#he gave zenos the echo!!!

[puddraws]

Puppeteer

[fisherrprince]

SNAPS AWAKE WAIT KRILE HAS THE ECHO

[lightparty-fullparty]

Can't possibly be me Zenosposting again - what is this a day ending in Y?

Anyway, I've been thinking about the murder boy again. This has mostly spawned from my replaying of the Stormblood patches and seeing Amnesiac Yotsuyu, which sparked a bit of a Nature vs Nuture debate between me and my friends.

Basically, my question for this post is "How much of Zenos' whole deal is Nature (aka He was just born like that) and how much of it is Nuture (aka the enviornment he grew up). Some of you might content to say Nature and leave it at that, which is a completely valid outlook to have. But for me there's just one... teeny... tiny... little detail that has sent me on a wild consipriacy theory of a ride that's resulted in this post. Emet-FUCKING-Selch.

Listen to me, listen okay? I cannot, CANNOT ignore the fact that this absoulete motherfucker (affectionate) is Zenos's cannonical Great Grandfather. Who was very much alive and kicking during his childhood. Emet-Selch or Solus zos Galvus whatever moniker you wanna give the man, is an Ascian. One of THE Ascians. Not only that, he's 'The Architect" the guy who's job it is to design and engineer the calamities meant to rejoin the Shards of the World back together again. What does he do to achieve this? He builds empires, he starts wars, manipulates people and situations to result in untold elemental chaos. Iirc correctly he's responsible for causing all eight calamities that have occured so far in FFXIV. (Eight got undone but I'm still counting it).

Now for this post I'm going to be focusing mainly on the Seventh, Eighth, and Fourth Umbral Calamities. (Which are the ones coincidentally we're told the most about in game). This Calamities all involved Empires. The Allagan and the Garlean, both of which Emet-Selch was responsible for creating. From the Allagans we have the creation of Dalamud, Cyrus Tower, and the Ultima Weapon. As well as an extensive history of biological research. Cloning, Gene Splicing, Mutation and so on. (A sundered mortal's attempts at creation magjicks perhaps?) The Garleans too, have a notible history of biological research, they draw a lot of their modern technology from Allagan design. No coincidence there given Emet-Selch's involvement. But we've seen them use genetic mutation, cyber augmentation, and cloning (Emet-Selch's shadow the hedgehog ass clone bodies because he refuses to look like anyone other than his unsundered self). The also so a lot of research into the Echo. Hydalyn's mark for her champions, and soul maipulation. (Ala Mihgo Dungeon and In From the Cold Duty both points of note for examples of the Soul being manipulated here - physically torn out of the body).

"Now Gengar " - I hear you ask - "What does this have to do with Nature vs Nuture or Zenos?" Well, I tell you, everything really. Hear me out. Emet-Selch designed the Garlean Empire to be the perfect chaos causing conquest force. They have no ability to use either, making them initially vulnerable as a people to the rest of the races. Building up a tasty, tasty resentment and need to feel superior. He sent them marching to 'reclaim their home' and then to 'unify the three contents under their superior peaceful, organised leadership'. The 'Savage Races' summon evil primals and weild evil distructive magjiks. He gave them a perfect cause and reason to hate everyone else. He gave them magitech to level the field and make them supieror at combat. Garlemald as a nation is the perfect war machine. Allagan 2.0 if you would. And Zenos is the perfect 'Champion' to lead that nation into battle. To spark that next Calamity. Look at the guy. Garleans might be on the taller side (depending on the character. Cid is a shorty), but Varis and Zenos are HUGE. Emet-Selch isn't nearly as tall as either of them despite being a blood relation. Which makes me think there was some of that Allagan/Garlean/Ancient playing with genetics and form at work. Make them bigger, more durable, stronger, more intelligent.

It's like Captian America. You want the perfect solider. And a perfect solider for Emet-Selch would also need to be cold, ruthless, manipulative.

There was a post I saw a while again about Mecha Pilots. And OP pondered on the idea of physcially having your brain and body contiditoned to love battle. To love destruction and killing and fighting.

Do you see where I am going with this?

You want someone bloodthirsty enough to cause a Calamity for you, you need them to feel nothing for their fellow man. (Insects all of them. Disappointing. Found Wanting.) You need them to find such overwhelming joy in battle that no other earthely pleasure can compare to it. (Brilliant. Blinding. Trandsenant Moment.)

No attatchments. No emotions, Just violence. I offer to you dear readers, that Emet-Selch carefully modified Zenos' litterally brain chemistry. Making him predisposed to a lack of empathy and his brain releasing those pesky joyous chemicals during battle. Inflicitng and feeling pain. I offer the theory that Zenos has literally been built for combat. If you cut him open, his bones and muscles and organs would be so alienly perfect. Denser, perfectly optimised. Exceedingly perfect. His brain remapped for pattern recognistion and quick skill building, Easy to train in the art of slaughter and tactics. Unable to forge the emotional connections that would only serve to hinder him. (To isolate him from family).

What evidence to I have? Outside of Emet-Selch's known history of building Empires? Easy. I already know he's done this kind of thing before.

Vauthry. The baby Emet-Selch mutated into half a Lightwarden. Able to command the Sin Eaters and ensured would be raised into a tyranically, childish, king. To keep the First from Uniting. To ensure the Eighth Umbral Calamity would continue along it's march to completion.

Why wouldn't Emet-Selch have done as much to Zenos too?

[tytarax]

This gave me brutal Luffy and Hancock vibes lol

fem reader

Zamasu gazed out over the peaceful landscapes of the 10th universe from the Sacred World of the Kais. He found solace in the serenity and order he dedicated his existence to maintaining. Beside him stood Y/N, the Destroyer of their universe.

Despite her formidable title and immense power, Y/N had a heart deeply entwined with Zamasu's. They shared a sense of duty and a profound connection that surpassed the usual boundaries between a Supreme Kai and a Destroyer.

Things that shouldn't be allowed

"Zamasu," Y/N spoke softly, "you've been standing here for hours. Are you worried about something?" Zamasu turned, his green skin glistening softly under the light. "Just contemplating the balance we strive to maintain. The universe is at peace, but I cannot shake off the feeling of an approaching storm."

Oh, Zamasu, always so poetical...

Y/N stepped closer, her presence being a comforting shield around Zamasu. "Whatever comes our way, I'll make sure to handle it. You don't have to worry."

Despite being an excellent supreme kai, Y/N was aware of his thoughts toward the mortal races, and the problems that Zamasu's way of thinking could bring.

A few days passed, and a small incident occurred in which Zamasu killed a mortal in self-defense, something that Y/N did not give importance to, however… someone else found out.

The Grand Priest, Daishinkan, summoned Y/N to discuss recent concerns. She arrived at Zeno's Palace, the grand hall echoing with silence as she approached the central dais.

"Y/N, welcome," Daishinkan greeted, his serene demeanor masking the gravity of the situation. "There have been concerns raised about Zamasu's views on mortals."

Y/N knew what he was talking about, still, she asked, "Concerns? With Zamasu?" She continued without letting him answer. "With all due respect, Grand Priest, Zamasu's dedication to maintaining balance in our universe is unparalleled. His concerns about mortals stem from a desire to protect and preserve the cosmos, not to harm."

Daishinkan nodded, but his eyes held a trace of doubt. "While I understand your perspective, Y/N, it is essential to ensure that such thoughts do not lead to actions that could disrupt the harmony we strive to maintain. For example, an incident that took place a few days ago… I'm sure you heard about it."

Y/N's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, I heard about it. Zamasu acted in self-defense. The mortal was threatening against him, and Zamasu's actions were necessary to preserve peace."

"Nonetheless," Daishinkan replied, "such incidents can raise concerns about a Supreme Kai's intentions. It is crucial to address these concerns to prevent any potential misunderstandings."

"I assure you, Daishinkan," Y/N started, "his intentions are to uphold the peace and balance of the universe. He has no desire to cause chaos or destruction. Zamasu has my full support and trust. I'm sure we will ensure our universe remains in harmony just as the gods should"

The Grand Priest studied her for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I trust you will keep these concerns in mind and continue to work towards the greater good."

---

"Wait... you're not in trouble because of me, right?" Zamasu asked in a worried tone. Y/N turned to him. "Don't let this bother you. I know your heart, Zamasu. You are dedicated to your duty, and I will always stand by you."

As night fell on the Sacred World of the Kais, Y/N and Zamasu sat together, watching the stars twinkle in the sky. The tranquility of the moment wrapped around them like a warm blanket, a stark contrast to the earlier tension.

"Zamasu," Y/N began, her voice soft and filled with affection, "I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always protect you. Your ideals and dreams are important to me."

Zamasu turned to face Y/N, his eyes reflecting the starlight. "And I cherish you for that, Lady Y/N..." Y/N leaned in closer, giving the first step knowing Zamasu was a bit shy, and she gave him a peck on the lips. To which he was left in shock and a blushing mess.

Zamasu's heart swelled with emotion. "I... I've been wanting to... to say this for a while now... I really like you... lady Y/N." Y/N giggled at Zamasu's awkward confession, "I love you too, Zamasu."

