#i would like everyone to know i love urianger and think of him often

[minarcana]

hello. i would like to posit - 'you' is formal and/or plural - urianger addresses feo ul as 'you' - urianger does not (afaik) address any other ruler as 'you'* *when speaking eorzean. (he uses it for bismarck also, speaking fae)

option 1 (inferior): uriangers using 'you' in the plural sense to match pixies using 'they' in english. this is inferior because feo ul's using the singular they and thus would have little need for a plural second-person pronoun

option 2 (better, funnier): feo ul is the only ruler in any of the city-states or norvrandt that urianger acknowledges and respects as a ruler with power over him. everyone else is less important than feo ul.

[headcanons-n-shit]

since there was already a prompt abt pining can i ask for hcs on how the ffxiv boys (+leofard?) would go about expressing their interest in a particularly dense wol? 😊

We do love a dense motherfuker

Thancred is fucjing suffering over here. He cannot possibly make his intentions any more obvious. The problem is that hes accidentally played himself-- hes spent so long disguising his feelings as jokes, or as ploys on missions, and now you just assume that his flirting and holding your hand and wanting to be in your space all the time is just what the two of you do. He ends up having to go all rose petals and sappy love confession under the moonlight like some kind of storybook love interest. Its so sappy, embarrassing, but its also so, so sweet.

Urianger is, unfortunately, painfully Sharlyan about the whole thing. He gives you nice paper, expensive ink, masterwork tools, intricate glasswear for your alchemy lab. Practical, highquality armor. A delicately embroidered handkerchief. He thinks hes being overly forward with his affections, you think hes just being a really good friend, yshtola would rather drown herself than watch the rest of this soap opera play out.

Literally what else does G'raha need to do to prove his devotion to you??? The man unwound time and unraveled space just to be by your side. He was practically your sugardaddy your entire time on the First. He almost, almost thought you were flirting back with him when you brought him food from the Last Stand, and then Alphinaud and alisae and krile trotted in behind you and it took every ounce of his Exarch discipline not to retreat with his tail between his legs. Pls this man is suffering.

Estinien literally can not. Look me in the eyes. This stinky dragoon has spent a good half his life behind an armet. He is a horrible mix of country bumpkin, career soldier, aymeric's half-assed attempts to pound courtly decorum into estiniens dumb empty head, and Nidhoggs instincts. He wants to cook you food, drag you into a corner and kiss you silly, send you flowers, and bring you something he killed with his bare hands. He ends up doing all four. Not necessarily in that order.

Aymeric is dying. You are going to be the death of him. He has gone through great pains to discover your favorite flower and have them always displayed in your room. He has written you letters full of poetry. He has showered you with gifts. He has invited you to dine with him. At this point the other nobles are asking whether its going to be a spring or summer wedding, and he doesnt know how to explain how you are still woefully oblivious bc he cant explain it himself.

Haurchefant gave you a LITERAL DOWRY. He handed you the reins to an extremely expensive war-trained black de chocobo in front of everyone whos ever mattered to him and also half of ishgard, and then he had to stand there dying internally while you praised him for being a "good friend". There are bets not on whether hes going to throw you over his shoulder and carry you to his room to. Ahem. Prove his devotions. But rather on how long it will take him to break.

Sidurgu. Barely has memories of the Orl traditions around courtship. His mother had often regaled him with stories of how she had courted his father. Food, presense and friendship, proofs of skill. And yes, it frustrates him that you seem to brush off his attempts, but. Well. It took almost five years for his mother and father to get together, from the way they told it. Hes learned a lot for your sake, and for rielles. He can learn patience too.

Leofard is a pirate. He doesnt dance around the bush, he strikes when the metal is hot and takes what he wants. It works well with garlean airships and the odd unfortunate merchant. Not. So much with you. One, because your consent and emotions are important to him. Two, because you are so. Fucking. Dense. He steals silks and jewels and fancy foods for you, spends time with you, saved your life from diabolos, told you his sad life story. Hes one step from throwing himself at you like some fainting dame, and its embarrassing.

(Hes not gonns stop tho)

[teawithaphd]

---Headcanons of the Scions and Sleep---

Back again with more headcanons! Can I get a snork... mimimimimimimi.......

bonus sleepies at the bottom

bone app the teeth <3

Alphinaud

He would be a very heavy sleeper, the Final Days could occur right outside and he would never know if he were already fast asleep

Occasionally gets nightmares of the Crystal Braves and the Bloody Banquet, all revolving around him failing everyone and everyone blaming him for it

He wouldn’t stir from it, but the change in his demeanor the next morning when they occur is pretty visually clear. S/o usually would have to talk him into opening up about it, and with some comfort and encouragement, he’ll be right back on his feet again

He needs his beauty sleep, and will get cranky if he doesn’t get his full 8 hours of sleep

Little pancake flipper, never stays in one place

To bed, he wears an adorable blue silk pair of polka dot pajamas with a matching eye mask and sleeping hat (so he can snooorkkk mimimimimimi)

Despite him sleeping so deeply, he’s a rather quiet sleeper and doesn’t really snore. If you listen carefully though, you can hear his quiet breaths as he sleeps peacefully.

Alisaie

Shes a mid-heavy sleeper; can be woken up but you’ll have to shake her quite a bit.

Her nightmares come rarely, but when they do, she would dream of being far too weak to save her friends and loved ones, and helplessly watches her friends go through what Tesleen did, as well as relive the memory of her becoming a sineater.

They’ll usually wake her up in a cold sweat, but with a little sneak-out into the kitchen for some midnight tea and snacks, a little midnight chatter, and the warm presence of her s/o, she’ll be good as new and sleeping like a baby

She needs her blankets because she gets cold easily, and she’s a blanket hogger, don’t expect to have any blankets the moment she falls asleep. They’ll all be gone.

A kicker, too. Expect to find new bruises in the morning if you share a bed with her.

AND a talker. Will often say the most ridiculous, nonsensical things you’ve ever heard come out of her mouth while she's deep asleep.

She has a matching pair of polka dot pajamas with Alphinaud, pink ones. Ameliance gave it to them awhile back, but they’re so comfy she never got rid of them

Thancred

MSQ says he’s a light sleeper from all his missions

His nightmares get pretty bad, and he’ll try to stay up as long as he can without having to sleep to avoid them outright—yet he eventually relents

The nightmares are of all sorts of things, from Lahabrea, to losing Minfillia and Ryne, leaving the First, failing the others, Louisoix, the list goes on…

He’d often leave the bed the moment he wakes, sometimes with a start, and either find a place to sit outside or paces in the room

He’s a tough one to comfort, and would take a lot of coaxing and patience to get him to open up about what he dreamt about, but his s/o would eventually always get through to him, bringing him back to bed, and keeping them close in his arms the rest of the night.

Because of his work, he can fall asleep anywhere, on a bench, a log, on the floor, you name it

Prefers to only be in his boxers when going to sleep (or nothing at all after a spicy night)

Urianger

He’s a rather light sleeper, though not as light as Thancred

Up until post-Endwalker, he’d be plagued by nightmares of his betrayals, his friends and loved ones discovering his schemes and hating him for it, Moenbryda’s death, and telling her parents about her death (before he actually did it) fairly often.

Comforting him would take getting up with him to go to the kitchen, enjoy a cup of tea together, and slowly talking it out (though he would be a hard nut to crack, arguably the hardest of the Scions)

He and Alisaie sometimes find each other in the kitchen at night and stare at each other like O — O O — O

He stays perfectly still, to the point where one would think he’s dead, which when they go to inspect his body, he’d only crack open a single, unblinking eye

His only giveaway that he is indeed still among the living is a modest, comical snore (he snork mimimimis)

Also a living space heater

He’s capable of sleeping in any condition, from sharing in Thancred’s missions, but would prefer to sleep butt-of-ass naked in his feathered bed with silk sheets

Y’shtola

A rather light sleeper, will be among the first to wake and the first to get up to investigate any disturbances that might occur in the night

She claims to be an early sleeper, one of those to say “early to bed, early to rise”, “must get your beauty rest” preachers, but will actually get lost in a book at night, sleep late, and end up with the book in her face in the morning

She doesn’t have many nightmares, but will sometimes dream of Runar and leaving the Night’s Blessed behind in the First

She wouldn’t mention it in the morning, but s/o can tell by that far-away glance and more sentimental look about her that she’s been having those dreams again

Has a very faint snore, almost sounding like a deep purr, paired with a light toss-and-turn, and a penchant for snuggling up to the nearest heat source in her bed

Has a full 12-step beauty routine before bed and refuses to go to bed before taking a bath

She would also be very picky with her pillows and blankets, if a pillow is slightly too soft or firm, no one will hear the end of it

Owns the prettiest, black silk nightgown that Tataru could ever craft, with a robe to match

Estinien

A very light sleeper, would start with even the faintest sound or movement

Nightmares, lots and lots of nightmares. I don’t think he’s ever known a good night of sleep in his life…

He’s the type to jump from his bed and reach for his lance before realizing where he is. S/o often has to grab onto him, shake him, and hold him down until he comes to. Estinien needs quite a bit of comfort, gently holding him until he regains the courage to go back to sleep again, never letting go till morning (he’ll never admit it though, and will totally play it off)

SNORES LIKE A BEAST

When he’s deep enough asleep, they’re loud enough to rival the dragonsong

Also has a penchant for drooling on his pillow at times, and clinging to anyone brave enough to sleep beside him (though he will adamantly deny it to the end of time, even with his s/o)

If there’s a pillow and a bed, he sleep, though he does have a penchant for getting too hot at night and tossing his blankets to the ground

Sleeps in the ugliest men’s 16th century French night gown you’ve ever seen (literally everyone has told him to dump it)

G’raha

He’s a moderate sleeper, but has a hard time falling asleep

MSQ has mentioned that he fears falling asleep in fear of never waking up

When he finally does get to sleep, he’s usually pretty sound. On the odd occasion that he does get a nightmare, however, it would be about losing friends, loved ones, or his s/o despite all he does to keep them. Even rarer, he’ll have imposter-syndrome nightmares, where he finds out he’s not the real G’raha, and his life is not his own, but those pass towards the end of EW

Unlike some of the other Scions, G’raha’s actually pretty easy to comfort. S/o will likely find him already out of bed, staring softly out the window on a cold night, with only some warm incentive and the allure of cuddles and conversation to lull him back into bed. The rest of the night is spent snuggled up in his warm embrace, with the soft beat of his heart to bring s/o into a restful sleep as well

He gets cold easily at night and needs a warm bed and plenty of warm, weighted blankets to keep him toasty (his s/o might suffocate under all that weight, though)

He’ll usually sleep on his side, curled up in a fetal position, and sometimes moves his tail about like a sleeping kitty as well as purrs. He’ll also sometimes subconsciously curl his tail around his s/o in his sleep

If s/o has a tail, he’ll curl his tail around theirs

Wears warm and soft cotton pajamas that Tataru made when he came back from the First with matching, cozy socks and ear socks during colder, winter months

--Bonus--

WOL Panne

(OC WOL, From A Tale of Two Warriors Link)

She’s a pretty light sleeper

Usually her sleep consists of a blink before waking up. Very rarely she has nightmares, but on the occasion that she does, she doesn’t remember them, but still wakes up with a yelp and a start, sometimes wakes up crying but doesn’t remember why.

It would be tricky to comfort her, since she wouldn’t be able to remember anything about her nightmares. After waiting for her nerves to calm, she falls back asleep silently in the arms of her s/o.

