#minfilia kin

[amdapor-keep]

everyone likes to clown on ysayle for thinking she had shiva kin memories but it does make sense considering how echoes are described as essentially living that experience from the perspective of the person in the vision. i feel like ‘past life’ was actually a pretty reasonable conclusion to come to

[nhaneh]

Has there been a time where they have gone through grief/trauma? What was it like? Do they still carry that grief with them and, if so, how do they deal with that? Have they developed tools where they feel like they're able to let go or is the weight of it insurmountable? How do they deal with that?

oh man, <pats head of OC> this bad girl can fit so much TRAUMA in it

Well ok maybe not quite, but Kea's definitely had her fair share of tough times - the most foundational of which is never quite felt accepted or even all that wanted amongst her kin while growing up in a small, isolated H tribe village. She's pretty much cut herself off from her former tribe as a result, and as much as she herself might insist she's fine, it's left her having kind of a hard time really opening up to people and trusting them to see her vulnerable. For singular events, I think the one that hit her the hardest was the bloody banquet - she'd finally found a place where she seemed to belong, and people who seemed like they might appreciate her for who she was rather than who they thought she should be, only to have all of that kicked out from under her. There's a part of her that can't help but think Minfilia might've been the first person who really tried taking the time to actually care about who Kea really was and what she wanted - to be her friend - and Kea feels a bit guilty over only noticing that after Minfilia was already gone. That moment definitely left her feeling lost there for a while.

She's gotten better at managing her difficulties since - part from experience and maturity, part from simply learning how to let herself lean on other people for support, and trust her friends to have her back. She still has a bit of a bad habit of dealing with things mostly by keeping herself busy and focusing on the present, and can have occasional bouts of melancholy if she's stuck with mostly her own thoughts in one place for too long, but for most part it's just dull aches and distant regrets.

[mmorpg-escapism]

FFXIV Write 2023 - Day 14: Clear

((You know the moment in ARR where it all goes south? Yeah. TW: Death mention))

Besany was numb.

People she had worked with, even just in passing, now lay still and lifeless in the halls of the Waking Sands. Even the tiny Sylph ambassador, Noraxia, lay unmoving, trampled by the Garleans.

The Echo episode showed her Noraxia's final moments, but she was too stunned to move even after the pain subsided and she woke up. Minfilia and Tataru, taken by Garlemald. Their victory over Titan just hours ago felt so hollow in the face of that alone, never mind the slaughter that clearly took place while she wasn't here to protect them.

Eventually, most of the other Scions trickled in. Yda helped Besany to her feet, wordlessly for once, and guided her outside to clear her mind. Papalymo sat with her for a moment, while the others moved about to clear the inside of threats and begin contacting the various next of kin and other agents of the Order to see who survived.

Eventually, Y'shtola came out and broke the hours-long silence. "Bes. We need to go into hiding. Thancred is out of contact, and clearly it is not safe here."

"Hiding? After THAT?" The numbness broke like a dam, and Besany felt a wave of anger overtake every part of her mind. "They took her! We have to stop them!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "They took her..."

"I know. Minfilia is strong enough to look out for herself, and I know the Antecedent would rather us make sure all were safe before trying to rescue her. Save your rage for when it matters." Y'shtola looked out over the small town. "We must disappear. You may be unknown to most, but the rest of us are not. We will try to contact you when it is safe..."

"I'll probably be at the Church in Thanalan...

"One thing is clear now, though. The Garleans must be stopped."

[brineffxiv]

Interesting: she's got a superficial resemblance to the Minfilia we know, but even with the eyes and the hair she really does look quite different.

That's clearly a deliberate design choice, and I can only guess it's to drive home the fact that these are separate people. At this point I don't know anything about this Minfilia, and so can only take a shot in the dark as to the greater implications.

Oh my, I look quite snazzy in these duds.

You cheating bastard. Who said you could bring a dragon?

(Is that a dragon? It doesn't look like Midgardsormr's kin, but then, if I remember correctly, there shouldn't be any of that kind of dragon on the First. Right? So it's something else, whatever it is.)

((Okay, okay, tangent. How does space work here? The dragons are from space. But our "star" aka, the planet was split into many reflections. So what about space? If I went to space on the First would it be a different space from the one on the Source? The same space? Was the entire universe fractured?? THE IMPLICATIONS FOR BOTH ANSWERS ARE STAGGERING!!

Right, okay, tangent over. Back to the cutscene.))

Thancred! You took a level in badass while I wasn't looking. Gunbreaker looks good on you!

The Exarch is also pretty badass but I'm fairly certain he didn't need to take any levels: he was already that way.

And now for a different kind of ass!

(no I will not apologize for that joke)

Interesting that this conflict is what mucked up "the plan," as opposed to, I dunno, killing the Lightwarden? Assuming that the plan was causing the 8th Calamity, I wonder what exactly happened here that knocked it off the rails?

Huh. Well, I didn't expect an Ascian to opt for less bloodshed. I wonder what he means by that?

Also, hey, why is your name "???" ? We already know you're Solus. I mean, unless you're going to be going by a different name..?

Gee Thancred, you might be correct, but you don't have to be a dick about it. She had a supernatural compulsion to come meet me, that's not her fault.

Ahaha! So these are the kind of Fae Folk this game is invoking? How wonderful! Now, are we going with sadistic or amoral? I shall brace for incoming horror regardless.

[tenuuchlegch]

Shadowbringers HC’s

Alriiiight! This is the moment you have all been waiting for! The one. The only, obligatory Shadowbringers headcanon dump post! Now since there is frankly a LOT to go over in this expansion, this will be divided into a couple of parts. With that being said let’s get started.

When the Exarch finally managed to establish a connection with Odtsetseg and bring her to the First, she was at the time carrying an egg in her bag. This was something that she managed to find, when helping some hunters locate their rathalos quarry in the Azim Steppes. This egg miraculously made it through the journey across the rift unharmed and then later a rathalos hatched from it in the middle of the Crystarium upon her arrival. Since au ra was the first being he saw the little, burning wyvern imprinted on her. Thus did she name her newfound friend Luu, which is ancient, auri tongue for dragon. 

While not entirely trusting the Exarch in the Stormblood patches, with him accidentally bringing the Scions over instead of her, Odtsetseg felt she had very little choice but to heed his call. Even if xaela outright refused, she felt he would still have leverage over her by essentially keeping her found family trapped in another realm. Thus did she go not for her own sake, but so her family might be saved.

Needless to say, that perspective began shifting a bit the moment she entered the First. When arriving she was deeply disturbed that the comforting night sky and glowing moon were practically nonexistent. Being a xaela who grew in the steppes, both day and especially night were practically considered sacred so seeing it all just overwhelmed in a sanitizing light was unsettling for her. This feeling was taken further when Lyna took down the minor sin eater and Odtsetseg quickly realized what had happened to the man she first met upon her leave.