I think you are my only vulnerability

Masterpost

DBS Masterlist

[azems-familiar]

20. cuddles while reading to each other.

Lelesu/Hythlodaeus, set in her normal comboverse in the immediate aftermath of Ultima Thule!

-

Hythlodaeus is definitely not supposed to be in bed with her.

Sharlayan’s chirurgeons take their jobs very seriously, especially when their patients are the Warriors of Light, who have so recently saved the star. Lelesu has been under their care for a little over a week now, though she spent the first few days of that time unconscious - and Corrain still is, from what little she’s managed to find out about him. No one wants to tell her just how bad his condition is, afraid of worrying her too much or afraid she’ll try to drag herself out of bed to go see him (she’s considered it, admittedly), but she’s listened to Hades and G’raha quietly discussing him with Artoirel, when they thought she was asleep, and she knows even Hades doesn’t know if he’ll wake up. It isn’t just the injuries that’ve left him nearly dead, but something more, some burden on his mind and soul that’s left him in a coma, and all they can do is wait.

She wants to go see her best friend, badly, but her glasses are still broken from Zenos - not only is her injured eye still swaddled in bandages (they saved the eye, according to the chirurgeons, but they don’t think they could save her vision), but without a replacement set of glasses what she can see is fuzzy and useless once it’s more than six inches from her face. And just because she didn’t take a scythe to the spine doesn’t mean she wasn’t badly injured by all the fighting either, so- for now she’ll behave, if only because she doesn’t think she could make it to Corrain’s room without collapsing.

Hythlodaeus has hardly left her side since they returned from Ultima Thule, apparently. He’d managed to convince the hospital administration to bring a cot in for him, and she knows the only times he’s left since have been when Hades has managed to convince him to go refresh himself at the Annex. Now that she’s awake, she appreciates the company; she’s tired and uncomfortable and bored.

And this is why Hythlodaeus has brought a veritable mountain of books back to the room from the Annex. He’d crawled into the bed with her about an hour ago, helped her find a comfortable position curled up against his chest that didn’t irritate her injuries, and cracked open a cheesy romance novel he’d apparently found in G’raha’s room. It’s certainly not high art, but he’s just as confused and amused by the cliches and the….questionable erotica as she is, and he turns reading it into a little performance that has her desperately trying to muffle her laughter in his robe (the last thing she wants is for one of the chirurgeons to come check on them, drawn by the sound). His arm is warm and heavy around her shoulders, and she can feel the steady rise-and-fall of his chest beneath her cheek, the quiet echo of his heartbeat underlying the words he speaks.

It’s only, really, been a few days since her memories of her life as Seleukos fully returned - a few days since Azem’s summoning invocation and Hydaelyn’s last gift together brought Hythlodaeus back from the Lifestream and gave him a body. She’d gotten close with the shade of him left behind in Amaurot-beneath-the-sea, and even with only vague, half-torn memories she’d loved him that week she and Corrain spent in the past, but now - now that she remembers everything, from their first meeting as young students enrolled at the Akadaemia Anyder to the last words they exchanged in the direct aftermath of the Final Days, it’s like all of the emotions Seleukos would have felt are hitting her at once. Not just the love, but the grief too - for his death to Zodiark, a message delivered by crystal just after Helios’s own sacrifice, a loss she hadn’t had the time to grieve. (Nor the inclination, if she’s honest with herself; she knows now, far too well, how she reacts to loss, and Seleukos had been no better. They’d taken Helios’s Sundering spell to Hydaelyn as he’d asked them to, and then they’d gone home - like Hades asked, but without telling him they were, because they couldn’t stop blaming him for Hythlodaeus’s death - and immersed themself in the bright memories saturating their bedroom until the world splintered into four and ten shards.)

Now that he’s alive again, in a place she can touch him, all Lelesu can think of is that he was gone, just like Haurchefaunt, and it’s…strange, to feel like grieving someone right in front of her. It still hurts. She’s tried not to think too much about it, especially given Corrain’s condition, especially given the fact that just prior to Hythlodaeus’s resurrection she watched her friends sacrifice themselves for her and if she thinks too much about that she might just crack, but it’s hard to avoid when she has so little to occupy herself with.

Hythlodaeus pauses in his reading and looks down at her for a moment, then marks his place and sets the book aside, shifting to rest a hand on her head and gently tug on her curls. “I am here, marigold dear,” he murmurs, and the nickname draws a small smile from her - it’s different from what he’d cheerily called Seleukos, but she appreciates that, she thinks; they’re not quite the same person, after all, even if they are in all the important ways. “I shall not repeat the same errors again - our dearest Emet-Selch has already quite thoroughly taken me to task for them.”

Lelesu huffs a little and reaches over to tangle her fingers in his; he squeezes her hand and smiles warmly down at her, and she finds it in her to return the expression. She shouldn’t be surprised, she thinks, that he knows what she’s thinking about, but it’s still a little shocking that he can read her as easily as he read Seleukos. “I believe you,” she says quietly, then sighs, tugging the hand she’s holding closer so she can lean her face against it. “It’s just…Seleukos never had time to grieve you, and now that I remember their life, I’m getting saddled with all their baggage, too. And- well- Corrain and I did lose you, when Kairos erased your memory. I’ve been trying not to think about it, but-”

Hythlodaeus hums, brushing her hair back from her face. “I am here for you, should you need to reassure yourself,” he promises, all deep sincerity, and leans down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “And I am sorry, that I forgot you. ‘Tis truly a miracle that Kairos was able to erase the recollection of one such as you from my soul.”

“Sap,” Lelesu accuses, tucking her face into his hand to try to hide the blush his words bring to her cheeks, and he laughs, a bright, ringing sound that she thinks could never cease to bring a smile to her face.

Things- aren’t completely alright, not yet. Corrain is still locked in slumber, and they don’t know if he’ll wake up; she can’t forget the Scions and their last stands, or the awful memories of the end of her first life, a horror she has yet to process and will probably struggle with for the next few months. But for now- for now, Hythlodaeus is here, and alive, and reading to her, his laughter a salve on the wounds of her soul, and she thinks she can make do with that.

[tallbluelady]

Coffee

(Mid ShB, after Rak'tika. Takes place in a shared WoL verse. Word count 3.3k ^^;)

Rowan bolted awake from her nightmare. She had fought Zenos again, a regular visitor of her dreams of late. What woke her this time is that he tore Urianger from her heart. She shook her head. The image was patently ridiculous in the early morning light, but still disturbing enough to know she wouldn't get settled back to sleep anytime soon. It was planned to be a recovery day of sorts, so Rowan could potentially take a nap later. She sighed, pulled up her hair, and started to get dressed.

Sniffing the various teas the Exarch had selected and finding them all unsatisfactory, Rowan started to shuffle down to the common room in the Pendants. Mayhap she'd see Thancred and Minfilia with some coffee biscuits. Or Kitali looking for aught to eat. Urianger was an unlikely subject, he'd probably only fell asleep a few bells ago…

But Urianger was far more likely a person than the pair she found. Sitting at a table, plain as day, was Emet-Selch and Yloise. Yloise smiled and waved to her, and Emet-Selch looked like the cat who had caught the mouse. Rowan gave a small hum and tried to find a better metaphor as she approached the table.

"You know, we were just talking about you," he said over tented fingers. "Why don't you have a seat and join us?"

"I was just going to find a tea blend I liked and return to my room..." Rowan muttered, unable to come up with aught more convincing.

"Just tea? With how bleary eyed you look, you may need something stronger. Here -" he poured a third cup, " - Yloise and I were just enjoying this fine coffee together. I'm sure we could spare you some."

"Oh, it's excellent, Rowan. You won't even need that much cream and sugar in it," Yloise added. She seemed... giddy? Gods, let that just be the coffee. 

Rowan eyed the cup and then the Ascian. "You do know I trust you about as far as I can throw you. Well, I could probably throw you farther if I got the drop on you."

Yloise chortled at that. "See, I told you Rowan has bite to her bark."

Emet-Selch smiled with a hint of steel in his eyes. "That's smart of you, I won't deny. Whether or not you could get the drop on me is another story. But here, as proof of its safety..."

He poured a fresh cup for himself and drank the coffee black. He gave a contented hum.

"I can't tell you how overjoyed I was when I found this particular variety of coffee bean survived the Sundering..." he said wistfully. "A dear friend helped to cultivate it."

Rowan found herself taking a seat at the table before she realized her curiosity had won her over. Yloise reached out and patted Rowan's arm. Rowan blinked at the uncharacteristic affection. There's no coffee strong enough to explain that.

"Oh, here, let me add some cream and sugar for you..." Emet-Selch took the creamer and poured it til it was exactly the soft brown that Rowan liked it, and then added two sugar cubes.

"Yloise, did you tell our sworn foe how I like my coffee?" Rowan asked.

She shook her head, her green lenses causing the light to dance. "Nay. Strangely, he knew how I took mine too."

Rowan squinted at her friend's smile, then glared at Emet-Selch.