Chronic pancake flipper

Throws her blankets and sometimes pillows everywhere and wakes up with nothing

Also gets into a starfish position somewhere in the night, with her arms and legs splayed out

Also kicks and punches anyone who dares sleep in the bed with her, intolerable sleeping partner, 0/10

Like Estinien, if there’s a soft surface and something that resembles a pillow—she calls it a night!

Wears a cute pair of cotton shorts and a tank top to bed (which she didn’t ask Tataru to make for her, and yet it’s comfy)

WOL T’orr

(OC WOL,From A Tale of Two Warriors Link)

Chronic insomniac, and he doesn’t know why

But when he does fall asleep, he sleeps like a log and absolutely nothing can wake him up, it’s amazing

He doesn’t sleep for long enough to really have any nightmares, but is the kind of person to be constantly running plans and plans for worst case scenarios in his head as he sleeps

(When he does sleep) a bit of a flipper and every once in a while would talk in his sleep, though what he says is nonsensical except for the occasional reciting things he has to do

When his s/o brings it up in the morning, he’ll play it off,

“What, me? I didn’t do that... Though I do appreciate that you love me enough to dream of my voice~.”

He is the most difficult of the Scions to get to sleep, and his requirements are a very, very long list. (maybe I'll post it if you ask UwU)

Usually only sleeps every 2-3 days, and has to be at his breaking point in order to actually fall asleep. He will occasionally take ‘cat naps’ throughout the day, though.

Doesn’t wear anything special to sleep, contrary to popular belief. He gets fairly warm at night, so he would own a plain shirt and shorts to sleep in.

Aymeric

Terrible, terrible sleeping habits

Fairly heavy sleeper when he does get sleep

Gets a fair amount of nightmares with the prosperity of a country weighing heavily on his shoulders. He would constantly be fretting about it, especially in his nightmares. On occasion, he has nightmares of fallen comrades and foul memories in the age before their newfound peace.

As a workaholic, his usual sleeping spot is his desk

When he is finally coaxed into bed, he would be a fairly quiet sleeper and either sleeps on his back or his side

He looks serene like a princess in his sleep, it’s quite endearing

Ideally, he enjoys a soft bed and softer pillows, but his exhaustion always reaches a breaking point at the wrong time and place…

There was once such occasion where he was having dinner and fell asleep face-first into his soup…with Lucia right in front of him

He owns a very elegant silk men’s nightgown, in blue, of course, adorned with beautiful gold embroidery throughout

Erenville

He’s a fairly light sleeper

Used to short sleep and long travels, so he can usually last with 3-4 hour spurts of sleep and travel

He very rarely gets nightmares, but when he does, they’re usually silly ones, like a horde of frogs attacking him all at once, or being swallowed by a giant toad

Has inherited the Sharlayan penchant for having terrible sleeping habits, like falling asleep with a book in his lap during long nights spent deep in research with mountains of archon loaf to keep him going

When he gets normal sleep, like a normal person, please, He’s a tad restless at night and tends to flip sides quite a bit. He also has a bit of a kicking tendency…(probably dreaming about getting to his next destination)

He’s pretty easy to please in terms of sleeping requirements, always being out and being pushed to his limit as a gleaner, especially during the Final Days. He got used to sleeping pretty much anywhere whenever he got the chance, but he’d much prefer a proper bed

A simple pair of soft, cotton pajamas are all he needs to get a good night’s sleep, and the one he owns has a little embroidered frog on the t-shirt pocket. He also owns a frog plush one of his gleaner friends got him as a gag gift on their graduation that he cuddles up with in his sleep (and doesn’t tell anyone about, ever)

----See the Menu----

[stormbabylore]

All right, here goes! Started a tumblr specifically to infodump about all my baby FFXIV WoLs. Here's my main, circa Heavensward, when I finally had some glams I loved for her. She's a precious little bean, and I affectionately call her my "Stormbaby." ♥

So, a few things about her!

Name: Aeryn Stormwater

Age: Probably mid-20s, but she actually doesn't know!

Class(es): She canonically started as archer and later picked up the lance, too. She did try her hand at conjury but struggled to connect with the elemental magics and remained rather weak in the art. A known associate of the "Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss," she has some meager skill with a dagger, but she prefers the bow. (Outside canon, Aeryn has both black mage and astrologian AU personas!)

Crafting/Gathering: Omnicrafter forever! \o/ (Although I still haven't picked up armorer for some reason.) Canonically, just weaver, alchemist, and botanist. She does end up helping out around Naldiq & Vymelli's from time to time, mostly just with gathering and deliveries between the city-states.

Other Hobbies: She keeps a journal with her at all times that she uses to jot down notes, important details, sketches, and maps of all her adventures. When words fail her (which is frequently), she often finds she can write or draw what she thinks. She will also, eventually, take up painting.

Extras: Aeryn has no memory of anything besides her name when she wakes up on a chocobo cart bound for Gridania, in Eorzea, a place she knows nothing of. Folks tend to assume the stars on her face are tattoos, but upon closer inspection, they don't appear to be inked. The yellow streaks in her hair are natural, though everyone assumes she dyes it. (The game doesn't allow it, but her bangs would be yellow, too!) She frequently dreams - often having nightmares - but she can't seem to remember anything about them when she awakens. The first time she sees the ocean, she falls in love with it, and she has a tendency to spend her idle time near natural bodies of water when she is able.

About the Ears: When she saw those bun ears at the Gold Saucer, she Had. To. Have. Them. She still wears them with several of her glams. Unclear if she will ever give them up. /huh

And a few things about me!

I am Not a Typical Gamer. I panic in dungeons and feel terrible when I mess up. But I am o b s e s s e d with this game, its nuanced storytelling, and its myriad ways to play and explore.

I have too many so many alts and will likely end up blabbering about them all here at some point.

I've been playing XIV for about a year and a half, but I like taking my time with the story. Just finished Shadowbringers MSQ and am taking a pause for my emotional sanity. :D :D :D

(Still avoiding Endwalker spoilers where possible!)

I can't do FCs. They bug the heck out of my anxiety.

If I emote at other players, I'm probably highly over-caffeinated! I generally feel extremely awkward afterward and often just... run away.

⋆｡° ✩ °｡⋆Urianger⋆｡° ✩ °｡⋆ I love him with the entirety of my heart.

If you read all this, thank you, and have a lovely day! /beam

[enolareven]

Just Nergui Thoughts

Why is is that I just can’t seem to...to make any friends? I can’t seem to connect with people the way others do. I’ve been around, doing business, performing, running my shops, saving the world and whatnot, but it’s almost like everyone treats me differently, even if they don’t know anything about me. Maybe it’s just something about my aether.

I’ve gone out to bars, to nightclubs, to parties, performed...and while others seem too always be in groups or making friends whether they’re very talkative or not, I’m just...by myself. The only people who really talk to me seem to be the other Scions. I wonder if they ever feel the same, and that’s why they mostly choose solitude except for the young twins. It must just be a certain vibe we give off. It looks so easy for everyone else.

Ever since I was a kid...it was always...I can’t really have friends because I’m different. Being friends with me would just get you into trouble, put you in danger, or be too much of a hassle. Me being friends with anyone else was too dangerous, it’s safer if I just keep to my magic practice and studies, my training. I’m too important, it’s because they needed me to be safe and become strong.

I was so lucky to have ever even met Aruktai, for the few years we knew each other. Who else could have gotten approval of my family and put up with the scrutiny and politics involved with being close to me? At least one night a week I imagine for a while what it would be like were he alive, had come traveling with me as we promised, and joined the Scions together.

He smiled, just faintly. It faded.

Arma for one seems to be really nice to me and spend a lot of time around me, but I can only have my doubts. She’s a machine, meant to hunt voidsent. She probably feels compelled to keep an eye on me. I don’t know what to think about it. Some of my staff members...like Rex, he seems like a very friendly guy, but they’re all just acquaintances. I don’t know if I’ll ever speak more deeply to any of them, beyond business. If anyone will become more important to me, or if I’ll ever be memorable to any of them. And then, the hosts I used to visit...it was so easy to just pay for the companionship. I’m...honestly uncertain if I’ll ever see any of them again. And Nil...Nil is........................

He smiled again, briefly.

I don’t know...he seemed to genuinely like me sometimes. But there is nothing I can believe. I wish he were still a host, so I could just spend time with him again, no confusion, no uncertainty. No worries. No complications. Not so much insecurity. Just bring him some gifts and gil on Sunday nights, sit there under the stars nestled against him, and look forward to the next time. But he is done with that phase of his life and I...am unsure where I stand.

His eyes closed in deep reflection.

Maybe I should stick to the shadows like the rest of us. Be content to just have an occasional tea or museum trip with Y’shtola, drinks and a cynical airing of grievances with Thancred, or read history books with Urianger and talk about magic and aetherology...and spend the night with Estinien as often as I can. The most wonderful person I could have ever asked to meet on this battlefield...a man I know will be accepted to live out a quiet and isolated life with me on the Steppes with my tribe should we reach the winters of our lives together, despite his being an outsider.

His face grew serene.

He’s a good listener and shoulder to lean on when he can, I just wish he were less emotionally distant sometimes. Lately he’s so fixated on this whole Vrtra and ‘repaying his debts to the dragons’ thing that his blood compels him to. It can’t be helped.

His expression became bitter again.

We’re all too serious, too gloomy. We’ve seen too much. There is no...social life for people like us. We’re not meant to have other friends, to love outside of our strange little company. We’re meant to just be heroes. Hell, we aren’t even meant to be alive. We’re just dead men and women walking, here to sweep up the rubble after we save the world from disaster after disaster, and await the next one. We’re just keepers of the realm, ensuring everyone else has a life to live. No rest for the righteous. I am here as I was before, to perform my duties and see the world, mostly travelling alone until it is time for me to return to the star. But...we still all have each other. Shouldn’t that just be enough? I’d be happier if I just didn’t care so much. Why must I feel empty and focus on what I don’t and may never have?

[siderealcity]

I really do love this beat of Shadowbringers. And I particularly want to just disassemble the whole of Minfilia's arc and hang it on the wall somewhere to show it off, because I really think people don't appreciate what's going on there.

This scene? The one were Minfilia declares that Thancred hates her? The thing that sets her off isn't anything Thancred does at all. It's Magnus grieving for his wife, who died pursuing her dream of a better future.

Thancred is incidental to this moment. A lot of fans want to lay the entire blame for Minfilia's emotional turmoil at his feet, but Minfilia's self-hatred long predates ever meeting Thancred. She spent her entire life in a cage in Eulmore, being told that the world would be better off without her in it. That all the value she had was used up before she was born by the incarnations that came before her. This moment, the moment of her outburst in Amh Araeng, is because she's absolutely seeing herself in Magnus' turmoil. She's the worthless pile of earth, the broken and repaired talos, that generations of better Minfilia's died to create. And the only reason she was kept alive at all was for their sakes. And she's simultaneously seeing ahead to what could be. The grief that gets left behind by the selfless sacrifice. The wound that never heals, even when the better future arrives. This is where she can see the most clearly what the choice ahead of her truly means for everyone else.

Ran'jit doesn't even know which Minfilia she is. He continually acts as if she's somehow one of, or possibly all of, the girls he raised before. Of course she doesn't feel as though Thancred saved her for her own sake, or cares about her so much as he does the real Minfilia. That's the only kind of relationship she's known for as long as she can remember.

Is Thancred good at being a father-figure to her? No. Of course he isn't. Thancred never even had a father of his own. He had a kindly mentor and an education in espionage instead of a loving family. He continually sees his only value as a person through the lens of his usefulness to others, and this has literally led to his downfall before in the MSQ. He is the last person in the universe who should even be allowed to teach Minfilia how to love herself. He doesn't know how to do it either.

