque fur, tail & ears alongside a rather peculiar, feline built. Other than that she can be considered beautiful according to human standards, even tho she wants to hear none of it. -- flattery will not bring you any sympathy.

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.  close to Sharlayan. hometown.  due to y (jaguar) tribe's nomadic nature, Y'shtola never had an actual hometown; she used to spend of her childhood in Matoya's Cave, close to Sharlayan, however.. birth weight / height.  unknown. first words. unknown siblings.  she has several half-sisters & certainly just as many brothers given her tribes’ mating customs (seeker of the suns are generally described as polyamorous); she knows little of their existence. The only half-sister she keeps close is Y'mhitra Rhul, a summoner resident in Gridania. parents. Rhul Nunh (father) &  Y'lyhia Rhul (mother). parental involvement. barely any. Post her mother’s demise, her father concluded on sending both, Y’mhitra & Y’shtola to respective mentors to let them carter to their arcane inclinations (mostly due to them being so close in age & likewisely gifted). While Y’shtola was sent to Master Matoya at the age of nine, Y’mhitra & her mother left to start a life in Gridania. The jaguar (y) tribe on the other hand continued to travel South. -- Y’shtola has no contact to them whatsoever. 

ADULT LIFE

occupation.  aetherologist, archon (member of the circle of knowing & the scions of the seventh dawn), sage of the Night’s Blessed.  current residence. Rak’tika Greatwood (SHB). close friends. Urianger Augurelt, Lyse Hext, Thancred Waters, Minfilia Warde, Papalymo Totolymo, Alisaie & Alphinaud Leveilleur. relationship status. single, read: married to her work. financial status.  well financed driver’s license. n / a criminal record. unknown

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.  uncertain, presumably homosexual romantic orientation. uncertain, presumably homoromantic  preferred emotional role. submissive | dominant | switch  |  unsure preferred sexual role.  submissive |  dominant  |  switch |  sex repulsed libido. it exists & Y’shtola has certainly acted on impulses before but she is not one to pay that much heed to it. She has other priorities over all. turn on’s. n / a turn off’s. n / a love language. She expresses affection in her very own, special ways. Y’shtola is not one to openly shower you with love, compliments or other, similar signs of affection. Her love is a tough one shaped & formed by her patron Matoya. -- a pat on the shoulder, a compliment disguised as a piece of advice, a genuine smile or the attempt to open up in someone’s proximity are signs of her trust & love -- If she considers someone close enough she will allow herself to be weak, show fatigue or sadness & even become physical (embraces, actively searching closeness, etc). In the most dire case (aka a high level of trust) she will willingly sacrifice herself for a person’s very well-being or ask them unthinkable things like “would you describe the sky for me”. -- most of her “love” however remains strictly platonic. relationship tendencies. Y’shtola is prone to not only seclusion but also long periods of total solitude, in which she studies, practices & meditates. -- she prefers a reclusive lifestyle & does not openly look for friendships. In fact, Y’shtola prioritizes work & the sake of the many above her own social / love life. Needless to say, her negative self-perception & all that jazz come into play too. 

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song. Torn from the Heavens; a theme that plays whenever she participates in battles / appears in Dissidia; for Shadowbringers & the change it heralds, I envisioned something like Wardruna’s Solringen (it unites Rak’tika’s general flair with a tad more edge). hobbies to pass the time. studies, reading, research, practice. Sometimes she simply likes to indulge in sitting somewhere in quiet reflection, drinking tea & eating cake. mental illnesses. insomnia (post HW), ptsd. physical illnesses. chronic blindness on both eyes (irreversible) . left or right brained . left fears. powerlessness, loss (especially in regards to the scions), being helpless / unable to protect those she loves, the dark. self confidence level. she seems & acts quite confident & self-assured, yet is plagued by doubts, fears & constant worry (due to overthinking certain situations). Her self-perception in itself is first & foremost extremely negative up to the point where she considers those close to her as more deserving. -- Y’shtola also has a knack for considering herself as absolutely unlovable due to having been devoid of affection whilst growing up (loss of her mother, being sent away at the age of 9 + Matoya’s rather gruff parenting style).  vulnerabilities. limited eye sight (can access the lifestream / aether at a cost); the aether allows her to see rough shapes & forms, but details, colors, expression, etc are lost on her. To conclude, she has learned to sort certain coloring of aether or its particular behavior to i.e her friends / scions. Other than that Y’shtola is completely blind. 