"Tis a gift of mine," he said with a shrug. "Most people's personalities line up with their coffee order."

"I won't deign to have you tell me mine own personality, even if you got my order right." Rowan swirled her cup in her hands.

She thought she heard a small gasp from his direction, but he seemed composed by the time she looked up.

"Suspicions aside, it really is quite good," Yloise said, taking a sip from her cup. "There's naught that I can detect in it to worry about."

Emet-Selch smiled and sipped his own coffee in a show to prove that it wasn't poisoned. I suppose it's inconvenient to poison your body even if you are effectively immortal.

She sighed, took a sip, and felt herself rush off into an Echo Vision. Dammit.

*   *   *

There were three masked figures at a table. It was raining outside, or it was at least grey. It took Rowan a minute to understand what they were saying as they all spoke in that over-loud language the Ascians were wont to speak in.

"- and please refrain from using my given name in public. I've asked both of you this multiple times," Emet-Selch's unmistakable voice rang from the figure in the red mask. "The Convocation deserves the honor of my title, even if you don't think I do."

One of the opposing figures sighed in an exaggerated manner, much like Yloise would. "Really? And after all the work Minthe did to create this concept of coffee just for you? You're worried about honor?"

"Oh, it's just that we're not special enough to him, Ariadne. I've heard him tell Daedalus he can use his name," said the last figure, Minthe, who swirled her cup just like Rowan would.

"Oh, you did, did you?" Ariadne turned to the red-masked figure.

The figure who spoke with Emet-Selch's voice sighed. "Please refrain from spreading such personal information to everyone, Minthe."

"It's just to Ariadne." Minthe took a smug sip of her coffee.

"Tell ya what, Emet-Selch. If you admit that you appreciate Minthe's coffee, we'll keep that little detail between us." There was a wink to Ariadne's tone.

"You need not black mail me for that, Ariadne." The red masked figure turned to Minthe. "I am grateful to you, truly. You've created something both potent and drinkable."

"Fulfilling both of our measures of success on a concept," Minthe said primly.

He nodded and the last thing Rowan saw was the figure in the red mask take her hand.

*   *   *

Rowan flinched when she came to and felt Emet-Selch's gloved hand on her wrist. "Don't touch me."

He raised his hands in a nonthreatening manner. "You were gone for a while. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Then you should have asked Yloise to check my pulse. She's a competent healer."

"I told him you wouldn't like it," Yloise said sheepishly. "But he insisted. And he even managed to save your cup of coffee from falling."

Rowan turned to her. Yloise was one of the few people who encouraged her to set boundaries and help keep them up when Rowan couldn't. And here she was letting the Ascian trample all over them.

"Then all the blame should be on me - twas my fault for assuming such familiarity. Tis one thing to accept a drink from a comrade, tis quite another to initiate physical touch. I took advantage of your vulnerable state and for that I am sorry." There was some actual regret to his tone.

Rowan gave a noncommittal hum at his little speech. If Emet-Selch wanted to give the appearance of contriteness, he was doing a good job of it. But it didn't do aught for the fact that he had orchestrated multiple genocides. She tried rising from her seat, but sat down when she felt woozy and heard concern from her companions. She wasn't going to give Selch the satisfaction of catching her. So they all sat in an uncomfortable silence while Rowan recollected herself.

"Is there anything you'd like to talk about, Rowan?" Yloise asked. Is there anything in that Echo Vision you saw?

Rowan took another sip of coffee. Despite her vision, it was some of the better coffee she ever drank. But it was mostly to give her time to think. How could she get Emet-Selch out of there? Well, if he insisted that he was a man like the rest of them…

"You know, I'd really prefer some privacy with Yloise, if that's alright with you, Emet-Selch," she said. "Tis a delicate matter I'd speak of to her."

"Oh, if there's aught to be said to Yloise, it can be said in front of me," he said, smugness returning to his tone.

Figured he’d say that. "Well, I do suppose the Paragons of Eld would have such fascinating opinions on contraception and menstruation..."

His smugness immediately dropped. Got him.

"It might be for the best. We'll, uh... talk to you later," Yloise said.

"Oh, I will speak to the lot of you later, have no doubt about that." He waved his hand dismissively and disappeared into the void, cup and all.

Rowan let out a sigh of relief, then jumped when she realized Yloise was leaning in close.

"So are you and Urianger fucking now?" she asked, eyes bright.

Rowan could only let out a few croaking sounds at that. Then she shook her head. "That's not important, I just needed Emet-Selch gone.”

Yloise laughed. "Well, you did a good job of it. The drop on his expression! Gods, I couldn't have thought of any better."

"Oh, thank the Twelve. When I saw you two at the table I was worried..."

"About what?" she asked quickly.

"Have you seen the way he looks at you? Like... like you're some sort of bauble to be coveted. I don't like it."

"Ha. Well, have you seen how he looks at you? Like he's a wounded man. All pain and regret."

Rowan grimaced. "I have caught glimpses of that, aye."

"Isn't that just fascinating? Aren't you curious why a Paragon of Eld looks at you like that? What could even cause that? I mean, you've always been curious."

Rowan looked at her half drank cup of coffee and set it back on the table. "I dunno, I find my curiosity's quickly sated for the man who signed the order for Black Rose."

Yloise grimaced. "Rowan..."

"Yloise, Gods know we need someone to track what Emet-Selch is doing. And it looks like you have an easy in with him. But... pray, don't get swept up in his game." She rose to her feet. "I think I've had enough coffee for now."

If she said aught else, Rowan ignored her. She headed towards the aethernet shard nearby. The annoying part was that Yloise was right. Rowan was curious. The three of them in the vision, set in the same positions as their little meeting. Obviously that was orchestrated. Emet-Selch had said the coffee was cultivated but the woman - Ariadne - said it was a created concept. Whatever that even meant. And... Minthe and Daedalus. Those must have been the ones she saw in the vision in Idyllshire.

Her mind was worlds away when she bumped into someone at the aethernet shard. Rowan actually bounced off of her fellow collider, and was grateful for the steady hands at her arms when they righted themselves.

She blinked. "Urianger! Uh, oh, I'm so sorry."

"Tis quite alright; thou merely gavest me a momentary fright. Is aught amiss?"

Rowan shook her head. Then she realized her hands were on his chest and her thumbs were stroking the fabric of his chiton. She sheepishly withdrew them, though it seemed he didn't mind.

"Ah, mayhap I should get a proper breakfast."

Urianger nodded, hands slowly tracing down her arms as if he didn't want to stop touching her. Rowan didn't want him to stop touching her.

"I too, was seeking sustenance after finding naught of use in the Cabinet of Curiosity. Shall we adjourn to the Pendants?"

"Ah - nay. I was just there," she said. She saw his puzzled look and added, "I can explain over a pastry."

 They found a stall with suitably flaky rolls and took a seat by a bench. The whole thing felt rather nostalgic to Rowan.

"Do you remember the day I bumped into in Vesper Bay?" Rowan asked.

"Would it not serve to recall that day by the most important fact that it was thy first successful attempt at arcanima?" Urianger asked, faint smile on his lips.

"Aye, well, twas not aetherology that reminded me of that today."

"No, I suppose that other event twas the greater reminder."

There was a softness to Urianger's expression that caught on Rowan's heart. She realized that he must have always been so soft with his expressions, but it had been obscured by his goggles and cowl. She smiled back at him, reveling in the ease of doing so.

"Ah, but how far we have come! I..." Urianger swallowed. "What a fool I was for not seeing thy interest sooner."

Rowan turned away. "Tis my fault, really. I never said aught after Moenbryda... and Raer is so kind and gentle. If any man deserves you, twould be him."

"Ah. Yet he seemed so adamant that it was but a passing tryst for him... surely to save thine heart, yet he wounded mine by saying so."

Rowan hummed and the two of them finished off their pastries. The talk of wounded hearts reminded Rowan of her conversation with Yloise.

"I, ah. Before I bumped into you, I had coffee with Yloise," she said. "And Emet-Selch."

"Art thou well? Is Yloise yet safe?" Urianger asked.

"She's fine. I'm... physically well. Yloise would've been able to find aught strange with the coffee... but I'm fairly certain that he tried to orchestrate an Echo vision. Though I can only guess as to why."

"Curious. May I ask what thou sawest in the vision?"

"It's not what but who. There was Emet-Selch on one side of the table, and two women on the other side. Who resembled Yloise and I in our mannerisms." Rowan began to fold the wrapper her pastry had been in.

Urianger's brow furrowed. "It hath been surmised that each soul on the Source was once part of an ancient, whole soul. But tis a rare thing to see a vision of one's past self, even just a singular lifetime ago."

"Mayhap tis more likely when you're exposed to things of that past life. This... this is not the first time I've seen a woman resemble myself in a vision." She pressed the creases of the wrapper. "Once after eating curry I saw a man and that same woman having a picnic."

Urianger put a hand to his chin in thought. "Thine Echo seemeth to activate more with a physical sensation, if I recall correctly. Strong flavors such as curry and coffee must have had an influence upon thy memory."