I think it's a remarkable moment of awareness and sensitivity from Urianger here that stops him from saying, "No, Thancred doesn't hate you." Because if he did say that, she would immediately stop listening to him. That Thancred hates her is as much an obvious lie as, "I'm just a burden, helpless and hopeless." Girl, I have personally seen you shiv a Lightwarden in the back without so much as blinking. That's the depression talking. And also, she needs to believe the lies. She has to convince herself that it's true, because believing that no one will miss her, and everyone hates her, and she isn't even important is the only way that this choice doesn't hurt the people she loves.

But her lifetime of abuse isn't going to be fixed by telling her it's all in the past and it's all in her head. The past and her own mind are her constant companions. And she doesn't truly want to hear that anyway. Urianger blames himself instead. Partly because he truly believes this is his fault, and partly because now she has to refute that he's responsible, and she's more likely to do that than to accept she isn't at fault. He can't argue with the voice of her own self-hatred, but he can start a different argument as a distraction. (How often did that tactic work on Thancred in the past? Back in Sharlayan, or Thanalan? How often did he break up disagreements between Papalymo and Thancred and Moenbryda with some random prophetic nonsense?)

And then, of course, the scene ends with Thancred refusing to speak to Minfilia. Is it because he just doesn't know what to say? Or because he can see this is where it's sinking in, that if she sacrifices herself to bring back the Oracle, she'll still be leaving them behind?

This scene is just layer after layer of agony, but it's the agony of cleaning out a festering wound, and I love that.

One thing that really gets me about Urianger comforting Minfilia in Amh Araeng is that when she says Thancred hates her, Urianger never actually says, no, he doesn't. He says instead, none of this is your fault, and the original Minfilia wouldn't hold anything against you, and in typical Urianger form he says some things about fate and faith, and his words are kind and beautiful--but he also completely sidesteps the question of how Thancred feels about her.

And I think this moment is very reflective of Urianger's relationship to Thancred and child!Minfilia as a whole. It reflects what we see when we first see all of them together in Il Mheg.

Urianger knows that the way Thancred behaves toward the girl is hurting her. He's spent enough time around the two of them to see that plainly. Theoretically, he could say something to Thancred about it; they're obviously close friends, and if Thancred was going to value anyone's opinion, it would be his. But he doesn't say anything, because he still feels guilty and responsible for all of it: about their Minfilia going to the First and what happened to her there, and thus for what both Thancred and child!Minfilia are going through now. Even though Thancred has never outright blamed him for it (however he may feel privately, which I think is hard to say), it seems like Urianger still feels like he has no right to say anything.

So he tries to compensate instead. He's kind to Minfilia, connects with her in his own way and gives her books, and by the time we see them together he's obviously become something of a familial figure to her. I would say that he and Thancred aren't so much raising her together as they're doing it... around one another. Thancred is gruff and cold and holds Minfilia at arm's length emotionally so that his protectiveness comes off harshly even when it's well-meant, and Urianger dotes on her and tries to make up for it all while avoiding the actual problem.

So that conversation in Amh Araeng is both touching and maddening to me, and it really drives home what's maddening about it when, upon overhearing it, the Warrior of Light turns to Thancred to ask him if he has anything to say to Minfilia--who has just said, out loud, that she thinks Thancred wishes she was dead--and Thancred just says, "Not today."

And so they both go on avoiding the actual problem, for just a little longer.

[hythlodaeus-mynewoldfriend]

9. How open are they with their feelings?

Thank you for asking! I gave you four ships!

Sib x Thanny

These two are closed off post arr in terms of saying it for a long time because saying it would make it true and would have consequences and being vulnerable, however in actions they are very open about it. Like the two still fought and were passive aggressive but they still did things that expressed feelings that everyone else could see. Sib used to be so open about her feelings and emotions in arr but events happened that closed them off and Thancred was never really that open to begin with. And it was the saying it out loud that was the thing making it harder for them to get along so in ShB Minfilia locks them in a room and won’t let them out until they talk about it all. And since then they’re much better about being open about them though there are still some things they keep from the other that are more things that haven’t been brought up yet (sibs brother and the dynamics of that being one of them) or they don’t want to worry the other so they can focus on the task at hand (Thancred not wanting anyone to know how he asked Demos to keep him in check since it was a high possibility he would go against what the logical choice would be. Basically that whole coming home mission conversation).

Demos x Yugiri

Both are reserved how often things are said but they both know how to read the other’s body language so they are open in a way. Both are keen observers and use that to know when the other needs to be pressed to talk about emotions since they will just not like approach them right away kind of thing you know?

Carly x Zenos (x Stasia)

Carly is open with her devotion, loyalty, and love for her partners. She doesn’t like hiding anything from them. Zenos doesn’t really have the words or practice to voice feelings but he’s very straightforward with things and while he never says that he loves Carly it’s fairly obvious he treats and feels differently for her than others. Stasia is very much not open with feelings. Feelings have always led to bad outcomes and was taught as much by Emet-Selch, and later on found that her father was of the same mind. You have to force the emotions out of that woman and only three people are very good at knowing what she’s feeling and thinking, and that’s Carly, Erich, and Urianger.

Hyth and Anthea

These two are very open. There’s no hiding, no secrets, nothing. Okay there were some secrets but never anything bad more surprises, worst was Hyth not wanting Anthea to know he asked Emet to help in submitting an application for a job that he knew they were qualified for so they could be considered not just handed the job.

[ofdarklands]

6 / 9 / 10 / 16 / 21 / 27 / 56 for mitr'a! 👁👁

here we go:

6. What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

despite what he may look or act like he is actually almost always open for cuddles or communal napping, since that’s one thing i headcanon miqo’te societies do a lot. from what he had observed however, people living outside the traditional tribes and from other races don’t seem to do that at all, so he didn’t mention it, even though he DID miss it...

after papalymo’s death though he went ‘fuck it’ and just dragged the twins and tataru to make a cuddle pile, which was a surprising success once alisaie stopped trying to escape. they just need to see the light apparently! they don’t know! the twins have been getting the brunt of this, and have managed to actually get somewhat used to it, even if they find it a bit embarrasing...

9. Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

giving: a mix of both actually. for example he will let the twins fight and fail and make stupid mistakes as long as there was no damage done, but when he saw them again in the First he also gave them a crushing hug that lifted them off the ground and purred their ears off in public. he will give thoughtful gifts that must have taken very long to make with no comment, and risk his life for people he likes without batting an eye while also poking fun at them constantly, but just saying words directly would however never occur to him

receiving: if he likes you he will take your fond gestures and touch with no problem, but would feel very taken aback over receiving sincere spoken declarations of affection and would really prefer if you would not say that kind of thing out loud. what’s wrong with you *flees*

10. What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

someone: *explaining something* mitr’a: oh so like [highly disturbing/niche nature/mineral reference that remains unclear in how it relates to the situation at hand]. interesting someone: what

16. What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

people who ask for his help in whatever capacity and then don’t listen to his professional advice tend to get long, furious internal rants. yes ma’am i promise you that ‘cat’ was indeed a coeurl that will eat your face off in a few years no i am not *grits teeth* making it up. yes. yes. i see. die then.

he does also speak out loud sometimes when alone to sound out ideas... though less lately with all these fucking peepers everywhere

21. What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

superfluous titles. if he can’t call someone by their name (if he likes them) or their actual job (if he doesn’t), then he avoids addressing them at all. in stories titles are good and fine, but he’s not wasting brain cells on remembering some irrelevant noble’s ten titles they may or may not deserve when he could spend them on anything else. this does mean he speaks to people like the Actual Sultana with ‘You’ and ‘Nanamo’ which has caused some incidents. the accent does sometimes help as a ready excuse of being ~foreign~

the fact he actually uses the crystal exarch’s complete title (with faintly noticeable glee even!) made urianger’s eyebrow wiggle and IS making y’shtola’s paranoia rise to new heights. what does it mean

(as an addendum, he also tries to avoid saying most ishgardian names as often as he can because he simply can’t pronounce them correctly. this includes the twins’ surname)

27. What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

why does everyone keep giving him mammets of dead people in remembrance? what is he supposed to do with them? is it disrespectful if he never activates them? is it disrespectful if he does? where does he put these now. he might have buried them in some remote hideout so he could stop thinking about it

so those scenes were just him smiling stiffly at urianger and count edmont, and putting this down under ‘ritual purposes(insane?)’ in his mental notes

56. If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

his usual reaction to fear is to fight, so comfort is not exactly high in the list of priorities at those times. slower, more insidious fears tend to worsen his mood for lack of a better way to deal with them. curling up somewhere safe and dark may be required until they pass or he can work through them

thing is, the relationship he has with the scions (about 3 years now in shadowbringers) and the people of the botanist guild (5 years) are the longest constant connections he’s had since he was 14 and left his original clan to wander on his own permanently. it’s not like he lost all contact with his family or didn’t make friends in other clans, he saw them a couple times a year at least while he made his rounds! but it just isn’t quite the same. due to this he doesn’t expect comfort from anyone, beyond maybe the comfort he has discovered that comforting others gives him.

so, for wants... who, really?

[autumnslance]

Shadowbringers felt like a lot of threads from previous expansions finally coming to a head; I think they should have made Crystal Tower required from the start, but it pulls in from multiple raid stories as well as the Ascians after a much-needed expansion rest in Stormblood, and brought back Minfilia and the Warriors of Darkness. Lots of threads.

Lots of Ishikawa taking her plotlines and characters and putting them center stage, after creating many and having other writers kill them off or turn them into something else, so I can't entirely blame her. And there is definitely a shift in how the story is told.

Stakes are high, and while there is death--tragic and horrific at times--it's not the only way to raise the stakes, or to draw out player emotions. The Scions get far more screen time than previously thanks to Trusts, finally feeling like your actual Final Fantasy party members in other games.

And boy are Thancred's years-long mental health, emotional turbulence, and interpersonal issues on display. His and Ryne's relationship is fraught and difficult; if Shadowbringers was a tragedy, the trolley duty would have turned out much differently. But this is, despite all the darkness, a story of hope, and as a hero character, Thancred does what Ran'jit and Emet-Selch can't--puts the past behind him, makes peace with that, and becomes a better man for his daughter's sake.

(It was still a rough and weird time to be a Thancred fan, though. And I've taken to copying and annotating their textual interactions, cuz it's often not as horrible as folks think, or we're listening to one perspective and their assumptions at a time, but it's still so hard to navigate, and too close to many real life difficult relationships.)

The others don't get quite the development this go-round, but we see the culmination of Alphinaud's from the spoiled brat we met in ARR to his reactions to Vauthry and dedication to Eulmore here. Urianger finally shows his face (and dem guns!) and has his moments, using his capacity for subterfuge to move the plot along from the background again (exasperating Y'shtola the whole while).

There is a lot of build and the idea that finally unified as a team, the Scions are nigh unstoppable...until Mt Gulg. The Disc 2 villain's defeat leading to the Actual Final Boss is very classic FF, and the beats hit well, because the set up of the previous 8 levels works to build to it. It's not just spinning wheels, it leads into why the Tempest and that final trial with Hades hits so well on all levels. I wondered how they planned to top it. Especially since Emet-Selch raised the bar so far as sympathetic while still horrific frenemy antagonists go. Excellent animations, voice work, and storytelling combine to make one of the more memorable characters in the franchise.

(Even my WoW-playing roommate, who learns anything FF14 against her will, knows him as "that skunk striped villain everyone's in love with.")

