#never change estinien

[sexybritishllama]

estinien is this a threat

[impossible-rat-babies]

okay gamers I think we’re back in the pits bc I fell asleep putting together a DT timeline for eyrie and estinien

[mxkokopuff]

"I swear.. you are the single most infuriating man i've ever met. If you run off like that again a dragon isn't the only thing you'll have to worry about."

"Ah.. yes because the tiny lizard gremlin clutching to me as we kiss is so scary..~"

"shutup"

[neriyon]

Hey look, an idea I stole from @zylphiacrowley (chain of idea stealing haha), feat. very startled Hawu'li. More details for each relationship under the cut for anyone curious.

Tataru: She and Hawu'li are very close friends, all the way from the first days he spent with scions. They like to hang out, talk (mostly gossip) about stuff over tea, and while other scions take to Tataur's big moneymaking plans with a healthy dose of caution, Hawu'li is always ready to go do anything she asks. She's also the one Hawu'li usually goes to when he needs some advice or just someone to listen to his woes.

Y'shtola: I've mentioned this before but she reminds Hawu'li of his older sisters. They used to be on purely professional terms up till ShB, and have since made steady progess to become friends. The two of them can usually be found reading books in a same room or chatting about Y'shtola's research (Hawu'li is always curious to learn more).

Lyse: I actually first marked her as a friend, but then remembered Hawu'li is a Gridania starter so uh, family it is. Lyse has kinda decided to take the role of a caring big sister/mother figure by herself - despite being only 2 years older. These two lively idiots (affectionate) do get along well, and occasionally send letters now that Lyse is busy with Ala Mhigo stuff.

Estinien: "Boyfriend of my boyfriend" haha. They both date Aymeric, so they are part of the polycule together, despite not having too much romantic feelings towards eachother. They do trust and appreciate eachother a lot, and are in some sort of friends with benefits status. Hawu'li's can be a bit much for Estinien at times, but it's pretty common to see them sharing some casual contact which Estinien seems to like after spending time alone. They also share the single idiotic braincell over money related things (do not let them to the market without supervision!)

Thancred: Kinda between close friends and regular friends tbh. I feel like Thancred would get annoyed by Hawu'li's energy levels, but he'd also be smart enough to just dump the catboy on someone else when in need of some peace and quiet. Hawu'li finds him pretty nice and trusts him a lot, but does not really appreciate that Thancred prefers to keep him in the dark about most things - meanwhile Thancred feels he's a good kid but a bit too young and airheaded to be trusted with everything.

Ryne: Cat sees teenager, cat adopts teenager. While not as close as with twins, Hawu'li happily treats Ryne as part of the family and takes care to check in on her regularily after ShB. He often brings her gifts and books, staying over for some coffee and biscuits to talk about how scions are doing. Ryne tends to come to Hawu'li about any relationship troubles, and when she and Gaia start going out he's the first one to hear about it (and congratulate them, haha)

Minfilia: This is an intersting one, since Hawu'li usually befriends everyone quickly (if they want to be befriended). But somehow Minfilia's position as the leader of Scions made Hawu'li kinda hesitant to bother her too much, so kinda like with Y'shtola, their relationship stayed pretty professional. In hindsight, Hawu'li definitely regrets he didn't get to know her more.

G'raha: Boyfriends! As close as can be, spending lot of time together. Reading, talking about anything interesting they've learned, visiting new places, going on dates… pretty much anything. G'raha has great tolerance for Hawu'li's clingyness and doesn't mind some pda, so Hawu'li tends to stick to him a lot. Also just cat things: they will often knock their heads together and even start playfighting every now and then.

Alphinaud: Little brother! While more snobbish during ARR, Hawu'li does see some of himself in the boy, and does his best to keep him safe and help him however he can. Likes to gently tease Alphi (usually with Alisaie), but will be uncharacteristically ready to throw down with anything threatening his lil bro (he may or may not have growled at Fourchenault when he was talking about disowning twins).

Alisaie: Little sister and partner-in-mischief! Like with Alphi, they are very close and protective of eachother, with the exception that Alisaie seems as ready to fight to protect Hawu'li as he does to protect twins. They often tease Alphi together, or go channel their excess energy in some friendly sparring. Or run off to see who can climb some trees faster.

Urianger: Hawu'li likes him a lot, but unfortunately can only understand him like 30% of the time. However he's just happy to sit there listening anyway, and usually Thancred or Y'shtola know to check if he actually got the important parts. They like eachother's company, and somehow just hanging out with Urianger seems to calm Hawu'li down a lot, which has been a godsent to everyone.

Krile: Still a pretty new friend, but one that Hawu'li is eager to get to know more. He is however tiiiiiny bit nervous about it, since Krile and G'raha are clearly close, and he really really really wants to get well along with his boyfriend's close friend. Krile thinks he's a nice lad, and hopes he'd relax a bit and drop the random bouts of overly polite behaviour.