If subjected to another world, her aether-based eye sight may either get better or worse. -- a good, contrasting example is her travel to the First (shb) versus her time spent in the World of Spiritus & Materia (dissidia).   The exposure to the aether-supersaturated world of the First, on the one hand, dimmed her eye sight but increased her general capabilities (while being in Rak’tika, she can see the entire swamp / Greatwood through connecting with the soil & / or trees around her). Spiritus & Materia’s realm improved her general eye sight but slimmed down her sight’s overall capabilities (she has been depowered in one way or another, unable to properly connect with the merged lifestream of multiple worlds). 

Albeit being able to draw strength from the lifestream & thus become more powerful & able to see, her ‘gift’ comes with a massive cost; every time Y’shtola accesses the lifestream she suffers from headaches, nausea & sometimes vast bouts of fatigue. While she adapted over time, it is quite certain that the stream itself is consuming her. At one point, Y’shtola will burn out -- every use of aether & the power that comes with it drains her off her lifeforce. 

tagged by: @noxerro tagging: @sparkblood, @murios, @garuvusu, @gaidna, @martyrcrowned, @hyethla, @hisburden, @scionsect, @regalvus, @onlyliberty, @ofvesper, @lightsprotect, @leveilleurisms, @thuashdore & @gunslingir.

[elizabethrobertajones]

FFXIV Write: Day 27, Hail

I....... have joked before about this. It's never said in game if Thancred only popped out of the lifestream the same time Y'shtola did, or if she successfully teleported him but got stuck herself so he was out there the whole length of HW base game. I prefer the latter, because it is very, very, very funny and they're deliberately so vague on times since it takes as long as it takes to complete any story. And boy do I level slowly while looking at everything and doing all the side content. This prompt definitely just let me write out this headcanon and how accidentally mean to Thancred it is XD

“Full glad am I to see you again.”

“As am I.” Frog paused, looking around the beautiful plains of the Dravanian Forelands, eyes turned to the distant settlement visible by only a few spires beyond the protective rocky outcroppings. “So you were with the Vath the whole time?”

Thancred froze, a cold sweat assailing him at once. “Aye, they took me in, for a while…”

“Mmhm.”

Unbidden, the memory came to him of a day not so long ago. He had not been in the lifestream long, so far as he could tell, for when he had fallen out of it, naked and lost in a part of the world he had never had cause to visit nor even learn much about, he had lost track of days and nights and where they fell on the calendar in those early days scratching a survival out of the Chocobo Forest.

Frog hadn’t winced with the overwhelming shock of a memory blessed by the Echo, unless she had become far more adept at concealing the visions of late. But her eyes were still looking through him as if she now, in his memory, turned and faced him.

Standing concealed in a nook of the wall around the Vath settlement, having arrived with fresh Bandersnatch pelts from the forest where he had been out hunting for days, he had heard unfamiliar voices – harsh, Ishgardian accents at that – and hung back to gauge the situation.

His surprise had been immeasurable to see not only a strange Dragoon and some sort of icy sorceress, but the most heartening sight of Alphinaud hale and talking authoritatively as ever. And returning with new Vath friends in tow, his heart sung to see Bounding Frog, dressed now in Ishgardian mail and armed with a fierce lance of her own. He had almost stepped out of the shadows to greet them, but hung back, not just because he was dressed mostly in scraps and stunk worse than the Vath, and who knew how haggard and miserable he looked right then, but he had not trusted the situation at all. For what reason would such a group travel out here? The last he had known the Scions had crumbled under Alphinaud’s self-wrought calamity, and given the lack of other familiar faces he felt compelled to make sure they were in no trouble – that they were here of their free will and that Alphinaud and Frog weren’t caught in some strange scheme.