"Aye, that's what I thought." Then Rowan turned. "Wait, you remember my Echo is like that? I've only had a scant number of visions throughout my life, and you weren't present for most."

"I do. Twas one of the details that convinced me of mine ardor for thee." He smiled and took her hand. "That and my numerous dreams of rowan trees."

Rowan laughed. "You know a rowan tree by sight?"

"I had visions of the same tree since I was but a lad. Luckily Sharlyan is a nation of learning and I easily found an example in a botanist's folio. Oft I would be caught in dreams of peril - only to fall from deepest azure skies -" he kissed her hand "-and land safely into the boughs of a rowan."

"Oh, that cannot be true, you incorrigible flirt," she giggled at it all the same.

"Tis so, though I am indeed incorrigible in that regard. The dreams first lead me to know that thou wert one of the Warriors of Light. Though mayhap they had always meant to lead mine heart to thee."

Rowan simply smiled and watched as Urianger stroked her hand with his thumb. Wasn't there aught else she wanted to do that day? To be fair, this was what she'd more or less had always wanted to do... The emotion felt distantly familiar and she had to shake her head.

"Urianger... you don't have to answer if it makes you feel uncomfortable but... When you worked with Elidibus, did he ever give any hints that it was his title and not his name?"

He gave a small hum and turned his attention to their hands. "Nay. Twas not a subject of importance in those days. Wherefore dost thou ask?"

"Emet-Selch is a title, as my Echo vision revealed to me. Also, it seems they were all very fond of wearing masks back before the Star was rent in twain... and I'm just... Do you think there's aught to be gleaned at the Cabinet about any of that? I would've doubted it, but the pictographs in Rak'tika make me think there could be aught."

"I cannot say aught of the efficacy of such a search, but I would fain aid thee in thy quest for knowledge," Urianger said quickly. His eyes were sparkling at the prospect.

Rowan smiled. "Then lead on, wise Archon."

It turned out that Urianger already had an alcove set up in the Cabinet. Rowan had usually borrowed books and taken them to her room in the Pendants to read, but it appeared the Archon had a different mode of study. He moved a stack of books off of the generous loveseat and tried to organize the tomes, muttering to himself. She was nigh transfixed in his motions. Rowan had resigned herself to a fruitless investigation earlier, but mayhap she'd find joy in the company.

"Mayhap thou shouldst start with these, my lo -" Urianger froze. "- m-milady."

Rowan nodded and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, acting as she didn't hear what he just said. He looked relieved when she took the pile of books without comment. I suppose it's still too soon for him to use the "l" word as well... She took a seat and started to read through the indexes for the titles of the Convocation members. Surely there was written history of their meddling with the fate of the First? When that was exhausted, she searched for the names of the Ancient ones she knew.

She perked up at the mention of Minthe in one text, only to laugh at the book's title. Botanica Norvrandt.

"Doth there be something amusing in thy study?" Urianger asked, looking up from his tome.

"Ah, it's... the woman who resembles me. It turns out she's named after a plant as well. Or mayhap the plant is named after her." Rowan yawned that last bit and stretched.

"Mayhap a break in our research shall do us both some good." Urianger stretched and sat on the loveseat next to her.

"Oh, you don't have to stop if you're..." She noticed his arm on the back of the love seat and general openness to his stance and expression. "Oh."

After a few nervous chuckles between them, Rowan rested her head on Urianger's shoulder.

"Art thou comfortable?" he asked softly.

Rowan sighed and readjusted. "You can put your arm around me if you want."

He nodded and looped his arm around her, hand resting on Rowan's waist. There was a dreamy look to his eyes that made her feel warm.

She nuzzled in closer. "Are you going to get bored while I drift off?"

"With a fair maiden such as thyself upon my arm? Perish the thought - only fools need constant stimulation and amusement," Urianger teased. "I have plenty to ruminate on in the mean time as well. Thou needst not be concerned for mine entertainment, my dear."

Rowan buried her blush in his shoulder at the term of endearment.

"Have I embarrassed thee?" he asked, concerned.

"Mm. Nay. I'm just unused to the gesture. I do - I do like it."

He gave a contented sigh and started to play idly with the ends of her hair. Rowan sighed and cuddled in more, thoughts drifting idly towards sleep until...

Her eyes snapped open. "Yloise."

"Is aught amiss with our comrade?" Urianger asked.

"Nay. She... she just gave the worst tree pun imaginable."

[violet-stormbringer]

The Road to Dawntrail.

It was time. Violet’s friends gathered on the docks in Old Sharlayan, where the ship headed towards Tural was awaiting to pick them up.

Violet had long changed out of her signature uniform, instead opting for a blue tunic with a dark brown cape that wrapped around her shoulders. Black trousers, though she still wore her usual gold colored babouches. She was ready for a proper adventure this time, it seemed.

Krile, Alphinaud, Alisaie, and Wuk Lamat were just as prepared as she was, with Alisaie greeting Violet with a grin on her face. “I was wondering if you’d join us!” She exclaimed. “Aurin never told us who our mystery guest was to be, but full glad am I that it’s you.”

Violet chuckled. “To be completely honest with you, I wasn’t expecting an invite! I figured Aurin would’ve forgotten all about me.”

“As if!” A voice spoke from behind, and Violet whipped around to see Aurin standing there.

Aurin was not wearing his usual gear, instead wearing a green colored tunic tucked into white trousers. His dark purple hair was tied into a ponytail which fell over his right shoulder. His grey eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

“Well, don’t you look ready for travel.” Violet mused, looking him over. “One would think you’re not coming with us to Tural.”

“I’m not!” Aurin replied cheerfully. “I’m here to see you lot off, then I’m going back home to Ivalice.”

“Wait, you’re what?” Alisaie frowned. “You were just as excited as any of us to visit Tural!”

Aurin shrugged. “I did some thinking, and I realized I missed home more.”

Alphinaud stepped forward. “Well, it’s a shame you won’t be joining us. But thank you for coming to see us off, at least.”

Aurin nodded. “That said, can I borrow Violet here a bit?”

Violet looked to the others, eyebrows raised in surprise. After a moment, Alisaie nodded to her and Violet was soon walking off with Aurin, a ways away from the group.

When they were roughly out of earshot, Aurin spoke.

“There’s more to this than just visiting home.”

“I figured.”

Aurin sighed, looking over to Violet. “I’m not cut out for adventuring anymore. Nor am I even that good of a Warrior of Light. So I thought I’d ask, and you’re more than welcome to say no, but…” A pause.

“Violet, will you consider taking up the mantle in my place? You fight harder than anybody I know, and this star isn’t even yours.”

“Aurin I can’t—”

“You don’t have to answer right away. I highly doubt anything in Tural is going to require a Warrior of Light, so, go. Relax. Enjoy a break, even if this is…an unorthodox one.”

Violet sighed. “...I’m not even blessed with the Echo. I’m definitely not one of Hydaelyn’s chosen.”

Aurin shrugged. “So? You’ve made it this far. You helped save The First. You helped take down Shinryu. You’re the one who went back to Elpis, and you were there with Zenos in his final moments. You were with me during the nonsense with Zero. You’re just as capable, as I. Even moreso, in fact.”

She took a moment to process this, turning so that she was staring at the horizon. “...I’ll think about it. If…if something does happen in Tural then—”

“Then I know you’ll make the right choice.” Aurin pat Violet’s arm. “I can only hope that you’ll forgive me all the same.”

There was no more discussion after that, for when Violet gave no response, Aurin took that as a sign to leave. Waving goodbye to his friends, he quickly made his exit from the docks.

Violet watched the horizon as this happened, and after a moment, she took a deep breath and turned to face her friends. They were calling to her. It was time to board the ship, and make for Tural.

“Violet Silverlake, Bringer of Storms and Warrior of Light…” She muttered to herself. “...There’s no way I’m gonna be able to fit all of that into two names, is there?”

A chuckle, as she made her way to her friends. Regardless, her heart was already set. 

Look out, Tural, for a storm was on it’s way. And at the center, there was a woman with a ridiculous grin and an emerald colored gunblade.

[ainyan]

FFXIVWrite Day #21: Grave

grave

noun

any place of interment; a tomb or sepulcher

adjective

serious or solemn; sober

weighty, momentous, or important

verb (used with object)

to carve, sculpt, or engrave

to impress deeply

She was building a wall.

It was not, by any account, a very large wall - a fact she gave fervent thanks to every time she added another stone to it. It could be, she knew; for every stone she laid, there were another hundred, a thousand that went unset because she had no name to inscribe upon it.

Upon each stone of the wall was graven a name: Ysayle. Regula. Papalymo. Minfilia. Nidhogg. Branden. Renda-Rae. Lammit. Nyelbert. Niellefresne. Moenbryda. Louisoix. Meffrid. Conrad. Yotsuyu. Livia. Rhitahtyn. Vauthry.

Haurchefant.

Ardbert.

Other names were inscribed, as well - names of those fallen in the war with the Empire, in the war against the Light, in the fights against the primals - of all of those soldiers, she had learned the names of only a few dozen, a pitiable amount compared to those who had met their final rest. Still, for every name she learned, she etched it in stone and added it to the little memorial wall in her garden.