Then there came the Crystarium. Upon seeing it’s jutting spire, Odtsetseg immediately recognized it to be the Crystal tower from Mor Dhona, or in the very least, it looked almost exactly like it. With that in mind, the au ra had a sneaking suspicion that this Exarch character was connected to G’raha Tia in some way. He had to be, for who else could utilize the tower’s power so thoroughly? She did not wish to potentially poke the sleeping bull by asking too many queries however, so the dancer remained silent on the matter for a time. 

When meeting Feo Ul and forming a pact with her, there was a part of Odtsetseg that wondered whether or not this would come back to haunt her later. She had never met any pixies before, up until that point so she felt skeptical about making a so-called pact without knowing her a bit more first. Regardless she DID want her stuff back and for someone at home to know her current status so reluctantly, au ra obliged. 

Learning about Minfilia’s fate in the First did comfort au ra, a bit. Though she did not have much of a connection to her compared towards the other Scions, she still was the first to welcome Odtsetseg into their group. Without hesitation, she invited her to become a part of their family and although xaela responded by emotionlessly thinking it would be a blood pact at the time, they DID become her found kin eventually and the dancer would never forget such kindness. 

Meeting Ardbert was definitely unexpected even moreso by the fact that she thought him to be essentially dead by then. Still, meeting him, somewhat experiencing the situation of his world for herself and learning about its condition when being introduced to the Crystarium she could not deny that his realm was indeed underneath dire strains. That being said, she did not bring him up to the Exarch. It was apparent that only she could espy him, from the way her baby rathalos looked confused when they talked and him claiming such facts, so mentioning the fallen warrior might make her seem insane in other’s eyes. Honestly though after that encounter, there was a part of her which contemplated whether or not she was losing it.

Rather than burden the Exarch with raising her new rathalos companion immediately, she decided to take him along when reconvene with the twins. He was still young, after all and Odtsetseg did feel a tad guilty for bringing unfamiliar life into an apocalyptic world. The least she could do was make certain it was taken care of. Plus keeping an eye on him did well for her mental state, throughout the journey. That being said, the Exarch and twins did babysit him when they entered Rak’tika.

Now for Alphinaud and Kholusia. From the beginning Odtsetseg could tell that something was amiss in the atmosphere. The barren lands, the people quitting honest work to enter this “paradise” of a city, the old not having a chance of peace it all felt so wrong somehow. The exploits with elezen boy followed by meeting the discarded painter proved that this place was more of a dystopia than a blessed heaven. 

Odtsetseg TOTALLY brought up Estinien, when they finally entered the city. How could she not? What was even funnier to her was the fact that Alphinaud acted like she and him remained in touch. [This can be either true or false depending on how one makes their Estinien interact with her.]

While Odtsetseg could not claim to be immediately fond of the Chais, she supposed Dulia-Chai at least was kinder than au ra expected. 

When meeting Vauthry, Odtsetseg was immediately disgusted. He reminded her of a Doman legend her mother used to tell when she was young. One about a cruel tyrant of Doma who was so greedy and heavyset that when he died his body burned for days because of his greasy fat. This Vauthry was the culmination of hubris, greed and selfishness so full glad was she to quit that area. 

Now for Amh Araeng. She was relieved to know that not all societies save the Crystarim’s were like that of Eulmore. When she did the cracking of the coin purse and given so much skewered frogs, Odtsetseg was tempted to take it as a challenge and eat all of them, but she decided saving much for her hungry rathalos hatchling would be best. The nice thing about having a baby carnivore around was that it ensured no meat would be wasted. 

The revelation that some eaters infected other people and made them their own, reminded Odtsetseg of those tempered by Ifrit and how there was nothing to do but simply kill them. Here however it was an eerily slow process and Odtsetseg would be lying if she claimed witnessing such events unfold firsthand did not raise some concerns for her. Then there came Tesleen.

While she did not know the woman as much compared to Alisaie, au ra could not deny her genuine kindness which made her tormented transformation into an eater all the more horrifying to watch. That being said, she knew the elezen girl likely took it harder than her, so when they went home dancer allowed red mage to pet Luu for comfort.  

When learning of the Lightwardens and being told that Hydaelyn’s blessing was capable of protecting her from their infectious light, Odtsetseg did not even think twice about questioning it. Despite not being able to communicate with her personally for so long, her powers still assisted former bard when it counted so she had little reason to doubt it at first. 

Once they went through Holminster Switch and Odtsetseg opened a path towards the night sky, au ra’s doubts about being here dispelled with the fading light. Thus when the Exarch approached her humbly and expressed his gratitude, Odtsetseg decided then and there to fully commit herself towards this cause. 

The whole reincarnation of Minfilia struck Odtsetseg as surprising for it made the kind girl she once knew almost similar to that of an ascian. To her it seemed out of character for the benevolent woman she once knew to resort towards their enemies’ ways. Yet when meeting the new Minfilia for the first time, she could not deny that they looked exactly alike in terms of physical appearances. Despite this she never once treated the girl as anyone other than her own person. Since she did not know the Source’s Minfilia as well as some other Scions did, it was easier for Odtsetseg to accept that this young lady wasn’t her. The Minfilia she knew perished in the bloody banquet; whisked away into some unknown realm because of divine intervention. 

Full glad as Odtsetseg was in seeing Thancred again, she did find his reprimanding of the blond girl to be somewhat jarring. Mainly because from what little she knew, this girl had lived a very sheltered existence until his intervention and she was still young. So witnessing the depravity of this world might effect her more than others. Despite her initial thoughts, she kept them to herself as they searched for Urianger. 

Luu definitely tried nipping at various fae folk a couple of times. Il Mheg was also the place where he learned how to fly. Though at the time he still wasn’t big enough to ride on. He also learned how to hunt a bit as well, while there. 

While she was still unsure if what Urianger saw in the rift was even real, his explanation or at least theory on how the ascians made the calamities was most enlightening. 

Due to his aetheric alterations in being exposed to the rift, Luu can breathe underwater just as Odtsetseg can. Thus when the Fuath attempted to drown his rider, the young rathalos was quickly found by the Scions unscathed.  Speaking of that though when Ardbert described the people of Voeburt and Odtsetseg thought back to the Fortemps she became even more determined to save the First. Even if Urianger’s vision was not false, she could not bring herself to risk failing the family again. 

Once Ryne expressed her woes involving Thancred to au ra, she began wondering if the man really saw this girl as her own, separate person, rather than his late friend. Granted she knew more than most that her loss effected him at a deeper level than others, but still he should not discount the fact that this new Minfilia was not the one he knew. 

Feo Ul taking her place as the new Fairy King, instantly gained Odtsetseg’s respect, because unlike some she had no desire to live for eternity. Her only regret was not seeing the Eulmoreans get their butts kicked by the fae, for herself. 

Enter the one, the only bastard man of the hour Emet Selch. Yeah, she did NOT enjoy encountering him at all. Not only did she distrust him because he was ascian, but au ra also felt that he was personally insulting the entirety of her mother’s side of the family by still being around. You see, her mother was once part of a royal Doman line which adamantly opposed Garlean occupation. As a result, all of them were sentenced to death when they took over, while her mother was in the Azim Steppes. So to say there was already bad blood between them, would have been an understatement. 