The patches are a bit of a mess. Elidibus needed a little more grounding and work to make his slip out of control and into immediate threat land, and the Scions really didn't know what to do with him for 2 whole patches. But the solo duty in Amaurot was good, and Seat of Sacrifice is still an amazing trial in all ways; we get the long-anticipated "Warrior of Light" battle, and the music hits (especially after learning about how and where and when Soken composed that), and the surprise cameo almost had us missing the tank LB first time through. The long denouement and goodbye tour works to tie it all up.

I miss job/class quests, but I get it; we have over 20 jobs now. They already struggled making all their quests serviceable, let alone good. Role Quests being more focused works much better (and now with duty support one can level 1 job of each to get the story and not worry about other players). The Virtue Hunters leading into another thread wrap up with the Void Quests is great...at the time; it makes the EW patch story a little weird now, honestly. I wish they weren't locked behind that much effort and content. Everyone needs to get Cyella as the midnight visitor (I think of her as the "true option" there) and experience her story as it ties so much together for our fallen fellow WoLs and Norvrandt's history, and into the 13th.

I have no problems with Eden; the story works, has a creepy villain with understandable motivations in context with the greater story, gives great world lore, pays homage to one of my first and favorite classic FFs.

Bozja was way better mechanically and how the story was parceled out than Eureka. They do the war torn battlefields well, but that means Eureka's more visually interesting. Also I maintain Bozja's areas are too big and waiting on Fates to pop for group content sucks. Still better than trying to coordinate Arsenal runs, though.

I loved the glimpses we had of the Gaius and Estinien buddy cop storyline through Garlemald. The RP duty at the end of 5.1 is really great. I'm still sad they abandoned the Shadowhunter plotline so abruptly, though, even if we handled the Unsundered.

Werlyt...I may give another chance when Iyna gets there. Taken all at once, expecting the mundane horrors of Valens' scenes, there is good stuff in that series; I think spread over patches, with the shock factor scenes, and how disjointed some of it is, and who the focal character is, led to a lot of disgruntlement. I do still think the WoL's minimal involvement with the characters and plotbeats outside of beating up the mechs is a core problem, though. But a lot of it comes down to "trying to fit an entire Gundam season into 5 patch quests" and having to accept the shorthanding of those familiar plotbeats--which if not a mecha anime fan, can be a lot to ask.

And YoRHa's such a missed opportunity it's ridiculous. I'm still salty and always will be, as I was looking very forward to seeing how such a rich world and story would fit into FF14--and it doesn't. Great fights, great glamour, great music, I like the characters. Story started strong, ended with a wet fart. Again, de-centering the player characters and having major events happen offscreen is not a good idea. We're not playing FF14 to be the NPCs is some other heroes' story (that conceit is better handled in FF14's own framework). Auteurs who can't play even temporarily in someone else's sandbox should not be strong-armed into doing so when they so clearly...don't want to. For those who love the NieR series, it was a fun reference-fest. For those completely unfamiliar with the games, it was infuriatingly confusing (and the dismissal of that dissatisfaction from YT fans made it worse at times).

Shadowbringers is immersive (I just didn't even consider that I had the ability to return to the Source at any time while plowing through MSQ initially), draws together a ton of storylines and plot threads scattered through the previous 3 expansions to resolve many--and leave us asking new questions, throwing everything we thought we knew about the world, and even the WoL, into confusion. It's highs soar to new levels; it's lows are...actually pretty good, too, there's merit to be found in all of the content; even if a story doesn't hit, the gameplay, combats, music, glamours, updates to older content, flight in ARR--there's something for everyone.

I do think some of the ARR streamlining went too far in some places. We lost a good Scion chain in the Sylphlands, and the "Pray at Azeyma's Marker" quest post-Waking Sands. On the other hand, tossing water on a drunk at Buscarron's Druthers is no longer a 12-step process. You win some, you lose some.

And we're without Hildibrand this time. The Inspector take a break, there's enough going on, we coulda used some levity after...all that...but they wanted a good story worthy of him. And the work they put into the animations and cutscenes, using them as testing grounds.

So next we Walk to the End, to help those in need, find missing friends, and learn the final truths of Hydaelyn, Zodiark, the WoL's ties to this grand arc, and what is up with this little blue bird...

Shadowbringers took Emet-Selch from ARR Lahabrea levels of mustache twirling, Saturday Morning Cartoon villain. All monologue and evil laughter while his evil boobs malevolently boobed down the Post-Stormblood's darker breast boobily and changed him into an actual character. And the first Ascian who actually spent time with us in a more meaningful way. Flipping them from one note, evil that must be defeated. To one we came to understand and a group that connected to our character's literal past reincarnation that we do not recall.

Additionally, atmospherically, Shadowbringers brought us to Post-Apocalypse that wasn't 28 Days Later, Mad Max or Rapture-esque. While pulling from all those series. Its a world 100 years after the Apocalypse was averted but still causes the world to live in its shadow.

This expansion seems to be the beloved darling of the community. Even topping Heavensward in most regards. But, also, personally, I feel like Shadowbringers is only good Shadowbringers for the last three levels of it. And rest is just so much set dressing and putting together the A-Team. For lack of a better comparison, 70 - 79 is our Avengers Infinity War. We get the band back together, fight off the big bad and actually almost win. But then we lose and we lose HARD and we spend a handful of quests somewhat wandering aimlessly until we resolve to go after the one who took victory away from us. That lead up, to me, is alright but the story didn't really HIT, outside of my long winded story analysis reasons, until we reach Amaurot.

Even its Post-Patches seemed to struggle to figure out what to do. Having Elidibus bounce hither and thither without the Scions really trying to stop him because, "We don't know what he is up to." which was counterproductively frustrating to me. You are literally not stopping and banishing the villain so the plot can happen. Alisaie literally kept tabs on the Warriors of Darkness because we were focusing on dealing with Nidhogg. Why the hell couldn't they have kept tracked and harassed Elidibus at least? But no, the sky starts to shower stars and then it is go time. And while To the Edge and the Seat of Sacrifice are awesome. My suspense of disbelief that our Scions would just shrug and only off screen keep tags on lesser Ascians and then just be like, "I dunno fellas, this here Elidibus is tricky." strikes me as dense. Like, this is denser than a dead star. They let things happen for the sake of it happening.

Bottomline, there is some wiggle room here. Shadowbringers may be the community's darling. But I wonder if, its just because we remember the super highs of Amaurot to Seat of Sacrifice. And kind of brush things like; the Ran'jit fights, the Supernatural problem of Lucifer's Cousin's Roommate being the big bad in Lunar Primals, Thancred's treatment of Ryne and Speedrunning him some redemption in the Amh Araeng second half.

I'm rambling now, as a whole. Did you enjoy Shadowbringers? If not why? Vote your answer and leave your opinion in the tags if you'd like.

Note: I am aware that the Post-Patch production was stunted by the COVID Pandemic. Still, I'd like your opinion about anything you felt lacking. Even with that dead whale hanging over the entire thing.

[avauntus]

I was recently lured back to Final Fantasy XIV by their “returner” campaign (if you are away a while, log in and play for free for two weeks). I’ve been having a great deal of fun, got over my “healing yips” and jumped into group content, and finished the Shadowbringers main “5.0″ storyline.

(Yes, it made me cry. Yes, like everyone else-- I concede it is excellent as everyone says.)

Final Fantasy games always kind of...”wink and nod” at their series traditions. And thus I’ve been happily playing along (when I’m not sobbing, natch), running across the occasional call-back to threads I know from earlier in the series, going “Oh, that’s cute. That’s clever,” and not thinking too hard...until the most recent breadcrumb dialogue line for the continuation of the story (patch 5.1) made me put down my controller, put my head in my hands, and go “Aaaaaargh!”

Urianger in brief: “I think I’ll be a problem ON PURPOSE.” lol.

Theory overthinking hours! I can come back later and see if I was right. 

SPOILERS, after the cut, for Shadowbringers through 5.0 and, uh...Final Fantasies 3/6, 7, 10, and 12. (lol)

One of the very, very clever things Shadowbringers did is finish up much of the story of the Umbral Calamities by retconing the existence of the FFXIV storyline as taking place and/or belonging to the same universe of every single other Final Fantasy game all at once, many worlds existing side-by-side ignorant of each other, each just sliightly different from the next.

Which means all those “clever callbacks” aren’t just fun Easter eggs for fans-- they’re also fair game for the plot. If the game isn’t just being goofy, it’s leaning really hard into the Final Fantasy tradition of the “Oh NO Statues.” 😆

The what now?

The “Oh NO Statues” are my mental nickname for the recurring powerful, often sentient monuments that show up in Final Fantasy and invariably break the world:

 Kefka did a number on home values with these three in FFVI, for example.

Later Final Fantasy games would refine and riff on this, of course. “Oh no, the statue is a space alien (?)” (Jenova, FFVII); “Oh no, the statue came to life and destroyed our civilization!” (Sin, FFX).

This isn’t Zanarkand, but it totally could be, right?

And my personal favorite of the “Oh NO Statues” incarnations, The Occuria, FFXII. Statues who aim “guide the History of Man,” ancient beings who manifest as aetheric masked forms, often visible only to a few, whose origins are (in FFXII) unknown:

Balthier: This creature... So this is your Venat?

Cid: Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca! Just how far will you go for power? Does your lust for nethicite consume you? Am I right? I am, aren't I. A worthy daughter of the Dynast-King! You would do well to go to Giruvegan. Who knows? You may receive a new Stone for your trouble.

Ashe: Your words mean nothing to me!

Cid: The reins of History back in the hands of Man.

And later:

Cid: To hell with the Occuria and their stones! What good a power that cannot be harnessed? Baubles best-suited for study, no more.

Vayne: We conquered two kingdoms, that you might study these "baubles."

Cid: Oh, I am grateful for the sacrifice. Without it, manufacted nethicite would have eluded us - an unrivaled weapon. Tell me, Venat. Have I not been an apt pupil?

Venat: My counsel did but guide your able hand. Through power of Man, the Stones did you perfect. Yes. So much accomplished in six fleeting years. Man's fervor o'er all obstacles prevailing.

Cid: Our lives are much too short. You undying might waste long centuries away, but we, I fear, cannot.

Vayne: Just so. Had we more time, we might have used more "prudent" measures.

Cid: Your greatest work still lies before you. Not lightly will the Occuria allow you to wrest the reins of History from their grasp.

Venat: Indeed. What claim does Gerun have on history's reins... seated on throne immortal, rent from time? For your ascendance, Vayne, I offer prayer. May you attain all that which is your due.

Vayne: Attain it I shall.

This is... fascinating, because it is heavily implied by a different storyline in FFXIV that Ivalice and the events of FFXII, exist somewhere in the worlds that were shattered from the Source that was FFXIV’s ‘main world.’ There is even an Ivalice in FFXIV, but it is NOT the one we know from FFXII-- Fran exists in FFXIV as a general of Dalmasca, and to all appearances (that I’ve seen, so far), a key difference is Balthier never existed, or never left his position in the Empire.

(On realizing this, I took a good minute to be amused that Balthier really WAS the “leading man” as he so often trumpeted, that apparently so much depended on his existing in his bravura sky piratery, all unknowing-- bless.)    

As Ivalice exists -- well, the ‘Occuria’ are much like Emet-Selch and the other Ascians, aren’t they? “...seated on throne immortal, rent from time...” indeed.

Of course, in FFXIV, we’ve struck down most of the “relevant” Ascians by the end of Shadowbringers so what then? Almost certainly, the last “sane” one is gone. 