It was one such name that she added today, etched with magic and steel upon a chunk of Gyr Abanian granite, as strong as the man who had sought to free his homeland from a tyrant’s clutches. “Rest well, Jonifid,” she whispered as she laid the stone upon the wall, sealing it to those next to it with a whispered word. “Your widow and child live on knowing a free Ala Mhigo.”

There were those, she knew, who would hold her memorial to be morbid; some, she knew, would be insulted by her claim of names who had in their opinion naught to do with her. She did not see it as such, however. She was the spindle upon which the world’s fate spun - she had not brought the Garlean Empire down upon them, it was true, but she had been the firebrand who had set fire to the spark of rebellion in Doma and Ala Mhigo. She had been the catalyst that had ignited the fear in the beastmen tribes, that they began to beseech their primals in greater numbers to withstand the fearsome eikon-slayer.

It had been in pursuit of her that Lahabrea had destroyed the Praetorium. In pursuit of her that Zenos had laid waste to the Ghimlyt Dark. In pursuit of her that Vauthry had besieged Lakeland and Amh Arang. And it had been her actions that had driven Zenos and Fandaniel to wage this senseless terror upon the land. In all of the death and destruction, there had been one common thread. Her.

In all of the pain and sorrow, there had been one voice rising to light a fire in the hearts of the people, to send them forth to a battle they could not hope to survive.

Hers.

And it would continue, had to continue, until the star was free of the machinations of the Ascians. Until the Garlean Empire was fallen or in the hands of one who looked to cooperation rather than coercion. It would continue until either she failed, and the Ascians’ Great Rejoining occurred - or until she succeeded, and Zodiark was laid low, that Hydaelyn might shine on unopposed by her dark brother.

She sighed and reached out, brushing her fingers across Ardbert’s name. In the depths of her soul she felt him stir. It was true; perhaps he should not be here. Though his body was long gone - first dead, then sacrificed to fuel the primal Warrior of Light - his soul lived on intertwined inexorably with hers, sacrificed to save her own when it was shattered and close to breaking beneath the burden of corrupted Light she carried. Though who he once was no longer existed, he was still there - she could feel him, sometimes hear him; it could have simply been her subconscious echoing what he might have said… but she thought not. It had a certain timbre, a certain taste that spoke of her brother-in-arms and in-soul.

But his name stayed, for he more than most had truly sacrificed all he was for her, to save her, to fix her. Not out of obligation. Not out of duty. But out of comradeship. Friendship. Just as another had sacrificed himself out of love. And another for a future she prayed would come. Another to see hope shine bright. And still another in pain, driven to madness by cruelty and abuse. Others for duty. For honor.

And then there were three. They sat apart from the others, their own little memorial - a grave for those who had left memories but no bodies to inter. There were other names, perhaps, that she should add there - but she was not certain how dead they were. These three, however - she had taken each of their lives with her own hand. Deliberately. Sundered them at last from their undying existence.

She knew even her dearest, closest comrades disapproved of her keeping these names amongst her memorial, but she had made a promise.

Remember us. Remember that we once lived.

They were her brothers. Closer than brothers. Once upon a time, in eons past, they had been kith and kin. And though she had no memory of those times, she could remember them.

Emet-Selch.

Lahabrea.

Elidibus.

She would remember them, and the lessons they had taught her about pride, about memory, about hope and desire and need. And about herself. About what she truly was.

About who she truly was.

And so they had a place in her garden. They all had a place in her garden, those stones upon which the foundation of her life had been built. Her friends. Her enemies. Her past and present and even her future.

She would not forget them.

She would remember that they had once lived.

FFXIVWrite2023 Day #21: Grave

OCs: Kal'istae Miurani

AU: Woven Souls

[ -- Master Post: FFXIVWrite2023 -- ]

[charlottedabookworm]

Dawntrail Day 1

spoilers up to: first lvl91 quest, after the msq split paths merge back together

original draft date: 28/6/24

scheduled release for: 26/7/24

early access time! planning on unlocking picto and then i'm leaping headfirst into the msq

*

okay the quest accept music

interesting

i like it

*

“You had me at ‘magicked painting’” lolllllll

*

….excuse me i didn’t agree to a job interview

i hate job interviews get back here you bloody moogle i-

*

“I’m uh- between jobs at the moment”

“My stick figure drawings are second to none…?”

pffft best job interview i’ve ever been on

*

furry little shites

*

okay i really do like the quest music

*

picto hotbars step up but subject to change

now msq time

*

Ali, love, that’s called jinxing it

*

shades triangle! we’ve heard about that before :)))

*

lolll poor wuk lamat gets seasick

*

oooo erenville lore

shetona from xak tural, doesn’t know his father and hey-

stupid crash i want to hear the erenville lore!

*

kay that shit is pretty af

*

i love erenville and wuk lamat you really feel the childhood friends who fuck with each other energy every time they interact its fucking great

“she’s technically royalty”

“just ‘technically’ ignoring me, then…”

*

Tuliyollal is huge and it feels so much fuller than previous cities

*

pffft

*

aight so Bakool ja ja is a twat and i don’t even care who wins as long as it isn’t him

his brother seems alright tho. less of a twat or maybe just a quieter twat

*

nevermind the mystic is just as much of a twat as the mighty is

the mighty is just louder about it

*

even all these expansions later it still sends a thrill of fear through me

*

ESTI!

ESTI IS DOING THE SPARRING SCENE WITH GULOOL JA HA FROM THE TRAILER

yessssss

love how we’re just smiling in the background

*

Esti is bigging us up!

love you esti!

*

elene’sh

erenviles name is elene’sh?!?! ir it is it a term of endearment like what gulool ja ja calls wuk lamat

*

erenville: this is the last chance for me to help you back out

us: flashback to raha

fucking hell i love that set would 100% be thinking of his husband in a time like this

*

genuinely appreciate that they gave krile the echo vision instead of us for once

sorry krile but i’m a little bored of it always being us that sees shit

*

holy shit the inn room

fuck it i’m moving to tuliyollal i live in this cabin now it’s mine sorry raha you’ll have to move out here

*

reached the quest split

experience tells me that one of these will be extremely traumatic and the other will be less so but maybe it’ll be a little less here? maybe? hopefully

please pelupelu don’t fuck me over this is my summer holiday adventure

*

so esti is gonna get utterly fleeced by the pelupelu huh

*

love that our first challenge is to approach a terrified alpaca

love rhat for us

poor wuk lamat

*

camping! Chilling out at the fire with all of erenvilles tent and stuff while waiting for wuk lamat!

*

i’m cackling-

*

oh fuck off and get some character development

This guy isn’t at fandanny or zenos level of ‘i hate you on sight’ but i really don’t like him

*

“There’s much less debate when I’m traveling alone” erenville i love you

*

“He lives and works in the House of Waters High, at the top of that large tree nearby”

turns camera

ah yes that tree the tree i climbed five minutes ago in search of a sightseeing spot found nothing and then leapt off to go back and do msq instead

that tree

Cool

*

“We have a two headed problem. Yes please hurry”

Erenville you are legit one of my fav characters i love you dude

*

i’m starting to really really hate bakool ja ja

like he was annoying before but the hatred is growing

i would seriously rather the warmonger first promise take the throne i am legit not lying rn

*

you fucking tell him (? Them? They use borh plural and singular when talking about the two headed mamool ja) ali

*

look i’m not a particularly enthusiastic person but we really should be doing something instead of just walking there

like dance a little alright? bop to the beat? something other than just strolling seriously along while all the hanu dance around us

*

annnd i'mma call it there for today got picto unlocked and to 81, msq is starting the 91 quests, and i've unlocked all the aether currents i can reach in the zones so far

[astrology-bf]

Was shooting the shit with a mutual on the bird site about Zenos so I'm rewarding myself for finishing the makeup prompt with some 🎶lore dumping🎶 about his relationship to Ifan and why it is thematically important that he is able to counter Ifan's signature spell so easily. (CW: Toxic Yaoi and Stormblood Spoilers)

Unusually for an offensive caster, Ifan's signature spell is actually a defensive one he inherited from his master: Diamond Shoal. It was devised by Dedelai for his thesis and is representative of the mastery of defensive magic found in his home country of Dalmasca - magic which notably failed to save it from conquest by the Garlean Empire. Nonetheless, Dedelai making that spell the focus of Ifan's apprenticeship is largely the reason that the latter is able to stand up to people like Rhitahtyn, Livia, and Gaius in close quarters despite being a disciple of magic; Ifan's expertise with the spell combined with his Echo-enhanced reflexes and agile fighting style make it difficult to land a hit - the number of people who have managed to breach the spell by force as of Dawntrail (at least in terms of humans) can be counted on a few fingers, and the only people who can/could consistently do it are Y'shtola, G'raha, and of course Zenos.