Luu shared his rider’s dislike for the ascian, as he was not hesitant to growl or snap at him.

She found it unsettling that the Unsundered ascian would continue his insistence on them cooperating with one another. Not only that, but the way he looked at her... stirred something within the au ra, though she simply shelved it as suspicion at the time. 

Surprised as she was when discovering that Emet pursued them to Rak’tika, it briefly turned into amusement when Thancred did not hesitate to sass him.  The moment Y’shtola failed to recognize her own aether, Odtsetseg KNEW something was up. Her suspicions were confirmed, when she overheard the miqo’te confronting Urianger. This of course made the au ra worried, not for herself but for this world and everyone around her. If she failed, there was a high chance all would fall, so her mind began working on making a contingency plan. 

While a part of her was definitely disinclined to seek an ascian’s help when plucking Y’shtola from the lifestream, she could not deny the lack of other options. That being said she didn’t want to be caught unawares should he suddenly betray them, nor did she wish for her friend to appear... bare before the others. As a result, Odtsetseg brought a blanket and sharpened weapons to their meeting point. Luckily, Emet Selch was courteous enough to return the sorceress’s garments. 

She totally shipped Runar and Y’shtola, don’t @ me. 

The secrets revealed in Qitana Ravel, definitely shocked Odtsetseg. Not only did it almost challenge her belief in Nhaama and Azim, but it also made her question Hydaelyn herself and the origins of her Echo abilities. Was she REALLY blessed? Or was this a form of being tempered? And her world being the shattered remnants of an ascian home? It sounded all insane to her at first, though eventually she came to realize there may have been a bit of logic to it.

[h34vybottom]

I love Final Fantasy XIV pre-4.0 because they'll just bring up plot points and then they will never come back. The rare few times they do are like Warriors of Darkness and Minfilia turning into Crystal Kin. Random shit that happened years before w/ no real relevance to anything and has to be retconned heavily to fit into stuff if they even bother for relevancy. Incredible shit. A real mishmash of dumb ideas. Too bad about Endwalker.

[driftward]

Let's see... Parental Figure: None, really. Zoissette was well on in her thirties when she met the Scions. Having said that, Papalymo was a beloved mentor figure. They were peers and they were friends, but he also taught her much during their time together. When they first met, she was a talented novice, and under his tutelage, she became an accomplished master, in magic and sciences. And similarly, Minfilia was both friend and leader, an impressive woman who Zoissette looked up to. She misses both of them dearly. Older sibling: None, really. Sibling: Most of them fall in here, less as 'sibling' though, and more just of the idea of close kin, people who she would stick out with through thick and thin, and she knows they would have her back in return. Krile and Tataru, the Brothers Boulder, Coultenat she has an almost spiritual connection vis-a-vis beleagured-but-patient. A fair chunk of B-team falls here, actually. Younger siblings: Alphinaud and Alisaie, naturally. _____ Romantic Interest: Nice try you cunning dog you'll have to try harder than that. Posting memes at 2AM/Gremlin Mode: ALL OF THEM Not close: ... and in her own sort of way, a lot of them also fall here as well as in any other category, because of Zoissette's particular brand of pecularities. It's complicated: G'raha Tia and Urianger Augerelt Adding another category, closer than close: Thancred Waters and Estinien Varlineau, for very different sorts of reasons. Thancred she's practically trauma bonded with, and Estinien, well. He was a soldier, from the same land, in the same war. They -understand- one another in a way that they both feel few others would. (also they're both probably on spectrums let's be honest)

Found Family: Scions of the Seventh Dawn Edition

I think this is my first prompt/ask with this blog. Probably been asked before, but hey. I'm curious.

So! How would your WoL place Final Fantasy XIV's Scions of the Seventh Dawn in a "Found Family" dynamic.

The categories are:

-----

Parental Figure:

Older Sibling:

Sibling:

Younger Sibling:

-----

Romantic Interest:

Posting Memes at 2 am/Gremlin Mode:

"Hey." "Hey."/Not Close:

It's Complicated:

-----

Tagging @driftward, @autumnslance, @sirdolraan, @scrollsfromarebornrealm, @yzeltia, @saesama, @ladyofvoss, @healerstail

[chryza]

Masterpost of what I think about you based on who you simp for in FFXIV I’m going to try and include as many characters I’ve vibe checked as possible but if yours isn’t here comment them and I’ll give you a custom roast for free. If I forgot someone, please refrain from saying “How could you forget x” I have three different memory disorders okay I did my best 😭

The Scions

Minfilia-You think a woman’s tits can redeem anything bad about her and you’re right.

Lyse-You’re a lesbian with a hard-on for destroying capitalism to the point where your friends ask you to maybe tone it down a little

Papalymo-Ur into dads. Not dilfs. Just dads.

Thancred-You like your men ROGUEISH and BLOODIED and BEATEN and BABYGIRLED

Urianger-You have autism or you are currently in an irl relationship with someone who has autism. Thank you for your service

Y’Shtola-okay little sun. (You enjoy being verbally degraded, so this is for you, a compliment)

Tataru-I love you. You want someone who can cook for you and tease you and who in turn you will shower with affection which is the only currency you have to offer

Estinien-I’m gonna be honest the only thing I can offer here is that you like brooding men who are idiots. Don’t go for a joint bank account.

G’raha-If you like GRAHA then you desire strongly a partner you can cuddle like a stuffed animal if you like THE EXARCH then you are a bottom and you like the dark academia aesthetic

Krile-You need a partner that will fill the emotional void left by your mommy issues

Moenbryda-You have autism but you kin urianger instead of crushing on him. Or ur just really into chicks who can crush you with their thighs and you’re mad that people turned it into a meme

ARR

Kan-E-Senna-I don’t believe you. You’ll have to defend yourself to me in a trial by combat

Merlwyb-Your perfect first date is dying side by side with the person you love as you fight for your lives but you’ll probably end up getting a coffee or something

Nanamo-you are SO into the princess and knight aesthetic thing, you LOVE fairytales so much.

Raubahn-You like men with an “I can fix him” flair but who have already been fixed. You’re also touch starved

Lahabrea-The line between annoyance and attraction is a tightrope you walk every day but by god you’re walking it

Cid-GOD you love himbos it’s not even a “haha I love stupid men” thing to you it’s a REQUIREMENT, the men you date need a HIMBO RESUME

Gaius-Your devotion is impressive. No one can tell you what to do with your life. I think you’re a Jane Austen protagonist.

Nero-SCRUNGLY SKRUNKLY MAN HAG BLORBO HEHEHHEHE EVIL SCIENCE

Heavensward

Haurchefant-I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Why don’t you wrap yourself in a blanket and pretend like he’s the one holding you.

Aymeric-Objectively the most stable main character in this godforsaken game, you take your husband material seriously.