But what’s interesting to me is this: Emet-Selch asked us to remember his people, and he mentions the three Ascians we know as antagonists-- but every single time he talked about his “purpose” it wasn’t to save the named Ascians. It was to save some unnamed other or others, his “lost friends and loves”-- one of which is heavily implied to be connected to the player character. 

(There’s a whole “fragments of a shredded soul thing,” but-- ‘we don’t have time to get into that’ meme-- here.)

The other-other Ascian that is eluded to --heavily-- in the run-up to the end of Shadowbringers 5.0 is the Unnamed Fourteenth-- the Paragon who turned away from the other Ascian councilmembers when the details of their plan to save their civilization and the toll that would be paid were revealed. I think we’re meant to think this conscientious objector is the one who summoned the Light, to grant autonomy to mortals rather than guide them towards a destiny that would serve the Ascians’ return, even if the mortals were “shadows” of what had come before the worlds were split.

Beyond a lot of breadcrumbs, we don’t get much more than that in the ending bit of 5.0, but that sure sounds like Venat to me.

Venat was always portrayed by a woman voice actor, despite the Occuria being “genderless,” and...

OK, so...what does this have to do with nethicite?

In FFXIV, “manufactured nethicite” exists -- it’s called White Nethicite Auricite (oops!) and the Scions (the faction our character belongs to) use it to trap Ascians’ will and shatter their energies.

It’s also heavily implied that if natural auracite is allowed to feed on mortal souls and imbued with aether (energy), it will cause mortals to go insane. The Ivalice raid sequence spells all this out, but in short-- your fears and desires are made manifest in exchange for your life energy. Over time, auracite exposed to mortals gains a low-level chaotic will of its own, like the One Ring in Tolkien’s works.

It is, in short, a staggeringly insane idea to propose putting your soul into a soul-eating crystal as Urianger is doing. And Urianger has no way of knowing this, of course, but this will of the nethicite in FFXII came from the Occuria -- their tools to “guide the History of Man.”

There are no more unsundered Ascians left worth mentioning (Elidibius, lol), but the energy of that Unnamed Fourteenth is out there scattered in the Light-- and this is “White [light] Auracite.” Despite everything, I don’t know that the Light are all sunshine and rainbows for mortals. For one, they like stability. 

If the Scions start unknowingly imbuing themselves with the powers of Ascians by merging themselves with insane immortal chaos crystals (!!), they may manage to bring about the Eight Umbral Calamity and the end of civilization anyway by unbalancing the world(s) themselves.

...Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants for Emet-Selch? I mean, if the main character hadn’t had to put him out of his misery already. (*sob*) 

[pippuns]

Rhel'a as a trust 🤔 funny how I asked this question and yet I didn't have an answer ready.

Well if we start with the dohn mheg tightrope. Rhel'a has no problem with heights, as he often climbed rigging back when he was a sailor, and he's got great balance so he's fully capable of sprinting across the path. He'd even rescue you straight to the boss once you hit the last turn on the path. I think that energy would extend to traversing the dungeon in general. He has a habit of sprinting in cities, jumping over railings, and climbing random buildings (jumping puzzles my beloved) so like if there's a ledge or object that he can jump to save time then he's going straight over (and healing the fall damage at the bottom). You uhh... might have to save him from a pack of enemies occasionally though.

Since Rhel'a doesn't talk much, instead of the dungeon quips that other TRUST members have he probably emotes a lot. Waving/bowing to NPCs, looking out at pretty vistas, depending on the dungeon he might taunt the boss after shielding everyone from a phase transition. Not to say that he won't say anything, since TRUSTs are with the scions and he's more open with them, I think in rare moments he'd make a comment aloud. The text would be slightly broken to represent his bad voice.

As for combat I don't think Rhel'a would do much different from normal player scholars, unless SE let me get very creative with mechanics. Rhel'a seems like the kind of healer that would use old school cleric stance so I think giving him a weaker version of lost seraph strike from Bozja would be hilarious. Other than that, maybe reskins of Broil and Ruin 2, becoming Blood Broil (DRK influence) and Bright Ruin (ShB influence) respectively.

i know rhel'a doesn't have a fear of heights but now im dying to know how a wol who is scared of heights would handle that. any of you folks out there pspsps drop the info

can you rescue people over that gap in the game?? i think you should be able to. im adding that to the list of things that should be able to skip that mechanic. side note but has rhel'a ever dropped someone into the abyss with rescue like what urianger did with ran'jit?

i really love how he emotes in the dungeons though!! i wish the trust npcs would emote more. just for me. please

[headcanons-n-shit]

hi I LOVE ur writing!! Can we get some ffxiv boys and the meals they would cook (or attempt to) for their beloved wol?

The ff14 boys? cooking?!

Thancred

Does this man look like he can cook?

i jest. He can make breakfast. Perfectly scrambled cheese eggs and crispy-chewy bacon and toast with rich butter and sweet, tart marmalade, brought to you on a tray in bed.

Urianger

A surprisingly competent baker! He enjoys making delicate little cakes with colorful frosting and fragile candied flowers, and he never minds when he catches your fingers in the batter or you sticking a spoon in the frosting or if you sneak a candied flower. Food is meant to be eaten, after all, and this particular batch he made for you.

G’raha

Bread. Nothing makes him happier than a loaf of fresh, warm bread. He enjoys the process of it, the mixing of the ingredients, the kneading of the dough, though he can get a little impatient waiting for it to rise. It tastes like nothing youve ever had on the Source-- he makes it with love after all. And a sourdough starter from the First.

Estinien

Surprisingly the only one out of our Catholic Elves who actually knows how to cook. He’s common-born, after all, well used to fending for himself. Rich, hearty stews and sautéed vegetables roasts so perfectly made that it falls apart under a fork. He never really got the chance to cook often before you, but now with regular access to your kitchen he’s getting even better.

Aymeric

Bold of you to assume this man can cook.

That is not a joke. He’s a nobleman, do you think he’s ever cooked anything more complicated than a fried egg a single day in his life? Of course not. He’ll have his cooks learn your favorite foods, though. 

Haurchefant

He may not be experienced at cooking, but he is the hot cocoa master. perfectly rich, not overly sweet or bitter, with an undertone of something citrus and tart. If he has the time he’ll even make some whipped cream to go on top. 

Sidurgu

He remembers a rare few dishes from his childhood. Money was tight back then, and they couldnt exactly afford a lot, but. He carefully goes through the motions, mincing the lamb onion and garlic together with the spices as Rielle rolls out the dough into little rounds. The little two-bite dumplings dont taste exactly how he remembers, but you seem to enjoy them, and thats all that matters.

BONUS

Tansui

He steps in the kitchen and everyone in the confederacy immediately knows he’s down bad. Congee and fish steamed with herbs and lemon and vegetables roasted with garlic and butter. You feel absolutely spoiled as he lays it all out before you. he doesn’t cook like this for anyone else but Rasho.

[allycryz]

‘ you’re exhausted, [nickname of your choice]. ’ haurche x emet <3 IF your reblog was requesting prompts, if it wasn't, then no pressure! (:

It was! Please enjoy!

Timeline: post-ShB, Hades and Nerys are together. Loosely set after this prompt fill but not at all needed to read before reading this. Hades is struggling coming to terms with the fact that he is in love with Thancred and Y’shtola, and now here comes Haurchefant

Food cw

Hades dissipated out of the bed in a rush of aether.

They slept too lightly for him to rearrange things–shift Nerys into the space left between her and Thancred. And he might need the opening if he chose to return. Might. It was hardly comfortable, cramming five people into this bed. Fortunate, that Urianger chose this week to sequester himself in Thanalan.

The four of them remained asleep. For a breath of a moment he thought Haurchefant opened his eyes. But no, the man remained in perfect repose with Y’shtola curled up in his arms. Both in easy, peaceful sleep after bells of activity.

No one else was in the kitchen when he shuffled in, bleary-eyed and less than sure-footed. Blessedly empty...and cursedly understocked. He had balanced Tataru’s ledgers himself last week before his departure. Someone had been greedy about taking more than their share.

A fine homecoming. He rubbed at his now-healed hip as he considered what remained. The laceration was long gone before he returned from the mission Nerys had sent him on–handling a crowd of wealthy mages set on a coup in Ishgard. His own magic had repaired the damage before his “welcoming party” could fuss over it. And still, Y’shtola had stroked her claws over it and given him a pointed look.

Peppermint tea was the best of the options. No hardship truly, but coffee or his preferred types of tea would have been preferable. At least the Ironworks appliances were in good working order. Naturally, the most reliable components of his past-midnight drink were of Garlean make.

“I’m surprised you’re awake.”

Hades near bit his tongue at the sound. He must be tired if he hadn’t detected someone approaching. “Last I saw you, my lord, you looked dead asleep.”

“Oh I’ve been drifting in and out. What are you having?” There was all the room in the world for Haurchefant to stand on either side of him. Instead, the man put himself directly behind Hades and peered over his shoulder. “I did not know you liked peppermint tea.”

“It’s fine. There is nothing else available.”

“Incorrect, dear Hades.” His breath fluttered against Hades’ ear before he moved to the cupboard a few paces away. He felt along the wood panel...and tapped before opening it. Prior, it had contained nothing but containers for leftovers. Now it held a bevy of baking supplies, including several bars of expensive Ishagrdian bittersweet chocolate. “Fetch me the milk and heavy cream, if you please. If we only have one of those, we shall make do.”

“Did you do this? I did not think your thaumaturgy lessons had advanced this far.” He ignored the request to examine the working. This had also escaped his notice, the charms for it dormant and cloaked until Haurchefant roused them.

“No no, all I did was provide the ‘key’, as it were. Luckily, I have an intimate acquaintance with several renowned mages and scholars.” It was a difficult thing, to straddle the line of lechery and love in one expression. Most tried and failed. Yet, here was a shining example, so bright that it could hurt the dark aether Hades drew upon. “The milk and-”

“Yes, yes, I’ll fetch them.”

There was no heavy cream but they did have prodigious amount of milk in the icebox. He brought it over to the other man, who set to chopping chocolate upon the wooden cutting board shaped like a very rotund cat.

“...I do need to ask,” Haurchefant said amidst the rhythmic chopping. “Why did you not simply magic yourself a cup of your preferred beverage?”

Hades dropped his face into one hand with a very long, very exasperated sigh. The other hand flicked into the air, providing Haurchefant with a bottle of the heavy cream they lacked.  “It goes without saying, you will not mention this.”

“Of course not,” Haurchefant chuckled. He set the knife down and wiped his hands with the nearby towel. “Darling man, you’re exhausted aren’t you?”

“Even I can be depleted at times.”

“If I may be so bold-”

“My dear ser, when have you ever hesitated before?”

“More than you might imagine.” He caught the long tie of Hades’ robe, rubbing the silken fabric between thumb and forefinger. The mirth diminished in his eyes, replaced with something softer, more vulnerable. And that same, often-aggravating core of resiliency he always carried with him. “I will be bold then. You undertook a perilous mission, traveled a long way back to great aetheric cost, and then was promptly ravished by three lovely people and their very handsome Ishgardian. Why are you not sound asleep in the bed right now?

“Strange as it may seem...sometimes one can be so exhausted, you cannot sleep.” Hades tugged the sash away, gesturing at the ingredients. “Come now, you need to heat the dairy.”

“I have been fortunate enough not to experience that. Though I have witnessed it in Nerys sometimes.” With that, Haurchefant set to obedience; dutifully measuring out the liquids, the sugar, the small amount of espresso. He had witnessed the man cook before but never with exact amounts. Haurchefant was more likely to add by eye and by taste than employ the cups and spoons he did then.