The words he caught were talking urgently of war and dragons, not even the looming situation of a local primal who he had hoped they had come to hunt. Surely an investigation and summoning the strength to fight the warlike god would take weeks, and he could - Just as he resolved to track their next moves and follow them longer to better understand their purpose, Frog nodded, and began casting a teleportation spell. A moment later the whole group had vanished.

He stepped out of the shadows, and hurried to the Storyteller.

“Who were they?” he asked, ever cautious.

They were, it turned out, heroes and friends of the Vath who had shown up just that afternoon trading delicious treats for information, and had, just within the hour, both set out to slay, and slain, the Gnath’s god. And were now continuing on their way.

He looked up at the spires of Anyx Trine. It would take all day to either scale the rocks or trek the long slow way around following the river. They were travelling with such purpose he did not doubt that already they had begun whatever journey they had talked of, were always moving further from his slow reach.

For a moment, he had been within hailing distance, could have called out, and in moments joined them on their purpose, for what good he could do without any aetherial manipulation left to him, one-eyed and half-starved, probably fully mad by this point.

Caution may have won that day, but it was the sheer embarrassment that stopped him in his tracks when a mere two days later Frog was back; he snoozing in one of the tiny rooms of the Vath’s construction, cramped with his knees folded up and his neck bent in a way that took days to stretch out after a stay here in the safety of their home. And out of the little round window he saw her laughing cheerfully with some of the Vath, delighted to discover that they had taken up Triple Triad. They told her that a travelling hunter had taught them, kindly concealing their weary guest by his request – but he had never meant for it to be to hide him from her.

But here she was the next day, helping them build the front to what they later told Thancred would be an adventurer’s guild of their own, and offered him membership in exchange for the trading he was already doing with them.

“I’ll do anything you ask for clothes more befitting a gentleman,” he grumbled, and, since Frog was going to return on the morrow, took himself off deep into the woods to tackle their most dangerous chores far from where she could see him.

Except, this was Bounding Frog. A week later, as he stopped by a river to drink, the sound of a chase sent him climbing a nearby tree in a hurry, and lo and behold, in the darkest corner of the Forest, Frog came haring after a huge Bandersnatch of her own, practicing her archery, and running in circles around the beast until it caught her with a great paw. Seeing her go down like another tree, he jumped down to help her, but her unconscious form lifted up and was whisked away on the aetherial currents, because, of course, she was one of the lucky few even among those who could use aetherytes, that could attune well enough that she never had to fear being left abandoned and hurt in the woods.

And then, of course, the enormous Bandersnatch turned and sniffed in Thancred’s direction, and that was the rest of his day.

So it had been for weeks. As apparently Ishgard resonated with the end of wars and social revolution – each time he saw her and reached out for her, thought this time he would call some unaffected phrase and step out from the shadows, shame gripped his heart and held him back until a new, better plan formed that may make this exile seem as if it had been more for a purpose; panic among the Vath that Ravana had returned and the Gnath were planning something. Strange adventurers seen moving almost like ghosts around the open plains. This, surely, was a worthy purpose to stay concealed for.

He looked up at Frog, finally reunited with her, and nodded with absolute certainty that there was nothing more for her to question about the timeline of events he had presented them, the shameful details of his survival and his dramatic entrance to the fight enough to sand down the sense he was hiding anything else about that time.

“It is good to see you again at last,” Frog said, and reached out and pulled Thancred’s braided hair playfully, before turning to Krile and Y’shtola to talk about their next plan of action.

Thancred never did know for certain what that comment meant, but it definitely haunted him.