Lucia-You’re a lesbian who mains warrior, I shan’t elaborate

Edmont-pathological dilf/gilf enjoyer to the point where you need help and/or jesus

Artoirel-your dream is to become one half of the most powerful power couple to ever power

Emmanellain-You’re gay in a hipster filter flower crowns cavetown kind of way

Ysayle- You were chronically disappointed by stormblood. You say everyone is out of your league but chin up champ, ysayle wanted to fuck a dragon and probably did so you can’t be that bad

Hraesvelgr- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Igeyorhm-What does it matter if a female character is developed, you are horny in the here and now and that’s more important. You probably think femdom is hot too 👀

Stormblood (god help me)

To preface-if any character from stormblood is your simp of choice you automatically get a sticker that says WEEB slapped on your forehead.

Yugiri-I feel like you listen to metal and keep neat pets like tarantulas or snakes. I cannot explain why.

Gosetsu-For want of a proper bushido character you settled on him but then when the Tsuyu plotline happened you genuinely fell in love with him. Kind of a DILF, reblog.

Hien-himbo connoisseur. You own a sword.

Sadu-WOMEN. BIG FAN OF W O M E N. That’s your only personality trait rn but that’s okay, life’s hard.

Zenos-you are a godless degenerate who is unironically into BDSM (it’s okay me too)

Yotsuyu- You know she’s a femme fatale. You know there’s no way that’s going to end well. But you are so allured by her viciousness and tragic backstory what does it matter that you’ll end up dead on the floor. “I can fix her” yeah keep telling yourself that bud.

Fordola-you are genuinely one of the sweetest people in the world and I think you COULD fix her actually.

Asahi-Liar, you’re a fandaniel simp

Shadowbringers

Lyna-you believe drinking your respect women juice is not only an obligation but an honor and you still avert your eyes from the Victoria’s Secret posters in the mall

Kai-Shirr-HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Runar- I feel like I can’t even call you a furry in bad faith. You just love nice men that much. Who cares if he’s a lion.

Feo Ul-Trans. You definitely have an au where the WoL took them up on their offer to become King Titania.

Ran’jit-I…don’t believe you? You’ll have to explain to me why you like him

Ardbert-So soft. So nice. Hnnnn oh yeah we were talking about you. You’re not a himbo enjoyer because you do prefer men who have some brain cells but you DO like em sad and you DO like em muscley

Emet-Selch- He is the character who in the entire game the story tries its hardest to make us simp for. It worked. The only thing I can do is quote another video on this same subject: You are DISEASED.

Elidibus-Someone hits u with the 🥺 and you melt like butter. Your favorite activity is peace and quiet.

Endwalker

Fandaniel-You self-identify as a goblin. You were a theatre kid. You love that he’s sad and insane but you don’t want to fix him. That would ruin the appeal.

Ameliance-“Bro I said I wanted to fuck Ameliance as a joke but bro….I don’t think it’s a joke anymore”

Nidhana-You’re correct. About everything. You’ve never been wrong. You own booty shorts that say “I love women in STEM” on the ass

Vrtra- ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Jullus-for you, enemies to lovers isn’t just a trope, it’s a lifestyle

Venat-📸 hmm? Oh sorry that was just me taking a picture of you admitting you desperately crave someone to take care of you. Mommy issues. NEXT!

Hermes-you adamantly differentiate between Hermes and Fandaniel, but at what point must the line be drawn for your “I can fix him” complex to kick in hmm??

Hythlodaeus-You have a praise kink. (You also should come be my friend. We can simp for him together ☺️)

[hibiscus-tome]

definitions of love

(also posted here on ao3)

Two stacks of documents sit on the table before her — identical, save for the multicolored annotations in Tataru’s flowery script scattered across the one closer to her.

Lord Edmont waits patiently, as Rhea carefully makes her way through each one. The words blur together in an incoherent mess; for all the faith that Raubahn had placed in her to serve as his personal envoy, all those many moons ago, she was never truly built for the kind of work that demands one pay close attention to intricate tricks of language buried deep within already dense texts. Not for the first time, she wonders how Alphinaud and Minfilia can stand it, let alone flourish in this kind of work.

(”It’s not nearly as complicated as all those stuffy documents make it sound,” Tataru had explained to her, cheerfully and with an ominous sparkle in her eyes. “’Nothing more than a matter of exploiting a legal loophole. The only thing required on your end would be to sign the necessary paperwork!”)

“So if I’m understanding this correctly,” says Rhea, slowly, “you want me to marry into House Fortemps?” No, that’s not exactly right. “Sorry… you want me to have married into House Fortemps?”

Lord Edmont, bless his soul, smiles so gently and patiently that she instantly feels a little less stupid. “I realize this all sounds rather convoluted,” he says, “but recent events have brought to light just what lengths people will go to, in order to discredit the peace that we all are working towards. I don’t think it an exaggeration to assume that the True Brothers of the Faith, or whatever they may call themselves, will use every advantage at their disposal to drag not just the Lord Commander’s good name through the mud, but yours as well.”

—hence the question of her right to remain in Ishgard, no matter how many people here consider her just as much of a hero as Eorzea did before everything fell apart.

“Mistress Tataru was able to procure the necessary paperwork in order to establish legal residency for herself, here in Ishgard,” says Lord Edmont, “and the Leveilleur estate in Old Sharlayan has been contacted in order to do the same for Master Alphinaud. That leaves you.”

… an Eorzean citizen, squatting in Ishgard during an era where the very nature of Ishgardian identity is under threat. “I can stay elsewhere, if need be,” she says. “I can handle a few extra aetheryte fees a week.”

“Which is precisely the outcome we were hoping to avoid,” he says. “Not to mention, such an acquiescence could provide an opportunity to bar you from the Holy See altogether.”

If throwing an innocent child off the Vault’s rooftop could be justified, then simply barring her entry would be laughably easy.

“Now,” says Lord Edmont, “a marriage contract signed between an Ishgardian citizen and an immigrant would afford the immigrant the legal right to remain in the Holy See for however long they see fit. In the case of a widowed spouse, however…”

On the second-to-last document, a near perfect replica of Haurchefant’s signature gleams almost mockingly up at her.

“… such matters would be left to the discretion of the late spouse’s next-of-kin. And as I hope we’ve long established: House Fortemps will be happy to have you and yours, for however long you are willing to stay.”

With a long, weary sigh, Rhea carefully reorganizes the documents back into some semblance of order, that probably won’t match up to Tataru’s specifications even if she had the patience to try. “Lord Edmont,” she says, “I’m… flattered, that you would think so highly of me. But…” They’re inside, in a sealed room, but she leans in close to whisper anyway: “Nothing of the sort transpired between me and your son.”

He nods. “He would have made it clear to me if that were the case,” he says, “But I do not mean this as an accusation. Merely…”

“… to exploit a legal loophole?” she guesses.

He smiles again, calm and gentle as ever. “Exactly. You need not answer right away. With any luck, we won’t need to resort to such measures at all… but do think on it, at least for the time being.”