Thematically, Diamond Shoal is a metaphor for the psychological barriers Dedelai and his student construct as coping mechanisms for their respective difficulties. Dedelai essentially gave up on life after Dalmasca's conquest until meeting Ifan and finding a new purpose in teaching him sorcery, but even though he found new meaning he nonetheless passed on to his student a worldview heavily colored by his experiences. The Lalafell's disenchantment with the world was expressed as a focus on self-reliance and cultivating strength within one's self - which is part of the reason why Ifan is a thaumaturge, not a conjurer, and refrains from relying on familiars, artifacts, or even ambient aether unless necessary. And this worldview resonated heavily with Ifan due to him being an orphan; his feelings about it could be salved with the sour grapes attitude that all the strength he needed can be found within.

By Stormblood, Ifan is struggling severely with his personal life: losing G'raha in Syrcus Tower, losing Ysayle and Haurchefant during the Dragonsong War, and then losing Ardbert and Minfilia to the cause of saving the First was capped off by a falling out with Thancred featuring a vicious argument and brawl. The personal costs of being Hydaelyn's champions have really started mounting for him in earnest, so he starts raising a lot of defenses out of instinct.

Enter Zenos. Much like with Y'shtola, he was able to get past Ifan's barrier fairly easily at Rhalgr's Reach; the only reason Ifan lived with only moderate injury was because of a last-second adjustment in his strategy thanks to an Echo warning that he was about to be bisected. In the literal sense, Zenos' effectiveness at piercing magical defenses seems to be both a function of his artificial Echo combined with his extremely wide reading; it's likely he has at least a basic knowledge of aetherology and magic, as a result. But in the thematic sense, Zenos' ease when it comes to piercing Ifan's defenses is a function of desire: the prince expresses an active want for the parts of Ifan which he is most ashamed of, such as those aspects manifested in Fray, and that leads Ifan to compromise his defenses in turn, out of desire for acknowledgement.

Ifan's 'love' interests in Stormblood - Hien, Hancock, and Zenos - are all princes of a sort: literal, in the case of Hien and Zenos, and figurative in Hancock's case as something of a trade prince. And they all offer Ifan routes of escape from his circumstances: Hien gives him a chance to have the boyhood adventure and romance of his dreams, Hancock offers him the ephemeral pleasures of Kugane's flower and willow world, and as mentioned Zenos offers him the chance to indulge his worst impulses.

And in all three cases, the relationship as originally begun fails to last regardless of the timeline. Hien and Ifan are driven apart by political necessity, the war in Gyr Abania leads to Ifan isolating himself from Hancock, and in all cases Zenos and Ifan's "relationship" ends with one consuming the other in the Royal Menagerie (I say consume, because Zenos suicide is framed differently within Ifan's narrative).

Ifan's personal arc during Stormblood is thus really a struggle for humanity by keeping both aspiration and instinct within their proper contexts. The temptations to indulge bestial whim versus becoming an equally as unthinking divine weapon meet in the middle during the duel with Elidibus; Ifan calling on Fray is him relinquishing his humanity, and disfiguring his soul by letting circumstance or other people do the thinking for him.

It's appropriate, then, that it's G'raha Tia of all people who pulls him back from the brink by accidentally giving Elidibus an opening. Ifan is left without his barriers and he faces the Ascian (who at that point has become more an avatar for everything Ifan hates about the world and specifically himself) as his true self - and he falls for want of the strength his friends and family give him, much like Dalmasca and all others conquered by Garlemald fell for want of a unified resistance.

Diamond Shoal is very powerful, but reaching out to others is far more so; limit breaks require other people, after all.

[weightoftomorrow]

Prompt #8: Hobson's Choice

enw spoilers this time. this is a drabble about how reconciling video game conventions to a living world would absolutely result in a horror situation

Zenos stood there, waiting.

Qahs'a was not fighting Zenos.

Zenos had said he would walk away, so he was walking away, no matter what the Echo said.

The Echo pulsed, insistent. He would be fighting Zenos, it indicated.

He scowled, and spun, looking for an exit. Meteion had said there would be one, there had to be one.

He found it eventually, and stumbled back into Ultima Thule.

Nothing had changed there. He wasn't sure what would've changed, but surely something would be different after the Endsinger's forced despair was ended?

The Omicrons continued their endless standby procedures.

The few Ea willing to speak to him only mentioned the same fatalistic themes.

The dragons continued to lament.

Qahs'a had a terrible feeling about this.

He finally reached the Ragnarok.

It was empty.

The Loporrits were all missing from their stations. No Scions stood waiting for his return.

He didn't know how long he stared at the empty cabin in horror, but eventually he reached for aetherial currents and pulled himself back.

Sharlayan was, somehow, almost worse.

He couldn't find Kururu, or Tataru, or anyone else he expected to be there, waiting for the Scions' return.

Everyone who talked to him acted like he was just leaving their star.

He couldn't take it, and jumped to Yedlihmad.

The sky was still burning.

It seemed… less than before, but the sky was still red, pouring (lesser) gouts of fire.

It felt like Thavnair was trapped in a moment, not allowed to move forward until…

Until….

He didn't want to fight Zenos. He didn't want to fight Zenos. Zenos gave him a choice.

Apparently it was no choice at all.

[i do not actually know what the state of Thavnair is between fighting Endsinger and Zenos, and I don't want to do all of NG+ to see. I assume it's still pre-Endsinger state because the timeskip is immediately after Zenos but they might update it? I dunno, but this fills in the point better for poor qahs'a]

[shivasdarknight]

whats ur fave piece of surkie lore? or ur fave piece of her char design? (or both) :3c

im gonna yell at u but u also brought this on

......OKAY SO, i swear to god this is the most self indulgent shit but I gotta give a teensy bit of context first.

Surkie goes into enw as effectively a drk+rpr since rpr for her is more of an augment onto her preexisting classes? She doesn't use a rpr jobstone nor does she have a proper avatar, as she kind of just got dragged to Drusilla after she summoned a voidsent into her. That voidsent was Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, something she'd actively researched and sought out due to his supposed status as one of the very first voidsent who might have sympathy to her plight to restore the void with Cylva.

This is Diarmuid, btw:

His size is very fluid and he just kinda hangs out in Surkie's head. He's got a more humanoid form that looks like a devil trigger out of DMC and remembers what he used to look like as a mortal, but that's not something he ever shows to anyone.

Reaper is a compromise between him and Surkie due to their vastly different fighting styles (her being a drk main, him...well when he was alive he often used a sword and a spear in tandem with each other and had two sets so 4 weapons in total, the tails kinda echo back to that). So while Surkie is still dominantly a drk, stuff involving Diarmuid involves summoned scythes and whatnot since them learning something together was better than trying to find a balance between existing styles.

This is all to say that at the end of enw, in order to keep her alive, Diarmuid ends up partly fusing with Surkie to get her back to the Ragnarok, and they're kinda stuck together now. She's half voidsent now, it's fucked her up fundamentally, he's stuck on the Source, and now Surkie has a Devil Trigger.

Like. Seriously. It's in part designed after Diarmuid and his humanoid form, but also in part inspired by her dark knight glam from post stb-enw, which ends up getting destroyed - which is this set below, main piece being the Behemoth King top. Reason being is the Sin DT forms are based on suits of armor, with Dante's being more european armor while Vergil's is clearly samurai armor.

She lost this armor set at the end of ENW after it kind of became her identity. It got worn down from how she channels aether - which she wasn't even aware of doing, but it was what in part destroyed her first and favorite spear, nearly destroyed her Captain's naginata, and then decimated her armor. Granted, what dealt the final blow was the fight against Zenos, but her aether warped the plate so heavily that it was unsalvageable. It's what ends up leading to her post enw look with the Troian gear, which was tailored specifically to her insane and uncontrollable aether.

But this also means it's easy for her to suddenly swap into that voidsent form/DT.

She gets a hang of slipping in and out of it and she winds up fighting MOST OF THE 6.X BOSSES ON HER OWN. Initially it was just because I'm Fucking Gay and I wanted her and Barbariccia to go one on one (*COUGHS*), but then it led into her being the only one to take on Rubicante, and then ofc it just fit to have her go after Golbez on her own. As that DT. Rest of the team joins her for Zeromus, but regardless she still just went stupid crazy DT form against these guys and walked out of it alive.

..............................................................................and this form is also responsible for an uh. Incident. that results in their fifth child, Tseren, whose bio parents are surkie and ysayle.

because Someone's a bit of a monsterfucker.

and they don't learn about this until the Rubicante fight where Ysayle was going to get involved in the fight, but he refused to fight her on the grounds of her. yknow.

gg surkie

BASICALLY I GAVE MY WOL A DEVIL TRIGGER AND IM NOT CHANGING IT

[storms-path]

FFXIV Write 2023 Day 27 - Sole

If Arashi had been told as a child that she would one day be sitting at a table sipping coffee with a picturesque view of the end of the universe, watching carefully a man who had all-too-recently made it his life’s purpose to duel her to the death, she’d have said she didn’t talk to strangers, especially those that talked nonsense. If she had been told the same thing as an adult, she’d have given the teller a flat look and walked away. And yet, she mused, sipping just-slightly-too-hot coffee, here she was. And there he was. In a constructed body, true, and more likely just a lingering echo, but Zenos viator Galvus sat opposite her all the same. Watching her intently through a glowing helmet.