“Though I am sorry it exhausted you into insomnia…” Haurchefant plucked a whisk from the drawer. “I am glad you allowed us to welcome you back properly.”

Hades made a show of studying his nails. The black paint had chipped dreadfully since Nerys painted them last. He willed the color away with a brush of magic–he would ask her for a new manicure in the morning. “You may have noticed, ser, that I enjoy the carnal pleasures.”

“I may have noticed it once or twice, yes.” The metal spokes of the whisk made light music upon the saucepan as Haurchefant studied the edges. Poised to move as soon as the correct bubbles appeared.

Haurchefant hummed a somewhat familiar tune. An old Ishgradian nursery song, Hades guessed. Abominably catchy, sure to haunt him for hours going forward. The man made it charming enough to forgive him for it.

The saucepan left the flame, chocolate dropped into the mixture. The rich aroma filled the air and Hades felt something in him relax at it. He’d never had much of a sweet tooth but chocolate...that was a concept he approved of. Haurchefant filled two delicate cups and brought them to the table in the corner, beckoning him to join.

Hades set himself in the chair, crossing one leg over the other. The first sip of chocolate was everything the aroma promised: rich, dark, sweet but not overly so. Perhaps he would be able to sleep tonight.

“Do you like it?”

“Quality as always, Lord Emissary.” Hades inclined his head. “I hope it remedies whatever has you up and about at such a forsaken hour.”

“Truly? I got out of bed to check on you.”

“Kind of you,” said Hades, ignoring the treacherous pain in his chest. Determined not to give in to the tenderness of the statement. “But also: nosy. Dear dear, what shall be done with you?”

“If I recall…” Haurchefant’s eyebrows rose. “You made excellent use of me this evening.”

“Yes, Nerys does like to see you in raptures. And I am nothing if not generous to my lovers.”

"How generous? What might I receive from you?"

If Haurchefant wanted to play this game, Hades would oblige. (It certainly was steadier ground.) “For one, you might receive the gift of my receiving. You gave to everyone else but me.”

“Oh but Hades…” Haurchefant learned forward and curled his index finger under Hades’ chin. "Would you deny me the sight of you thrusting? Every time you do...Fury but you're radiant. And you feel perfect."

Sweeter words had been spoken in his ear, similar overtures made in far more sensual environs. But Haurchefant speaking those words in the dark kitchen, gazing at him like that-

-he found it very hard to breathe or think of a response. 

Instinct took over, millenia of etiquette stamped into his bones. Mores and gestures changed over time and place but many classics were the same as they had been in Amaurot. He caught Haurchefant’s hand and kissed it with a mild, seated bow. 

He found his voice and looked up with his sly, ready smile. And Haurchefant looked at him with such aching sweetness that it broke him again. The next innuendo caught in his throat and instead he said, “Nerys was right, when she called you a poetic soul.”

“Thank you, dear Hades.” He rose and Hades braced himself for the kiss, the caress of hand upon cheek. The table might support their weight though the floor would be better-

His lips dropped upon the crown of Hades’ hair.  "I hope the chocolate helps you sleep. I expect you to come to bed at some point, lovely one."

"Even if it disturbs your sleep again?" Hades murmured, feeling the same treacherous pain in the hollow cavity of his chest.

"Ah Hades, it will be well worth it to see the happiness on their faces to wake up with you. All three of them." 

He departed. Hades stared into his half-full cup of chocolate.

--

"Good morning."

"Ugh," Hades dragged the pillow over his face. "Precisely what is good about this bright sun at this early hour?"

"I have some ideas." Thancred slid a hand into the silk robe. Tracing the creases and marks the bunched fabric left during the night. "When did you put this on?"

"Does it matter?" Hades grumbled, stilling under the light touch.

"Probably not." The cheeky knave took away his pillow and straddled his waist, far too energetic and chipper for a man with claw marks across his chest.

Hades sighed, looking up into that handsome face. “Where are the others?”

The door to the attached bathroom opened, answering his question. The missing three filed out in towels, robes, and damp hair. Y’shtola smirked at them. “Are we interrupting?”

"Do you want to interrupt?" Hades asked. The truth he had been–stubbornly, foolishly–ignoring was plain on their faces. Thancred and Y’shtola looked at him the same way Nerys did and he was glad for it. 

What he should have expected and was still thrown by: Haurchefant gazed at him the same way. 

Ah. He thought as Y'shtola got onto the bed. I do believe I am in trouble.

[efrmellifer]

Receptum

5.55, but with more Wymelliferel and Etien's thoughts

Etien stood in the Rising Stones, swaying from foot to foot (a habit she’d picked up in the months she’d been away from Scion duties), the Scions around her—both those new and old, dyed in the wool and relatively new to the movement.

Of their number, she stood closest to Estinien. But of course she did; to have done otherwise would have been the more peculiar choice.

Still, she was attentive as the Scions were invited to another meeting of the Alliance in Ala Mhigo. Not just the Alliance this time, apparently, since they had guests from the beast tribes. All of them. She hummed, only loud enough that Estinien heard it. And maybe Y’shtola, since her ear swiveled back toward Etien.

Ambitious, Etien murmured, not caring who heard her. Estinien chuckled.

She tapped the toes of her boots on the floor while Alphinaud accepted the invitation to the Alliance meeting, still rocking just a little until Estinien caught her by the elbows.

“You’re making me seasick,” he said, voice low so only she could hear him.

The Scions continued talking about who should go, and blah blah Thancred and Y’shtola because summoning,aye, all right.

Then Thancred turned to her. “I think we’ve alldone our part in that endeavor, don’t you, Etien?”

She froze completely, hands coming up to her chest as she nodded, eyebrows pulling together and pitching upward in the middle.

Urianger took the floor from her, stating—rather than asking—in fairly certain terms that he would be staying behind. For the defense, of course.

Then Estinien chimed in. “I’m not coming, either. Aymeric will be there, and I’d rather not be interrogated.”

Etien turned, breaking his hold on her arms easily. “Estinien, he’s just worried about you. We’veseen you more often than anyone else, especially current company, and even we worry.” She let a lock of his hair drift off her curled hand, the way one would release a puff of smoke.

He crossed his arms, obstinate. “Hmph. I will not let you persuade me.”

“Suit yourself, I’m just telling you that Aymeric isn’t trying to pin you down or breathe down your neck. He’s worried about you because he loves you. Because you’re a Scion now, and he knows—” She remembered who she was standing among, and shut her mouth.

Thancred carried on with saying those were staying, stay, and everyone else come along.

“Well, I’ll see you later then,” Etien mumbled, stepping away and towards the door into The Seventh Heaven.

Estinien clicked his tongue as she left, watching the ruffles of her skirt swishing.

“Hath trouble come to Paradise?” Urianger asked, sympathy in his tone and his posture. “Firmly didst thou hold her still, and harshly rebuke her expression of her and Aymeric’s love.”

“You stayed behind,” he replied. “Are you fighting with the other Scions?”

Urianger almost laughed. “Nay, but neither have I taken any for lovers.”

Estinien huffed again. “That is not the problem. They worry about me, I worry about them; their method of worrying is far more doting than mine is. It can be stifling.”

“Ah.” Urianger nodded. “Well, thou wilt see much more of her in the coming days, both as thy paramour and as thy comrade. ‘Twould behoove thee to make thy peace with how she may tend to and treat with thee on and off the battlefield.”

A soft groan from Estinien. “I suppose you have a point.”

***

Again, Etien was sat next to G’raha, but the two of them and Ishgard’s Lord Commander—or was he Lord Speaker for these meetings?—were all sat towards the middle of the table this time.

She sat, looking dazed and happy as he managed to rally the beast tribes, praising them and the component members of the Alliance representation for their strengths, uniting them under their shared purpose. And then, she perked, returning to a more active focus (it was plain in her eyes) as he drew them all metaphorically under the shared banner.

Etien blinked a few times as Aymeric met her eyes.

“I submit that the honor of naming it should go to the Scion whose brave efforts have done so much to unite Eorzea. What say you, my friend?”

She blushed, even inside her ears, then dipped her head to think. “I would call it The Grand Company of Eorzea,” she replied.

Alphinaud turned to her, shocked as he commented, “But that’s the name I…”

She just nodded while the other Alliance members voiced their approval, including the assorted beast tribes. When invited, she joined Alphinaud outside to talk.

Catching the tail end of the conversation, Aymeric sidled up to her before she left to speak with former Crystal Braves.

“It was astoundingly…generous of you to give the new Alliance Alphinaud’s name for it.”

She shrugged. “Well, for one thing, it was better than anything I was going to come up with on the spot, and for another,” she slipped her hand into his for emphasis, “I already got everything I wanted from that time in the Scions’ collective life. I figured I might as well pass it on to Alphinaud, so he could see his dreams come true.”

“You, too, see him as your younger brother then, I take it?”

Etien sighed, her grip loosening, but she didn’t let go of Aymeric’s hand. “Aye, I suppose I do, hmm? He and Alisaie--”

“Closed the gaping wound that came with leaving M’ertle and M’ynstrel,” he finished for her. “I understand. Well, conceptually. Unlike you and Estinien, I never had siblings I lost and found succor in the Leveilleur twins.” He chuckled. “When we say ‘the twins’ now, we shall have to distinguish between whether we meant the Leveilleurs or our own children.”

Etien’s eyes lit with mirth, but she didn’t quite laugh. “You’re right. Though ours look more distinct; only people aware of the details of their birth would know them to be twins.”

“Fraternal twins,” Aymeric pushed gently.

“Well, so are the Leveilleurs, unless there’s something I don’t know. But, it would be their story to tell, and none of my business unless they made it my business.”

“That is enough about the twins for now. Either set.” Aymeric���s voice had sunk closer to a whisper, so Etien looked up at him, listening attentively. “For all my oratory justification, I offered you the chance to name the new alliance so you could choose at least onething on thisgods-awful road you keep getting goaded along.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” she murmured in response, now looking away to hide some of her expression, letting go of his hand so she could fold hers in front of her. “I only regret that I had to do what I did.”

“Had to?”

“I cannot be selfish, or even self-interested. They won’t let me.” She lifted her chin. He knew that motion.

“Please do not cry, my dearest. I could not bear to see it, not after… after everything,” he added, his tone similar in her ear to how it had sounded years ago, when he’d told Estinien that without Alphinaud, Estinien would be dead.

He took her into his arms. “I do not mean… you are free to cry. If not to me, then to whom?” He stroked her hair. “My heart will ache with every tear that falls, but I am your shield, and you are safe with me to express what you must, however you must.”

But she just sniffled. “You’re right. I have to be strong.”

Alphinaud called to her, and she lifted her head from where it rested under Aymeric’s breastbone.

He rested his fingers along her chin, even as she turned her head to look toward the sound of her name. “Go, Etien,” he instructed her softly. “You only need to be strong for a bit longer.”

***

Etien’s mind wandered as she rode her griffin (Nyx was currently resting at the Holy Stables after some medical procedures, well cared for by House Fortemps, as she always had been) through the bluffs of Gyr Abania.

She knew Alphinaud was going to travel the whole way by aether, and he’d be waiting for her, tapping his toe against the stones at Castrum Oriens, but having to slow down a little as he waited for her to fly from Porta Praetoria wasn’t going to kill him. Plus, these griffins were ungodly fast; she was halfway across the Fringes. She was practically there.

She waved, in case anyone in Castellum Velodyna could see her, and held tight for the last few moments of her flight.