She nods. “I will,” she replies — and feels a little foolish for making such a promise, when there’s no answer she can think of that would truly be right, be it for herself or the man she’s supposed to convince Ishgard she married.

—

“You’re married?” asks Thancred, far too loudly in the middle of the Jeweled Crozier.

“Will you keep your voice down?” she hisses back — and hopes that nobody notices that her tail’s shot straight up in poorly masked alarm.

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, mercifully more quietly. “It’s just… gods, I take one teensy weensy little trip through the aetherial sea, and the next thing I know, you’re betrothed—”

“On paper only,” she cuts him off, “and for immigration purposes, at that.”

“Ah, so a marriage of convenience, then,” he says, stroking the hairs on his chin that he refuses to shave off for some ungodsly reason, even though he now has access to the proper equipment and facilities to do so. “Common enough among the nobility, I suppose, but I was under the impression that one of the necessary prerequisites to such a union is that both parties are alive.”

“A moot point when Haurchefant was hardly nobility to begin with.”

“Details, details.” Thancred pays for their hot cocoa before she can think to reach for her coinpurse. Then, they make their way over to a bench to sit. “What was this Haurchefant to you, anyway?”

Oh, where to even begin? For a moment that stretches far too long, she sits quietly, letting the cocoa warm her hands.

“Rhea?”

She exhales slowly. “He was…” A friend feels like the most obvious answer — and yet, it’s inadequate in all the ways that someone can be a mere friend, or a passing acquaintance. But he wasn’t a lover either, and therein lies the rub; perhaps it would have been easier if he was.

“He was important to me,” she starts. “He was always so kind, so warm, and he did so much for us without ever asking for a single thing in return. I have no doubts that he would have always been there for me, if I’d asked it of him.”

Even at the very end.

“In hindsight, I ought to have done more for him, really,” she says — though she can’t, for the life of her, think of a single thing he could possibly have wanted from her. The times he smiled the brightest, after all, were simply when she was with him, and there was no great disaster or tragedy looming over their heads. “Those earliest days in the Holy See, I was so… lost. Stuck in my own head. And there he was, moving mountains to make it comfortable for us, with nary a complaint.”

He deserved better, than what little she gave him in those earliest days. She owed him better.

Thancred hums, leaning back against the bench’s backrest. “So you loved him, then,” he says, as if it’s the simplest answer in the world.

… to be perfectly honest, he’s not wrong. “I did,” she answers, nodding, “although… perhaps not in the way that you’re thinking. Not like a sibling, but at the same time…” She trails off, the frayed ends of whatever thought she’d latched onto dissipating like smoke in the wind.

“So,” says Thancred, “if he were to have asked… would you have agreed to marry him?”

She shakes her head. “There was nothing of the sort between us.”

“Hypothetically, then.”

She ponders the question, turns it over in her head — and, well, it’s not like the others hadn’t assumed it to be the case, whether or not such a sentiment truly existed at all. But even then… “It would have been comfortable.” That’s… the most accurate word for it, at any rate. “A lifetime spent at the side of someone I considered a close friend and comrade… it would have been easy. He would have made it easy **for me.

“He would never have demanded anything more of me than I was willing to give — and I would never have felt like I had to give more than I was willing. Perhaps I would have grown to feel that way about him, given more time… but even if such a day never came to pass, he would never have demanded it of me.”

It would have been perfectly all right, if there never came a time when such feelings for him would develop — and if she were to explain to him that it was not a result of how she viewed him personally, but rather a trick of her mind or her heart that made it difficult for such feelings to develop for anybody at all, then he would understand. It would have been perfectly all right, if she were to tell him that the extent of their marriage would be a promise of cohabitation and a signed legal document; it would have been perfectly all right, if she were to tell him that she had no intentions of ever bearing him children.

—and it would have been comfortable to have a husband, even if she would never come to love him like a spouse should — to be secure in the knowledge whatever he wanted his spouse to be, it would never take precedence over her comfort — to be selfish to expect this grace from him, and presume that he would always, always give it to her.

A lifetime of everlasting comfort… it’s not quite the same thing as the kind of eternal bliss promised in most marriage vows, but it’s the most she’s ever deigned to hope for. Haurchefant would have been happy to give it to her, even if she couldn’t promise him the same in return — and if not, then he would have never blamed her for it. Just like he would never blame her if she were to selfishly sign that document, declaring him her late husband for nothing more than a legal technicality that may not even fulfill its intended purpose.

(Somehow, that’s the worst part — that for all that he gave her, all she can think about now is how she can continue to use him well after he’s gone.)

“I can’t do it,” she whispers, her grip tightening around her cocoa. “I can’t keep… taking from him like this. Not when I gave him nothing in return.”

“I don’t blame you,” says Thancred. “Besides, it’s the True Brothers of the Faith you’re concerned with, no? If they feel justified in throwing an innocent child off the Vault’s rooftop, then I doubt they’ll respect something so flimsy as marriage document, no matter how important House Fortemps likes to think it is.”

“That’s what I thought,” she says, “though Tataru and Lord Edmont seem to think otherwise. They know these matters far better than I, at any rate.”

They’d been so sure that this would work — and it feels traitorous to even consider spurning all their meticulous efforts.

“But even so,” says Thancred, gently, “is it such a bad thing to expect a certain degree of comfort in a marriage?”

“Not if it demands that one’s spouse forgoes their own desires to ensure that that comfort is achieved.”

“At which point it becomes a matter of how important those desires are, in comparison to the person one has chosen to become eternally bonded with.” Something softens in his gaze, then, as he stares down at his cocoa. “If I were to love someone so wholly, I would hate for them to feel as if they had to put up with something so unacceptable to them, if only to make me happy.”

“Even if it was vitally important to you?”

“How vital is vital, truly?” he retorts. “Even if it’s something I can’t imagine going without, I could never force someone to repeatedly put up with it for my sake… taking from them that which they were never willing to give in the first place. That, I think, is far more selfish than to expect that your own comfort will be respected.”

“But you deserve to… want things, too,” she says.

“Maybe so,” he concedes, “but… it’s complicated. It’s easy to talk in hypotheticals, but I’d imagine that a decision would have to be made at some point — whether those wants are more important than the person expected to fulfill them. It’s easy to say that the person will always be more important than those wants, but… I don’t know. It’s not that simple.”

Maybe this would have become a point of tension later, in a world where things had gone differently and she truly had married Haurchefant. Maybe there would come an end to his patience; maybe there would come a time when just her companionship and support would no longer be enough to make him happy. Would that be the end of it, then? Would there ever come a time when they would care for each other too much for it to matter at all?

“Although,” says Thancred, “if you don’t sign the document, then you’ll be no worse off than you are now. At least, that is my understanding of the situation.”

“And if I do sign the document, there’s still a chance that it will backfire horribly, if it has any effect at all,” she retorts.