Arashi had noticed his attention several days earlier while assisting the staff of the Last Dregs with their maintenance of Elysion. One of the Karellians had been watching her intently as she worked, not even bothering to be subtle as their gaze followed her to and fro. Arashi wasn’t unused to such attention (being the Warrior of Light led to someone getting quite used to such things), but something about it felt uncomfortably familiar. And so Arashi had hatched a plan. As she worked, the Karellian watched her. As the Karellian worked, Arashi watched them. A good deal more subtly, of course.

It was the strangest thing. It was obvious in the being’s movements that they were the former crown prince. The practised fluidity. The predator’s gaze lingering over his fellow workers, sizing them all up. The voice (when Arashi dared to get close enough to hear it) was him to a tee, even muffled though it was by his helmet. And yet… He was gentle. He was compliant. He worked without complaint and took orders without question. He laboured, for the first time in his life, for the betterment of others. It was like watching a tiger take up dancing lessons.

It hadn’t lasted long before he had noticed her. But he hadn’t exploded into violence or worse, one of his uncomfortably passionate rants. He appeared nervous, more than anything. As if he hadn’t been watching her every move for days on end. It was, truth be told, the only reason she hadn’t cut him down where he stood. Instead, against her better judgement, she had chosen to “escort” him to a quiet table and a pair of hot drinks. Against her worst expectations, he had accepted without a word.

The silence stretched on dangerously, the outcome of the confrontation hanging on a blade’s edge of unspoken words. Truthfully, Arashi wasn’t sure what to say. She’d thought the man dead and… well, not buried but safely filed away at the edge of space. Apparently the ambient dynamis had other ideas. What do you say to the ghost of a man you killed twice over? Finally, Arashi settled on:

“Why are you here? How are you here?”

The helmet gave no emotions away, but Zenos shrugged in what Arashi could only guess was an awkward fashion. It looked unnatural on him, stolen body or otherwise. “Some trick of our slain foe, I can only imagine. I was ready to embrace my end by your hand, my friend, but to my utmost displeasure, I awoke again. It appears my tale is not yet told, much though I laboured to write such a perfect conclusion.”

Yes, it’s definitely him alright. Arashi stifled an irritated sigh. If she ever encountered Meteion out there in the stars again she would have strong words for the little songbird. Still… “Next question. You knew I was here for weeks and did nothing. Why?”

Another shrug, Zenos’s helmet turning away. His slightly tinny voice sounded, for the first time, uncertain. Arashi took another sip from her steaming mug. “I… You were the victor. We gave everything we had in our clash and in the end it was you who walked away. This is a soldier’s body, but it has grown weary of war. And so, it seems, have I.”

Zenos didn’t mind the spray of coffee that erupted out of Arashi’s mouth and splattered his gold-and-blue helmet. The revelation had surprised him too. But the truth was, as he had laid breathing his last next to his friend, he had only felt… empty. Unfulfilled. He had challenged the mightiest warrior in all of creation, pushed her beyond her mighty limits, achieved his heart’s desire… and had died feeling only like he had somehow missed the point of it all. Arashi had finally finished coughing up her coffee and cleaning up her mess. It was strange, seeing such an unguarded side of her. Strange to see her out of her usual armour as well. Like looking through a soldier’s belongings and finding a pair of knitting needles. How much of you have I never seen, my friend? What joys have you known outside of battle? How have you managed to find them?

Arashi looked at the man in front of her in disbelief. Zenos bloody Galvus, monster of the empire, hunter of the Warrior of Light to the literal end of existence, was tired of war? It was laughable beyond belief. A cruel joke from a crueller man. And yet, watching from the shadows, using all of her sister’s hard-taught lessons, she had seen the truth in it. Seen him choosing a path without violence, seen him learning how to nurture and grow instead of maiming and slaying. Perhaps it was all an act for her benefit. But she suspected not.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” The words were appraising, an undercurrent of curiosity and hope inextricably tied together. She wanted to believe, deep down. Zenos couldn’t help but look at the blade between them. The blade she had used to do battle with him. Spattered with coffee now, rather than blood. But no less dangerous for it. She could have cut him down in an instant.

“I am. I know not what I am, truly. Some echo of the man I used to be, perhaps. His last regrets given form. Or perhaps I am myself entire, given an undeserved last chance. I embraced the role of a monster wholeheartedly, threw myself into the role without regret, and yet now I find myself here questioning the point of the whole insipid play. I, who wrote its words with blood and fire.” He couldn’t meet her eyes even with the helmet protecting his gaze. It didn’t feel right.

“Let me ask you a question in turn. You surely knew who I was before confronting me. I made no effort to disguise my observations, nor to mask myself as you watched me in turn. Yet you have not cut me down. I am certain that you still wish to do so, or else you would not have come armed as you are. Why have you not done so?”

It was a question Arashi knew was coming, but she still found herself unable to answer it. Was it that she wanted to believe even he could change his ways? Was she curious to know what had stayed his hand from continuing their contest? Those may have been part of it, but…

“I suppose I’m tired too, in the end.” The words felt right as they left her mouth. “I’m tired of looking over my shoulder expecting to see you there. I’m tired of trying to prepare any countermeasure I can for when you come for my loved ones. I’m tired of sleepless nights spent wondering if I’ll walk away from our next battle or not. I’m tired of the play. I wanted to know if you were too.”

Zenos nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. It was a terrifying thing to put away his role after so long, but it felt necessary; vital, even. He knew not how long he had left to toil amongst the stars, but he knew with certainty that he could only do so by letting go of what he was. All of it, the whirling passion and the crushing boredom and the singular, incandescent spark that had driven him to such a wildfire of damnation. It was terrifying, truth be told. But he had never felt so free in doing so.

Arashi was silent for a long moment. Then, incredibly, she smiled. At him, her greatest enemy, his only friend. “That’s what I was hoping for.” She placed her mug on the table between them, sitting next to her massive blade in a ridiculous manner. Her hand was outstretched. “Let’s shake on it, then. You give up your little crusade and I don’t put you in a shallow grave.”

Zenos chuckled, gloved hand meeting Arashi’s as they sealed the deal. It was an impossible dream, setting aside his only joy in life in a desperate pursuit of other, simpler pleasures. His true self would have railed against such a thing, fought with gnashing teeth and ripping claw until all that he had left was unmade as well. But he wasn’t that man. He was… not an echo, for an echo could only repeat the voice of its source. But something else. Something new.

They spoke for a while, of the cafe, of the harvest, of the clutch of dragon eggs and the recent hatchlings. Of all manner of unspeakably tedious things. It was… nice to enjoy such base things. How strange that he had never realised it before. Finally, Arashi made to stand, empty cup and neatly cleaned sword held in each hand.

“I’ll let you get back to it,” she said, trying and failing to hide the smile in her eyes. “Keep this up, Zenos. You’re almost pleasant company.” And then she was gone, vanishing in a casual pulse of aether and leaving him alone amongst the stars again.

Zenos would not last forever. A lingering echo will eventually fade to nothing. But the time he had left he spent working with his fellow lost souls. Forging bonds. Making friends. Finally seeing, after so much time, the true value of it all. And when at last he let go and joined whatever was left of him in the aetherial sea, he found himself content. And Arashi, watching him go, felt something she never thought she would feel for the monster.

Grief.

[tinygamertris]

Jude kir Dravis

WoL/OC tag meme! Tagged by @ecosystem-administrator, thank you!

Tagging in turn: @nights-at-crystarium, @graha-stan-account, any FFXIV fans who see this and want to go for it!

(Choose whichever WoL/OC you want, do it more than once, ignore me entirely. what am I, a cop?)

B A S I C S

Name: Jude kir Dravis (kir for Veteran Medicus)

Nicknames: Hey Jude, Judy, Mongrel (Derogatory)

Age: 24 at the start of ARR so probably somewhere around 27-29 at this point

Nameday: 21st Sun of the Fifth Astral Moon

Race: Half Garlean half-Keeper Miqo'te

Gender: Male leaning nonbinary

Sexuality: Homosexual

Profession: Medic, Scientist and Engineer in a big ol' mess

P H Y S I C A L     A S P E C T S

Hair: Dark Brown, shaggy, formerly short but grew to jaw length during his time in Elpis

Eyes: Amber

Skin: Light dusty brown

Tattoos/scars: A scar on the left side of his face centred around a blade's cut with branching lightning-like patterns leading out from it, courtesy of Zenos yae Galvus in Doma. An Archon tattoo on his right shoulder post-Endwalker, for the studies he did on Akasa/Dynamis and how it manifests in Ultima Thule.

F A M I L Y

Parents: Father, a pureblood Garlean and head of House Dravis before the second Garlean Civil War; Mother (Mama), a Keeper Miqo'te who rose 'above her station' under Emperor Solus as a Medicus; Adopted Mother, his Father's pureblood Garlean wife. His Father and Adopted Mother have an open relationship and both have brought children and partners into the family through adoption.