She came to a landing by coasting over the top of the castrum’s gates and touching down before she and her mount smacked into the aetheryte, then wandered around looking for Alphinaud, pleasantly surprised by how lively the castrum still was—packages went in and out, training and patrols were still taking place, the whole nine yards.

She tried to pay attention as she asked Riol and Alianne for their thoughts on the Crystal Braves, but as soon as Ilberd came up, her mind began to wander again, wanting to think about anything else.

“One bad apple” made her think of the apples that occasionally grew outside the Gates of Judgment, and then the sweet, crisp apples of Il Mheg. Oh, she missed Feo Ul.The pixie had made their way through Ishgard and tapped on the window of the house soon after the kits were born, eager to see the less-than-literal fruits of their sapling.

They’d tipped their head this way and that and cooed about how cute the twins were, assessing them as they admired. According to them, Landric looked like he would have an affinity for magic, and they traced the curve of Betula’s cheek, then laid their hand upon it the way they did to Etien so often. “A hardy shrub of a girl you have here. A pretty, sturdy little Lacecap.”

They fluttered away from the cradles then, sitting on Etien’s shoulder. “I expect the others will be envious that I have a new set of twins to play with, when these two get bigger. Everyone in Il Mheg misses Alisaie and Alphinaud.”

“Aww,” Etien murmured. “I wish the rift weren’t quite so much of a yawning chasm,” she added, “so they could all come with you.”

“But they can all enjoy it by proxy with their king’s stories. And I imagine they may be itching for one now.” They took off from their seated position, wings flapping hard at first, but slowing as they evened out in the air (and didn’t have to worry about taking Etien’s hair with them). “Take care, Etien, until my next visit.”

She nodded, with a cheery “you too!” and waving as they made their usual wide loop and disappeared back home.

Etien snapped from her reverie when Riol’s voice grew more boisterous, laughing about how glory hunters were stopped before they could start in the Crystal Braves.

She blinked into the dappled sunshine, remembering she was technically on the job, and shook her head to clear it, ears bouncing. “Where to now?” she asked Alphinaud.

He ushered her towards Gridania with diplomatic concessions that they’d take up enough of Riol and Alianne’s time, and that the testimonies that Alisaie and G’raha had gathered were waiting for them. This time, she relented in the name of promptness and traveled to the woodland city on the currents of aether.

And it was just as well, because she would have been disappointed to dismount at the gate to the city only to have to recall her mount to ride to Little Solace. But she arrived in the East Shroud and paid her toll to the aetheryte tender, and walked the relatively short distance between the Hawthorne Hut and the home of the Sylphs.

Even Frixio acknowledged that they had just seen each other at the Alliance meeting, but Etien wasn’t completely humorless about the to-do list she’d been tackling since then, offering the customary dance of greeting with a little smile on her lips. Hells, she was almost disappointed Frixio said no.

But there were bigger fish to fry, like the abducted Sylphs to worry about, and—her ears swiveled backwards before anyone’s attention (other than G’raha’s, she figured) had been drawn to the rapid footsteps behind her.

Well, she supposed they had the Sharlayan envoy to worry about, too, now. As she watched Alphinaud and Alisaie converse about the envoy’s identity, her lips parted in surprise. Not just any representative of Sharlayan, then. Their father.

She swallowed, already imagining the worst possibilities that an unexpected visit could portend. Well, in some ways, this wasn’t unexpected, was it? And yet, her chest was getting tight with the dread.

She took a deep breath. This wasn’t even herfather, so she had no reason to be so negative and scared. It was going to be fine.

And so they all set off. As Etien thumbed out the right number of gil to the tenders, she sighed. It certainly would have cost lessfor her to ride from Gridania when she’d left, if she’d known she was going to be coming right back, with a shorter time limit this go around. Still, as she arrived at Nophica’s Altar and entered the Lotus Stand, admiring its beauty once again, she found it a little difficult to be upset about the monetary cost.

Not when she and the others were commended for their swift attendance, and certainly not when she had a bad feeling about this, this little meeting that still loomed in front of them. She’d have paid a much steeper price to have this feeling go away. It only grew as his boots sounded on the dirt path leading to where they all stood waiting.

She smiled as Fourchenault said that the twins’ mother would be pleased to hear of their condition and was well herself, glad that Alisaie and Alphinaud didn’t have one morething to worry about.

But it was after the pleasantries—including gratitude exchanged for all that Louisoix had done for Eorzea and received in hospitality from Eorzea—that the foul mood that Etien had already sensed came to the forefront, casting its shadow over the conversation.

As the twins made their arguments, Etien tried to remind Fourchenault of the axiom she was sure he’d heard, and that she’d had to fall back on before, but never to a Leveilleur: “To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom—it is indolence.”

The way he turned it onto Alphinaud and Alisaie felt like a slap, and she hissed, ready to argue.

The confidence with which he disowned them after silenced her immediately. The breaking of their voices as Alisaie moved to follow her progenitor, and Alphinaud told her to give it up, those set Etien’s eyes to welling.

They were so resigned… Had she looked so incredibly smalland alone when she’d set off on that forest path, effectively made orphan by breaking from her family, the way they had just been severed from theirs?

She answered her linkpearl, sighing her way through the conversation with Krile so she didn’t start crying for her surrogate siblings.

As they left the Lotus Stand, she took Alisaie’s free hand, the one that wasn’t folded into Alphinaud’s. “Well… you could always be wards of House Fortemps again. Or take up temporary residence with me, as I imagine Toto will be filling out the paperwork to have you as Aldynns the second she hears this wretched news.”

Alisaie squeezed Etien’s hand, and Alphinaud just looked back at her mournfully.

***

Etien had never been close with Arenvald—it was like that with many of the bearers of the Echo, she’d noticed; Etien could be friendly with them and sympathize with the struggle they shared, but something she couldn’t name stopped her from ever really opening up to them. She had never been close with Arenvald, but she could see just how hard the news of his permanent injury was hitting Alphinaud.

How many more things was he going to lose in this single swoop?

Her heart went out to him, but some vein of bitterness in her started to bleed when Alphinaud lamented that now he knew how heavy the burdens of other people’s dream were.

Nowhe knew.

And he wondered if he’d made the right choice. The slow bleed was a trickle now. Yes, well, it had been a choice for him, hadn’t it?He’d chosen to leave the rest of the Sharlayans and come to Eorzea, to squabble with Alisaie about what their grandfather had wanted and intended.

He’d chosen to… she’d chosen to leave home, too. But he didn’t have the weight of the very star’s conscription on his back with all those dreams.

Hydaelyn had roped her like a lost calf, then Lyse and Papalymo had slipped the hobble on.

The oxbow pinched and the yoke was heavy, but someone had to help Alphinaud carry the dreams he’d been entrusted. They’d come this far together, and he’d said to the Chais, they prevailed together or not at all.

And so they would do on the battlefield. She took his hand for help up onto the airship headed for Carteneau, and off they went.

***

He knew it was dangerous, when the fray pressed in around him on all sides, but Aymeric scanned the battlefield, his gaze settling on Lunar Ifrit, bold as brass and starkly purple where he wasn’t dark as the sky above them.

And zipping around the primal’s feet were streaks of blue and bronze, and dark, night-sky blue and silver.

He could almost hear them, so familiar was he with the way they fought, the sounds they would have made. Etien coming down onto her feet from a perfectly-aimed shot with a low grunt, a growl as Estinien drove his lance forward.

Aymeric couldn’t go to them, not when he was leading this squadron. But, he could do this.

“I need a contingent to break away and support the trio fighting Ifrit. Keep their Academician on his feet so he can take care of the others.”

An Adder and two Temple Knights ran from the Telotek they had been fighting, and Aymeric tried to watch out of the corner of his eye as they approached Ifrit.

Satisfied with their progress across the field, he focused once more on giving his all to subdue the Gnath before him so a porxie could set the poor thing right again.Maybe the Scions wouldn’t let Etien be selfish, but they would never be able to stop him from acting in her best interest.

And he watched her even as Estinien left her side, joining the Scions. Her face was tipped up to the sky as the purple-robed Ascian talked to her.

Whatever he said, it made her eyes narrow, her lips pursing before she bared her teeth. By the time she’d gotten control of her expression again, the Ascian was gone.

Etien looked out over the battlefield, her eyes drawn to a Durendaire shield, drawn to Ala Mhigan soldiers running across the dirt with urgency, but running to instead of from.

And then, she saw Alphinaud, struggling in his work on one of the fallen. When all he got was a death rattle of “Glory be to Garlemald,” he gave up, pounding the earth. So they regrouped with Alisaie, and approached the others.

Aymeric was standing with Hien when the metaphorical dust settled, which surprised Etien little, considering their positions as the heads of the most recent additions to the Alliance (save Ala Mhigo and now the other Allied populations of Eorzea), but it did still warm her heart to see the both of them doing all right after so hard a struggle.

And it had been. It was an overall success, yes, but plenty had been lost in the process. Prefaced by a sigh, she encouraged and agreed with Alisaie and Alphinaud, “one battle at a time, we’ll get there.”

She rubbed at her forehead, feeling a headache brewing and hoping it wasn’t Echo-related. But she dropped her hand as the sky cleared, giving them all clear view of the moon.

It was a lot like hope, wasn’t it? Sometimes it wasn’t evident—in the sky or in the hearts of the people—but it hadn’t gone away. A new phase would come and it would be seen again.

Still, seeing the signal they’d come to recognize, both Aymeric and Estinien came to Etien’s side, ready to help her however she needed to get her home in one piece. Well, “home” was to the Rising Stones; it had been made clear by the way the Scions were talking that they were going to be reconvening there, and all of them had better be there.

Estinien grumbled, but joined everyone on the Ishgardian airship, sticking close to Etien and Aymeric at the side of the ship, massaging Etien’s hand to alleviate her headache, and her wrist to soothe any nausea the flying might cause when she was already in some pain.

She leaned against the wall as the Scions talked about what came next and what they wished they could have done, most of her pain relieved now, but still so tired.

She regretted now saying that the road went ever onward, all that time ago. Had she known she was damning herself, she would have kept her mouth shut.

As the Scions dispersed, Estinien came to her side again.

“A place to settle down. Here? Hmph.” He crossed his arms, leaning next to Etien against the cool stone. “What does he think he’s talking about?”

She shrugged, smiling but looking a little helpless for an answer.

“We have ourselves quite the man.” He shook his head.

At this, Etien vigorously nodded.

“Come on, then,” he reached out to take her hand. “We had best get home to him before he starts worrying.”

As they clasped hands, her bare fingers (fingerless gloves after all) curling onto the metal of Estinien’s gauntlets, she sighed again.

“Surely it cannot be so bad to hold my hand,” he remarked over his shoulder as they walked through the Seventh Heaven.

“No. It isn’t. That one was relieved, actually.”

“Relieved?”

“I’ll be happy to have you home, Estinien.”

“I imagine Aymeric will be, too.” He tried to hide it, with snark, with his hair, but he did smile.

Etien trotted after him, telling tales of the critters here catching her off-guard, but she was trying to hide her excitement in bubbly stories.

The road may still be going on, but she was going to take this detour. She was going back home.

[ffxiv-ariavitali]

Smol non here, now that we’ve got Aymeric, Estinien and Haurchefaunt with their newborn for the first time, can I ask for the same with Thancred and Exarch?? This scenario has my heart melting I love it too much,,,

i was counting my jars of candy and now i realize why i’m missing some. you got it, coach!

Female WoL

Part 1 - Haurchefant

Part 2 - Aymeric, Estinien

Shadowbringers spoiler warning just in case since CE was requested!