He grins, somehow already, infuriatingly, knowing that which she can’t bring herself to utter aloud. “It seems you’ve made up your mind, then.” Then, he lightly raps his knuckles against the top of her head. “A decision clearly made with no small amount of forethought, with the utmost consideration for those who brought this solution to your attention.”

She tips sideways, bumping her shoulder into his. “Very well, you’ve made your point.” She springs to her feet, giving him a dramatic enough curtsy to elicit a chuckle from him. “I go with your blessing, Master Waters,” she says. “On your head be the consequences.”

With one hand over his chest, he bows his head towards her. “I shall take whatever earfuls our esteemed receptionist hurls my way.”

She makes her way for the Fortemps manor, then — and can’t help but wonder if Haurchefant would approve of her decision.

[mirroralchemist]

May 2022 Writing Update

Word Count: 514 Notes: Another month another update. I’m still handwriting a lot (I paid all this money for fountain pens and inks so I might as well use it) but I try to find time to type stuff up. This is one of my many Camp NaNo projects I’m slowly typing up. Mainly how a sleepless night begins the fruits of friendship between Ami and Urianger. Contains dubious attempts at Uri-speak

“What ails thee on this night?”

“Oh! It’s nothing important. No need to worry.”

“This I cannot,” he said, “It is my Lady Minfilia’s wishes thou comes to think of our order as close at thine own kin. What troubles burden thee, I wish to aid in dispelling them.”

I take a moment to think on his words. I was…unaccustomed to such warm receptions. Always to myself, knowing that strangers could be so kind was a new experience. Slowly, I nodded. Perhaps having an elder member listening might ease these thoughts.

“This is the first time I’ve been away from my family for such an extended period. I’m used to being able to go back home after running tasks, adventuring is a new experience. And for that new experience, I realized comes with much adjustment.”

I shook my head.

“Not that regret deciding to be one! Nor do I regret agreeing to aid the Scions. I pledged my blade to this cause and I want to see it through to the end. I never considered the other effects that my decision brings.”

“Thou art longing for the comforts of home.”

“A little,” I confessed, “It still feels too ‘new’. So I thought that reading would help me rest. Alas, the selection here is so robust, I have nary a clue what to choose.”

Urianger seemed to have stiffened at my words. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. A silence fell over us, neither of us inclined to speak. The awkward moments ticked by before he stood by my side.

He is…really tall.

I knew that him being Elezen, their height was expected. Just the realization dawned upon me how tall he really is. He rubbed his chin in thought as he seemingly scanned the shelf. His focus honed in on the top shelf. He reached and pulled a tome, smiling as he presented the item to me.

“Given the late hour, dense tomes make for poor company. I proffer onto thee this collection of poems. A variety of subjects lay within these pages, yet concise in words. These readings may aid in they attempts at slumber.”

I opened my mouth to speak but found myself silent. In just the short time he already formed a suggestion. I was in awe of his readied knowledge. I couldn’t even form an answer.

“M-my apologies if I was too forward. Scarcely do I find another whom share mine affinity for fine literature.”

I shook my head again, giving the man a small smile. I took the tome into my own hands. Our fingers had brushed against each other before I held the item close to my chest.

“You were not being too forward at all,” I assured him, “I appreciate it in fact. Thank you for the suggestion Urianger.”

He gave a small flourish of a bow. His smile even more infectious.

“’Tis no trouble. If thou art ever in need of mine guidance, pray do not hesitate to call upon me. My services, be they leisure or duty, are thine to wield.”

[orime-stories]

Ferocity and Fear

Aurelle Silmontier - Final Fantasy XIV

-

The Warrior of Light considers her feelings about her two new travelling companions as they press on into Dravania together. Full story below the cut. (623 words) Previous Story / Next Story / Read on AO3 / Tumblr Masterlist

-

Estinien made Aurelle extremely nervous.

His every communication was an impatient growl, as though her mere presence offended him. Though her existence wasn’t the only bane of his, she had to acknowledge. Not if his interactions with the others were anything to go by. Alphinaud had been politely weathering the man’s constant ill-tempered complaints, and Ysayle… Ysayle was being treated with downright contempt.

For she was Lady Iceheart — the leader of the heretics that had been such a thorn in her group’s side, and the one who had set the dragons loose on the city the time Aurelle had first been called to defend it. A woman responsible for the betrayal and death of so many of her kin. But for all that, she was also a woman blessed with the power of the Echo, who seemed to genuinely regret the harm wrought by her otherwise unrepentant pursuit of what she claimed to be a more just world.

Aurelle certainly felt more drawn to the melancholic murderer than she did the perpetually hostile ally she had set out from the city with. Which said more about Estinien’s conduct than anything else, she had reassured herself when she had realised that particular truth. And maybe with Minfilia still missing, there was a part of her that just felt relieved to meet another person like herself. Another person with this strange connection to Hydaelyn.

It certainly helped that she had brought a love story along with her — a version of Shiva’s tale where the woman was revered for uniting the nations of man and dragon by capturing the heart of one of the First Brood and falling for him in turn. Setting aside the questions of physicality, and the fact that this relationship had apparently ended with Hresvelgr eating poor Shiva (in a way she gathered was supposed to be taken as a romantic union of souls rather than a shocking act of barbarism), it was certainly doing Aurelle good to dwell in a space where impossible loves ended bitter wars right now.

Ysayle really seemed to believe that she had a piece of the real Shiva within her too. That what she was summoning was the woman’s very soul (though whether from the aetherial sea or the dragon’s belly, she had not specified and Aurelle did not think it appropriate to ask). And while experience taught her that primals just didn’t seem to work that way, part of her hoped that there could somehow be truth to this particular tale, surely no more unheard of than a mortal playing host to a primal at all, and seemingly retaining their own will to boot. If nothing else, she hoped that Hresvelgr would recognise enough of his beloved in Ysayle’s situation to consider ending this war too.

Grabbing her share of the evening meal that had been prepared in Camp Tailfeather’s simple communal space, Aurelle crossed the room towards her seat, Estinien’s eyeless gaze fixed on her all the while. She tried not to notice.

“Why do you act the part of a wilting flower?” he asked with his customary scowl as she sat herself down, shrinking herself further away from the tone of his voice. “I saw your ferocity on the Steps of Faith.”

“That’s not… That doesn’t come naturally to me. The fighting.” Just let me eat my food. Leave me be and I’ll leave you be.

“Liar. You bore it far more comfortably than the face you wear now.”

He was not entirely wrong there, she had to concede. But unless he wanted her to start violently ending his existence, she wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do with that observation.

Ferocity and fear was all she had this far from home.

[charlottedabookworm]

#7 - Speculate

y’know i’ve only just realised that i’m pretty sure that minfilia doesn’t have chairs in front of her desk? like, i don’t care, i’m not changing what i’ve written, but it was a weird realisation to have. anyway, prompt fill for day 7 of ffxivwrite and it’s once again the time travel au, no spoilers for anything past early-ARR. y’shtola pov and minimal angst (well, until you get to the end and imagine set’s pov for this and realise that actually this is full of angst)

:D

Their newest member does not stomp his way into the solar.