Siblings: Three half-siblings through his father, one pure Garlean and two half Elezen. Two half-siblings through his adopted mother, both half Hyur. A sibling adopted from an orphanage after showing immense potential with magitek, pure Hyur (Gentian).

Grandparents: Father's parents, both pure Garlean, former heads of House Dravis, both deceased. Mama's parents, somewhere in Ala Mhigo, current status unknown. Adopted mother's parents, both pure Garlean, current heads of House Priscus. (Yes this means Maxima is a distant cousin.)

In-laws and other: No official in-laws but try telling House Fortemps that he's not family, they'll laugh in your face! Ameliance considered him family long before they met, and Fourchenault has been talked around to naming him a ward of House Leveilleur after seeing how much he adores and will protect the twins.

Pets: He had a pet cat called Scraps when he was young, but no pets since. He considers his life in Eorzea too disruptive (and downright dangerous since falling in with the Scions) to be a responsible pet owner.

S K I L L S

Abilities: Has inherited an empathic talent from his Azem, which manifested along with his echo during the aftermath of Carteneau. Two years training at the Magitek Academy in the Imperial City before transferring to Medicus training. Able to use a gun, gunblade and bow with decent proficiency, and a strong talent with the geometry and mathematics of the Arcanist and both its offshoots. Became a Reaper when the Telophoroi made their appearance with the full intention of returning to Garlemald and doing what needs doing to protect his people. Noble upbringing gave him some small diplomatic knowledge, but he prefers to leave that kind of thing to Alphinaud.

Hobbies: Cooking, sewing, reading, pretty much all kinds of crafting. Loves animals and has been known to spend off-days helping with chocobo stables all over Eorzea.

T R A I T S

Most positive trait: He has a deep, deep love for his friends and family, and will go to ridiculous lengths to protect them. If he decides you're one of his, you can expect him to go to the full extent of his abilities and then some for you.

Most negative trait: He has a lot of difficulty with life-long depression and anxiety, a habit of thinking that his problems 'aren't big enough' to try and get help for (he's on the spectrum but Garlemald doesn't have very good mental health anything let alone support), and these have combined into a nasty tendency to hide his negative feelings and bottle them up until he explodes.

L I K E S

Colors: White, black, grey and dark green.

Smells: Herbs from cooking and making medicine, mild soap.

Textures: Soft, fluffy, smooth and warm. Give him a nice soft fuzzy blanket and he's a happy lad.

Drinks: Cool to cold, fruity, sometimes fizzy. He loves lemonade with berries in it especially.

O T H E R    D E T A I L S

Smokes: Not a chance, he knows what that does to people's lungs!

Drinks: Only occasionally, he doesn't enjoy being drunk and tends only to partake at his very lowest or very highest moments.

Drugs: He's tried weed a few times - on Urianger's suggestion, which surprised everyone but the Pixies - and didn't mind it but he doesn't really see the point in seeking it out. And as for anything stronger, well, he's a Medicus. He doesn't want to risk holes in his brain!

Mount Issuance: Precious, their Grand Company chocobo, is still one of his most trusted companions and is pampered at every opportunity. Muffin, his black chocobo, lives a cushy life in Gridania and is often visited by Kan-E-Senna herself; Jude gets sick at the idea of the 'bo that Haurchefant raised getting hurt. He recently was gifted a flying crescent moon mount by the Loporrits and has great fun giving them all rides.

Been Arrested: Only in MSQ incidents, although he's absolutely come close once or twice. Looking at you Asahi you colossal piece of shit!

[echthr0s]

there's a figure in Buddhism named Machig Labdrön who is responsible for the development of the Chöd ritual, which is essentially the practice of "feeding your demons". the story that led to the development of this practice is of particular interest to me: she was meditating in a tree that was known to harbour some pretty nasty demons. the demons spotted her and began to accost her. previously, when they did this, they were met with fear and resistance, and so that's what they were used to. but this Machig chick, she just kept chillin. she saw them and went, "ooh, y'all hangry-hangry huh? it's all good. feast on me :)" and just gave herself up as food. and the demons were so transformed by this act of compassionate selflessness that they stopped being demons and became her allies.

which makes me think about how my OCs operate -- Noah, particularly, although you'll also find echoes of it in some of the others. Noah is just the shining example: the entity that sired him is one who thrives on fear and the things humans do when ridden by fear, but Noah, by the combined miracle of his love-filled upbringing and some innate force of will, is a fear-killer. when confronted with villainy, he sees clearly -- the agent of chaos that is riding the villain, and the broken heart that is being corrupted to the agent's will. seeing all that, how could he be afraid? and knowing the vastness of his being, how could he not offer space in that vastness, to rest, to be free, to be held? no weapon formed against him will prosper, because it simply stops being a weapon once it makes contact with him. in trying to break Noah, a villain is transported to a space in which he must reckon with how he has been broken, and while some do not survive this reckoning (Joseph Seed is a good example of someone who probably would have been entirely mentally broken by true revelation, if he had been left alone for a moment -- but he was never alone, he was stuck in a bunker with three stubborn ass people who were hellbent on loving him despite everything, lol what a nightmare amirite), the more likely outcome is that the villain becomes devoted ally*

just the very act of standing still, looking a monster in the face, and expressing with every fiber of your being that "I see you, entire, and it is easy to love you" is incredibly disarming and can change the course of history**

*mind you, sometimes this looks more like whatever Zenos and Dayir have got going on -- less like rehabilitation and more like carefully-managed obsession, but sometimes you just gotta go "well. he's stopped subjugating nations and genociding people, at least" and call it a win. besides, if anyone can handle that sort of relationship in a way that doesn't result in it collapsing into a black hole of complete destructiveness, it's the Heart of Darkness

**disclaimer: this does not work on Glowing Ones, mirelurks, irradiated bison, primal behemoths, or capitalists

[motheatenscarf]

Still in Stormblood, just ran through Doma castle and then captured Castellum Velodyna, and I... would like to kvetch.

We spent like 8 levels in Doma and Kugane and the Azim steppe methodically gathering allies like we should have in Ala Mhigo and managed to unseat the viceroy there. And meanwhile Ala Mhigo, whose resistance effort was DEVASTATED for our "help" manages to recover enough offscreen that we can just come back and immediately unseat the acting military leader in Zenos' absense?

It could... NOT be more obvious how uninterested these writers are in Ala Mhigo.

And it's WEIRD because it really doesn't seem like they're terribly interested in Doma either?

I mean, the country maybe, to show you how cool Fantasy Japan is from this Japanese studio, but not like... the characters?

The Azim Steppe was an execercise in misery with the misogynistic nomads, and like. Look. I've read a history book or two. I know historically the Mongols haven't been... y'know, great. But someone made the conscious decision to write into their fake fantasy MMORPG that Lyse and a female Warrior of Light will get sized up by the leader of the tribe that just captured them and have him comment on their suitability as brides!

MAYBE THAT'S NOT GREAT.

Maybe that's not FUN for people!

And maybe it makes me kind of FUCKING HATE Hien, the character they need to be selling me on as a good leader capable of making intelligent decisions, and question his fitness for leadership, if he does not give a shit that his idea to GET captured so we could learn about these people is maybe gonna result in something BAD happening to his new allies.

That's to say nothing of the subsequent raid on Doma castle, which, uh, yeah, spoiler alert, Gosetsu dies.

After like... 20 fucking minutes of holding up an entire collapsing roof on his shoulders, also after being shot like 6 times, all while people deliver speeches at each other in their farewells.

Like. If you wanted to give this closure to Gosetsu, maybe you should have given him more to do before this. And if you want to make it seem like he doesn't get the closure he needs, and his death was too abrupt, then SHUT UP and let these people escape and they can have a quiet moment of introspection and grief when there is not a building collapsing on top of them.

Just... all narrative tension wrung out by the 3rd speech Hien makes.

All of this comes, of course, after the viceroy makes a very unnatural "Let me tell you my life story" moment as her buying time UNTIL the building collapses.

I thought the point of the echo was that we could show players past events and provide dramatic irony because only the WoL knows Yotsuru's horrible past and has context for why she is the way that she is, thus saving us from useless exposition dumps like this?

You can't show AND tell, this is not fucking kindergarten.

Anyway, Hien's a lousy leader, I hate the Azim Steppe even if it's beautiful and the music there is great, I'm SO disappointed that they wound up reducing a compelling motivation for their antagonist to "blood psychopath who gets turned on by violence against the people who hurt her," Gosetsu was barely a character and now he doesn't matter, does Yugiri even have a personality?

Whatever.

I don't care anymore.

I cann't believe this is the same fucking writing team that gave me Heavensward (B+) and the Dragonsong War (solid A), I'm tired of Stormblood, I want to give it a D, but there ARE enough endearing moments between Alisaie and Lyse that I'm bumping it up to a C- because if you can't be GOOD then at least be charming.

I still have stuff to do, too, but god, I'm so checked out already I'm just desperate to get through it all. Maybe the post-stormblood shit will be good.