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[Thancred]

The Scion stands before the door to the medical wing in Seventh Heaven with crossed arms and a worried demeanor. Half of the reason why is because he knows the others, especially the twins, are just as overly anxious as he is to your condition so he has taken it upon himself to ensure you aren’t disturbed.

That being said, the second half of the reason is because he, himself, is too anxious. It spoke levels for his care and concern over you and certainly no one doubted the veracity of his love and adoration. However, he was hovering too often, too close and too much that it was beginning to impede on Y’shtola and Krile’s work and it wasn’t long until the two ladies had kicked him out in order to attend to you.

“Lighten up, Thancred, they’re taking care of her!” are some of the comments that the others were making. He truly must have appeared to be a mess of sorts if Alisaie was starting to make pointed jests aimed at his unusual behavior this day. Not to mention Alphinaud was constantly smiling at him with sympathy once his sister started teasing him in between the updates via linkpearl he was undoubtedly giving the Fortemps family and, by the gods, was Urianger laughing at him?

The moment that Krile had emerged and allowed visitors, everyone available within headquarters seemed to stop what they were doing to make a beeline for the medical wing. Congratulations were given without stop and if it wasn’t for Coultenet stopping him, Thancred was sure Hoary would have screamed the good news to all of Mor Dhona.

Upon seeing the baby, Thancred couldn’t help but collapse to his knees at your bedside. It surprised you at first, but you could only smile warmly in his direction as you made a silent request to your fellow Scions. Understanding almost immediately, they evacuated the room to give you two the privacy that you needed.

“I was thinking of asking F’lhaminn if she would like to be the godmother,” you confide to him, causing Thancred to peer up to you in shock. “Would you not agree? I think she would be a wonderful role model and care taker when we’re on the field.”

Thancred silently shifts his gaze towards the baby, his mind running at full speed as he thinks about the meaning behind your words. Once he understood, he smiled gently and reached out to take his turn at holding the baby. A new life, so tiny and fragile, it makes him want to put more effort into ensuring that they live in a future filled with happiness.

“I concur,” he answers, a single tear streaking down his cheek, as Minfilia’s words echo in the back of his mind.

[Crystal Exarch]

The only ones that were allowed in your bedchambers at the Pendants were Y’shtola, Chessamile and Lyna and, quite honestly, it would seem that the restriction was made on wonderful foresight on their part. Rumors of the delivery date had spread around like wildfire with none of the city’s leaders knowing where the leak came and it took much and more effort to ensure that the Pendants isn’t swarmed by those wishing their Warrior of Darkness the best.

The leaders divided the work rather easily: Lyna of course organized guards at the entrance to the Pendants to ease the Manager of Suites’ burdens, Moren provided useful literature regarding parenthood from the Cabinet of Curiosity, Katliss and her people at the Crystalline Mean worked together to ensure the baby’s necessities would be provided and both Bragi and Glynard worked together to pass on any information of your condition to any curious souls so they would be less inclined to make any ‘personal visits’.

Despite this, all the leaders are painfully aware of how antsy the Crystal Exarch has been. With his constant running back and forth from the Ocular and the Pendants, they were worried that he would collapse from exhaustion from the physical exercise rather than his research.

Yet, they all agreed that it was a good change of pace. The excitement is so obvious on the man’s face and they swore that he appeared much younger than the years he has actually lived. Even Lyna, having been with him since he had adopted her, made comment that he has been appearing ‘as if he was young again’ and less of an old man that she has known him to be.

When the baby arrives, the Scions and the Exarch were the first to greet you and the child. Considering they were the saviors of Novrandt, it was the least that could be done. When they finished and allowed entry to the leaders, they saw the most heartwarming scene: a mother and father reveling at the cuteness of a child rather than two saviors welcoming their kin that would, inevitably, feel as if they are continuing the legacy of their parents.

However, what the Exarch is unaware of is that they are unwilling to let them take the burden alone. Your child is the symbol of hope for a brighter future that the both of you have provided to whatever is left of them in this cruel, cruel world. For now, you two must bask in this happiness for it is impossible to live without.

And, indeed, what they bore witness to was the Exarch’s most genuine smiles as a result.

[universal-kitty]

“You’re going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine.” for your self ship with G'RAHA TIA

prompt list i. ♡

   It wasn’t unusual for Rhela to be scatterbrained or lost for a few days at a time. In fact, it was typically expected for the Miqo’te healer to get distracted with flowers or something for an unknowable period of time. The idea behind it was to typically wait out their disappearance...or wait for the linkshell call that signaled that they were very, very lost and needed some help. Even in areas very familiar to them, one could not assume that Rhela’s directions would be perfect; even in their homeland of the Twelveswood, one could still watch Rhela get turned around when going places!

   It was something of a talent, many joked.

   G’raha had not time enough to learn of these quirks his partner had, but even after a few short weeks, well... He learned quickly enough. Although Alphinaud and Alisaie waited patiently, Y’shtola and Thancred prone to make jokes, Urianger...typically silent, but otherwise patient... G’raha couldn’t keep himself still. Constantly pacing and fussing whenever Rhela disappeared for some reason or the other. Worse yet if Ah’dan wasn’t in tow... Were they okay alone? Did they get hurt?! Maybe he should’ve walked with them...!

   He, truly, was a worrywart that none of the other Scions could control, so they also ended up leaving him to his worried fussing until the healer inevitably showed up again, likely with new stories from a previously-traveled land. In funnier cases, one again getting lost... Some things never changed, after all, and it was a relief to have them safely within eyeshot again!

    ...Shame it never lasted for long, however.

   On a trip to Gridania (much to G’raha’s thrill; a place he hadn’t been to in a long time? Rhela’s home?? IT WAS JUST THEM?!?) one day, however... Rhela was silent. Opening the journey with joy and their chatterbox nature coming out in full, G’raha originally thought they just wore themself out. Maybe after a break- a camp for the night (or an inn room stay, if they were lucky)- would bring up the spirits again.

   But when they didn’t perk up after that, a few days passing by in complete silence save for the sound of chocobo feet on dirt, something had to be said. In fact, he considered piping up right then and there to talk about it, but hesitated. Well, he reasoned to himself mentally, perhaps trying to talk over the walking of our chocobos will be too difficult. I’ll just wait until we break.

   Except break came and went. Still in silence, though G’raha tried to talk about some things. Anything that came to mind and a few things he thought Rhela could get into. Yet there was little response aside from “mmhm” and “yeah.” It was...kind of a downer, but worse was the fact that he so desperately wanted to help, but didn’t know what to do. How can you help someone when you don’t know what ails them? When they won’t speak of their problems to begin with?

   For a lack of something, anything else to do...he forced the proceeds to stop. Instead, decidedly causing trouble by turning his chocobo and darting off when they were about to leave Bentbranch Meadows for Gridania.

   “Wh- G’RAHA!! G’raha, where are you going?!? G’RAHA!!!!” Yet he would not turn back, instead riding for the docks. A place that Rhela often fondly spoke of as their most favored spot in all of the Shroud...and so where he’d bring them to open up. His heart leaping for burst of joy when his ears picked up additional footsteps behind him, eyes blown wide and hopeful.

   This could be his only chance...

   It didn’t take Rhela long to catch up, confusion in their eyes as their frazzled chocobo was given a rest, storming over in a mix of confusion and a bit of hurt. “Wh-What in the world was that about?! Running off like that...! We’re almost to Gri-”

   “You’re not speaking with me!” G’raha snapped back, his worries finally free and flowing, catching the other Miqo’te off guard. Their eyes widening and stepping back slightly at his outburst. “I...I can tell something’s bothering you. Something’s been bothering you this whole trip, and you haven’t been talking to me about it... I want to help you, Rhela. I really do. Yet I cannot help someone who won’t tell me...what’s wrong.”

   ...The silence that followed worried him, leaning back as he watched the expression on their face. The subtle shifts from hurt, to awareness, to more pain...and tears bubbling up behind their glasses. Sniffles sounding as their head dipped down.

   “Rhela, I...”

   “Don’t be sorry,” they choked out, a hand raising up to wipe away their growing tears. “I... You’re not wrong. And I’m sorry; it’s just...really hard to talk about...”

   “I’m so sorry. I didn’t-”

   “Don’t be sorry!” They reprimanded with a shaky laugh. “You can’t be sorry for something you didn’t know about... Here, let’s sit down. I’ll... I’ll try my best to explain everything.”

   It was most certainly a lengthy explanation, most of which centered around their own perceived failures, shortcomings, and an insecurity over things that G’raha had fallen for in the first place. (So it was silly to him, but... He could understand their hesitations, not always certain in everything they did. It was so humanizing and refreshing... G’raha always could get carried away in his hero worship; he loved Rhela for the Miqo’te they were- are, even- but sometimes he was still that older Mystel in another realm, pining for what he thought was beyond his reach...)

   Rhela was curled into his side by this point, on and off in tears as they let it all out. His arm was protectively around them, ears keeping tabs on any new adventurers passing by... Now would not be a good time for them to be overheard, after all. They needed all the space they could to vent safely; he’d do anything to ensure that.

   “You’ve been carrying this...for all this time?” Rhela nodded and he sighed, head turning to nuzzle his nose against their hair. A faint scent of flowers still there... “Oh, Rhela... I’m so sorry to hear that. Please know...that if anything like this ever comes to mind again, you can speak of it to me? Right?”

   “I know,” they murmured. “I just... Worry about being perceived as a bother for being so...negative. Everyone expects so much of me; I don’t want to show too much weakness-”

   “But that’s what makes you wonderful. What makes you a hero above the rest,” G’raha assured, pulling away to look down at them. “It’s in my opinion that all too many heroes put on the brave face for the populace. I cannot say that it’s wise to spread fear...so while I sadly can see where some of this comes from... I think it’s important to consider that your weaknesses are what make you even stronger. A reassurance to the people that you are still so very much raw and down-to-earth. Close to them. Does that make sense?”

   Rhela nodded with a sigh, leaning back into G’raha. He squeezed them close, just for a moment, so they might soak up his comfort. An ear brushing against the side of his head, making him smile a little at the feeling. So, so cute...

   “To put it one way... We’ll figure it out eventually,” he said, shrugging. “The world’s greatest hero- once again, in my opinion- shouldn’t be suffering for the greater good of others. I’m certain we can find a...happier balance.”

   “If you say so...” Rhela sighed softly, eyes closing. “It’s ideal for sure, but is it truly possible?” G’raha blinked, looking down at them a moment. For a split second, he didn’t know how to respond to that...but with a soft smile, he slipped a finger under their chin, gently tilting their head up. Rhela’s eyes fluttered open, nearly stealing his breath away as he stared into them, that small, affectionate smile never fading from his lips.

   “You’re going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine,” he insisted gently, pressing a kiss to their temple. “I promise it.” A kiss to their nose, that had a return smile growing. “We’ll do this...together.” A kiss to their lips, soft and sweet. The soft inhale had him dizzy with delight, still far too in love with Rhela to not swoon at their every little action and movement.

   And when he pulled away, the shine of love in their eyes had him melting into a puddle as his heart squeezed tenderly. Positively overwhelmed with love as they bumped heads gently, tails slowly twining together behind them.

   “Thank you,” they said, breathless and quiet. “I...I love you so, so much, Raha.” (His heart beat like a drum all over again, hearing those words anew.)

   “I love you, too, darling. Now... Shall we finish our trip? I’m sure a cozy inn room is waiting for us...”

   “Hmm.... Nah, not yet! You dragged me out to my favorite spot, so... We’re gonna take pictures first! Then we can go to Gridania~” G’raha could only laugh in delight, their twined tails swishing in conjoined delight.