Nay, his steps are too light for that, footwork too engrained into him for something as simple as rage to seep into his stance. Yet the man himself is an image of fury as he sweeps into the solar, his tail bristling behind him.

Set looks one wrong word away from biting someone and Y’shtola can almost see a set of flattened ears upon his crown. He is miqo’te ire incarnate, despite the scales and horns that frame his face, and she feels her tail stiffening in response.

“Ah, Set.” Minfilia is saying even as Shtola sends Thancred a glare when he opens his mouth. “Is aught amiss?” Her tone is worried but there is a smile playing at her lips.

Y’shtola frowns, changing her look at Thancred to something more inquisitive. The hyur looks as lost as she is.

The auri hisses, tail shuddering. His eyes narrow. “Which one?”

Minfilia laughs. “I had the most delightful call just a handful of days ago.” She says, smile set fully upon her lips, and she doesn’t even flinch as Set steps forwards. Thancred tenses and as does she; the Auri seemed a nice enough person, but they had yet to see him in this sort of fury.

Yet all Set does is collapse into the chair before Minfilia’s desk and curl his tail about his wrist. “Please tell me they are not doing something stupid and reckless.”

 “Your sister mentioned dressing for snow…?” And, as Minfilia trails off in a way that is distinctly teasing, Y’shtola blinks. Reassesses. 

Not blind rage, the protective worry and fury towards those who one considered kin.

Ah, she thinks, her tail relaxing. Her fellow scions relax around her. Truly, she had allowed her speculations to overwhelm her instincts. 

Set groans, snapping her from her thoughts. “They’ll be practising their lancework until they drop,” he hisses.

“Oh,” Y’shtola says, eyebrow raised in quiet inquiry. “I was not aware your siblings were lancers, Set?”

His eyes dart towards her and they’re dark. Old. Knowing. A corner of his mouth twitches up. He looks away. “They’re not.” He confirms.

This time, Minfilia is not the only one to laugh.

[cidnangarlond]

Ask mem time... 🎶 💕 🍀 💎? PS hope you are having a nice Sunday Jack :]

BREN HIIIII I hope your Sunday is nice too !!

🎶 I just did the music one but have another Heavensward song !!

💕 Tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them!

I HAVE SO MANY THEY'RE ALL GREAT.......... but one is Thancred!! He goes through so much character development throughout the series and if I think about him and Minfilia too hard I might cry

Here he is in "Shadowbringers" I am also ignoring whatever he had going on in "Stormblood" outfit wise and also his weird ponytail and chin facial hair that was the only facial hair he has but that was his emo period so I can excuse it but it was so bad like baby WHAT are u wearing......... Now he looks like Dante Devil May Cry

🍀 Do you have any kins or comfort characters from your hyperfixation?

Normally I'd say no but a character I care a great deal for and whenever he shows up I'm like ^_^ HIIIII THERE YOU ARE is Cid I care him so much. I can't tell you why other than "I just think he's neat" bc he is!!!! Very fun very neat I care him so so much if anything happens to him I will cry for 7 days and 7 nights

💎 Are there any fun facts or trivia you'd like to share?

The developer of the game called Alphinaud a major player in the series a Redditor and like. HE'S RIGHT BUT HE DOESN'T NEED TO SAY IT... he has Redditor energy in A Realm Reborn ONLY he gets better after that. That is my son I will not stand for this correct slander!!

Thank you Bren have a great evening !! 💜💜💜

[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!

❅ ❅ ❅

[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.

[ofdragonsdeep]

30: Abstracted

The great wyrm Midgardsormr offers the burden of the future.

The first few thin rays of dawn over the highlands of Coerthas found Ar’telan awake, to his eternal regret.

There were any number of reasons that could drag Ar’telan from his bed, and for a mercy today’s was one of the more mild causes. He was gathering bark from the spruce trees in the area, one eye open to see if he could spot the culprit of the recent spate of felled trees the area had suffered. Fearless though many of Ishgard’s botanists seemed to be, they at least acknowledged that he was less likely to end up as snapped as the branches if the culprit was a particularly nasty specimen of wildlife.

It was relaxing, after a fashion. His hands worked in quiet rhythm, nails scraping against the bark before he took out a knife to score a little of it from somewhere the tree would not miss, then stashing his prize in the bag he had been given for the purpose. The snowfall was light enough not to register, but thick enough to crunch beneath his boots in a satisfying way. And it kept his mind distracted from the thoughts which wished to plague it.

“Thine endeavours seem without purpose, yet thou art devoted to them nonetheless. What driveth thee?”

Midgardsormr’s voice was not surprising, but always unexpected. His avatar manifested in a tiny spark of aether, languidly beating wings keeping him aloft to watch as Ar’telan sliced another sample of bark from its kindly donor.

“It’s helping people,” he said, not needing to move his hands for Midgardsormr to divine his words. Midgardsormr watched as he moved between the trees again.

“Even when thine allies have turned to enemies, and there is no promise that these souls will not likewise betrayeth thee?”

“They don’t have to give me anything. That’s the point.” He looked down at the piece of bark in his hands, ran the tips of his fingers over it to feel the rough surface. “I have less time to suffer from betrayal than the lifetime of a dragon, anyway. So perhaps it is easier.” Midgardsormr’s eyes were on the buildings in the distance, watching with the quiet mournfulness with which he always carried himself.

“And if thy love moved away from you?”

Ar’telan sighed, shaking his head.

“He won’t.” He sat down in the little patch of ground beneath the tree’s tall branches that remained stubbornly clear of snow, hand resting against a raised leg. “Does that happen to dragons? Do mated couples fracture with time and trouble? Or is that a mortal concept?” Midgardsormr fluttered down to join him, sitting his small form upon a nearby rock. He did not seem bothered by the cold or the snow - Ar’telan was not entirely sure if he truly manifested for anyone other than him, though he was not keen to test it in Ishgard proper for obvious reasons.

“To be a mate is a contract not lightly undertaken,” he replied. “It is more and yet less than thy mortal definitions. Even across the valley of stars and the inevitability of death doth the bond endure.” Ar’telan’s eyes found the flags flying from the top of the keep at Dragonhead, and wondered.

“You have learned of us, then, to know that it does not mean such to man,” he surmised. “The stories that Yasyle told me of Shiva-”

“Shiva understood,” Midgardsormr said. “Though I was deep in slumber when my children made their choices. In granting them the freedom to live, didst I forsake mine own.” His eyes, tiny points of burning aether that belied his tiny form, regarded Ar’telan levelly. “There is an echo in the souls of thee and thine of a time which knew not death, this I see in thy fractured aether. Oft have I found myself curious of the source, though even when I first did set foot upon this star was it broken.”

“There is nothing wrong with being mortal,” Ar’telan said. Midgardsormr inclined his head.

“So far from our home, my children’s children know more and more the embrace of death. A tragic, flickering candle flame that our song knoweth not how to sing of.” He settled into a position not unlike a sleeping cat, but with his neck still raised, wings tucked in close to his back. “Here more than anywhere else has the blood of my line been spilled. Even Meracydia knew not its breadth.” His gaze went to the rising sun, a huff of breath accompanying his thought. “But it is the whims of your deathless, few though they are, that drive us here. A bitter truth.”

“Could it be stopped?” Ar’telan asked, and Midgardsormr sighed.

“My son knoweth naught but rage, his song a discordant, screeching melody, his continued life not his own. His is not an anger which mortal hearts can quell.” A soft puff of breath left a line of melted snow in the wake of its blue fire. “Thy fire burneth bright, even severed from thy mother as thou art. Perhaps thy hand could grant him succor.”

“It seems a cruel price to pay,” Ar’telan said, and Midgardsormr inclined his head.

“So are all prices. History demandeth no less to those who wouldst forge it,” he agreed. “To safekeep thy beloved and thy people, though in but half of the life of the youngest dragons all memory of thee shall fade - ‘tis not a futile quest. Thy lives are as grains of sand, but each shineth bright in spite of thy ephemeral nature.” His tail swished back and forth as he thought, and Ar’telan could not help but imagine what might have happened if the true great wyrm that he was had thought to do the same. “Our songs shall heal, though the notes be ever sorrowful. In this thy deeds shall be remembered, even long after thy mortal kin hath forgotten.”

Ar’telan held out a hand in offering, and Midgardsormr considered it for a few moments, before flapping over to sit upon it. Ar’telan got to his feet, free hand raised to his forehead to shield his eyes from the glare of the newly-risen sun.

“Should it be for mortals to decide?” he asked, and Midgardsormr made a sorrowful noise.

“Mine own hath decided already, in times long lost to memory. Such is our nature that we see the world as unchanging, with ancient eyes scarred by conflict and loss. If the future art thine to have, then thee must forge it.” His tail swished from side to side to keep his balance as Ar’telan walked, striking out for the path back to Dragonhead. “If it remaineth with mine own, then from thee it will be taken.”

“I wish there was an answer which did not require bloodshed,” Ar’telan said, slipping his hands into his pockets for warmth as he walked. Midgardsormr shook his head.

“‘Tis the unending nature of war, mortal. We but pray for time to breathe.” Ar’telan sighed, thinking of the weary knights in Dragonhead, of Estinien lost to Nidhogg’s rage in the Steel Vigil, of frozen corpses lining the trail for both dragon and man. How much he would give for Haurchefant to be able to send his knights back home to their families for the last time, for his kindness not to turn to anguish over every coffin escorted to the Steps of Faith, to take his hand and tell him that it was done, that they were free of blade and bow and moved forward with word and deed. How deep the ache in Midgardsormr’s soul to know that his child was forever lost to reason, to entrust his fate to those who had dragged the conflict across the centuries. How much the ancient Wyrm had already trusted him with - to walk the path with him, to believe him more than Hydaelyn’s shield. Minfilia had been aghast to see that he had lost the Blessing, but Ar’telan understood it for what it was, he thought.

The strength of mortals is not in what they borrow from the endless, but in the paths they forge themselves.

It would be worth it. It had to be. Their lives flickered like the flames of a candle, but they brought light.

[tenuuchlegch]

         The morning sun was peaking over horizon line, as F’lhaminn poured out her heart to Warburton and Minfilia... or what remained of them. Skies turning a pinkish color over camp Drybone, a falcon cried overhead with wings spread wide soaring into unknown territories. The crystalized aether from shard of Dalamud also began gleaming in the distance, like fire being ignited. How ironic, that the atmosphere would display as such a tranquil scene befitting the one two women were honoring. Truly, it was as if Hydaelyn herself had gone out of her way to ensure this moment’s absolute serenity. Au ra was certain the former leader of Scions would have very much enjoyed it.  

         While Odtsetseg could not boast of knowing the hyur on a level other Scions did, when miqo’te approached her regarding letter which involved group’s former leader she was compelled to escort retired songstress. This was not completely for her sake, but so they both could receive some closure regarding their now long departed friend and kin. Minfilia... or rather Ascilia was a good woman, whose munificence and compassion towards her fellow man inspired or spurred others forward. Xaela would know, for she was one of them. Yet despite all the good that she accomplished, warrior of light’s fellow Echo user never got a proper burial, for there was no body to be found. It was a shame, that none of them had gotten around to doing so until now. She was a light in the darkness, who ignited the flame others may shoulder after all. 

        Odtsetseg hoped she would be one day worthy of such steadfast faith.

         F’lhaminn’s query of what she would say, snapped xaela out from her thoughts. Blinking, typically laconic adventurer briefly found herself at a loss for words. In truth, a part of Odtsetseg half expected miqo’te to simply say her piece, thank au ra then leave. That is what sometimes occurred, amidst circumstances such as this one. Besides what could she, someone who was only a brief part of Minfilia’s life possibly have to say which was not uttered already? But auri had to say her piece, didn’t she? Even if their time together was short, she worked in close liaison with the blond-haired woman. It would be wrong, to maintain her silence now. Additionally, there was a lot left unsaid. 

         Turning to the grave fully after a moment, Odtsetseg breathed in, placed one knee on ground and spoke. 

         “Hello, Minfilia... or should I call you Ascilia now? Whatever the case, I think I will go with the former, if you do not mind.” There came a pause, as eyes closed and head lowered in a shamed fashion. “I never got the chance to tell you this, but when I came to you and the Scions... I had nothing. I had lost my home- my tribe. All the traditions I grew up with were squashed, then scatted to the four winds and every member of my family was either gone or lost touch with me long ago. Needless to say, it would be no exaggeration that I was lost, bitter and... broken. I helped people yes, but I cannot claim that it was from a pure desire such as yours. To be frank, I cared very little for people- I was terrified to. It lead to attachment, I surmised and attachment would only lead towards heartache.” A sigh escaped lungs, as she lifted hues to look upon the grave again; soft smile returning.

          “Yet, in spite of my stubbornness you and the others still kept me by your sides. You treated me as one of your own, despite our very different backgrounds and the fact that our cultures often clashed with one another. Though I did not see it at first, I now am aware that you and the others became like family to me, through our journey. ... Apologies for trying to start our friendship out with a blood pact, by the way. I realize now that was plausibly quite intense to witness.” A noise which hinted at surprise was heard behind her (likely from F’lhaminn), but Odtsetseg paid no mind to it and continued.

         “Either way, I can assure you that your legacy will live on. I may not be the warrior of light you were acquainted with all those years ago, but... let there be no doubt that I will make strides to be the person you believed me to be. Thancred and the others will do their best too, I am certain. With that being said, I hope this gives both you and your father reassurance that you can finally rest.” 

         When all the Scions returned safely to the source, Odtsetseg would ensure that this place be made known towards them. It would not be fair of her to keep such information for herself. Besides, if they all were made aware entire group could visit her to honor the generous woman’s memory.