[scionshtola]

i guess if i had criticisms of or like. wishes. for the writing on shtola it would be that i would like to see more how her being blind actually affects her and for her to face something that really made her struggle with her convictions

[astrxealis]

ffxiv changed my brain composition the most out of all medias i have consumed and trust me i have consumed a lot

[placesyoucallhome]

Estinien is so fuckin funny

Having just gone through Dawntrail on Ruhka and now poking into Heavensward on Quinn and just reaching Estinien for the first time (dragoon quests notwithstanding) the whiplash of his character development is just hitting me.

Heavensward Estinien- moody, twitchy mfer, running on rage and hate 24/7, Ishgard's nuclear option, ready to throw hands (especially with Ysayle) at the drop of a hat, never takes off his uniform even when it's caked in blood through a good part of the story.

Dawntrail Estinien- Shows up in fantasy texas in the fantasy equivalent of a ratty t-shirt and torn work jeans "oh hey, what's up? you should try the cactaur here" and "Oh uh, yeah that looks like some like, super fucked up 'change the way we interact with the multiverse' shit, or something, I don't know, anyways I saw a beast on the way in I'm gonna go try and eat it now. Later."

Like he literally went from Halone's favorite killing machine to fantasy diner, drive-ins, and dive guy. This is not a complaint, I love it, 10/10, no notes.

[sapphire-scarletta-wol]

I just had this thought awhile ago and now I am curious to see what y'all would think.

Imagine a scenario where they have to fight the Wol with all their strength,maybe the Wol got possessed(again),lost control,or whatever final fantasy shenanigans would happen,which of them would have the best chance of defeating the Wol?

~~~~~~~

Edit: I forgot editing posts exist so imma just put this in here too

So I didn't expect this to blow up this BIG

But thank you to all the interactions even if it's just a poll,it's been fun reading all the tags and such!

I just want to give a little update thought on this as the tags and reblogs gave great points on all sides.

Mostly I was thinking of a situation where the Wol does not need to be killed,rather just pacified or beaten up enough to make them return to their normal self.

I still think raha is the strongest and best candidate for this,he has the CT on his side,an all rounder,knows the Wol incredibly well,has 300+ years of experience,has matured a lot as the exarch,mayhaps even be an 8th rejoined shard,made time travel and world hopping basically possible,and a handful of other powerful tricks and spells on his sleeve.

In the case of a situation of killing the Wol,I believe raha would have a much harder time as of course he would never ever want to do that ever and would rather die first than think of that so either estinien or y'shtola is the better candidate.

The answer also changes depending on the specific Wol one has

( in my case,sapphire is a monk and a dark knight,but is incredibly dense as lyse.she would be too fast for y'shtola to properly finish her spells though she is a lot smarter and could easier use tactics to confuse her,estinien could hold his own against her but would be defeated nonetheless.even with nidhoggs power we have defeated him once so when it comes to pure strength,Wol beats him. Lastly comes raha,he is incredibly smart and just as versatile with 3 classes to keep in pace with her,combine that with his intellect and he can form a plan while defending himself long enough to either deal enough damage to her or bring her back to normal.that or prolly have someone else do the final blow.)

I would like to formally apologize to alphinaud as it took him 1k votes for someone to finally vote him,I did not mean to bully you 😞

[cryoriku]

sobbing i need to write an essay on why i love alphinaud so much he is so comfort he is so perfect im shaking him vigorously like a chew toy.

apollo just sent this to me

[plounce]

my scion animal assignments (aka the daemon au that lives in my brain)

alphinaud: fancy rat (very smart and social, a little scurrying guy, busy little hands, can learn tricks, good to ride around on a shoulder, prey animal)

alisaie: coati (clever little omnivore with prehensile tails. females are very social with each other and form lifelong social ties (and also have bigger frontal cortexes than the males!) (my original thought was ocelot/margay although im veering away from that bc kit miqosquat @sunquail pointed out those are rather solitary critters. they also suggested magpies or woodpeckers? i also admit i have some biased fondness for coatis since they were in a local zoo when i was growing up heheh. this one might change - luckily in a daemon au we can sort of fudge when the twins settled. i think alphinaud settled earlier than alisaie.)

minfilia: luna moth (i knew i wanted a moth bc of flying towards light, the mythological tie to death, and the fleeting life - adult silk moths (which luna moths are) live an extremely short adult lifespan and literally cannot eat in their adult bodies. i went with luna moth because they're very striking and pretty)

yshtola: some species of pit viper (venomous, and an ambush predator. the duality between the venom and the association with healing. pit vipers (rattlesnakes, for example) have very poor vision but have extremely good heat-sense and sense of smell. y'shtola to me is someone who waits for the right time to do things and then does them very dramatically. snakes are also just sort of occult.)

thancred: coyote (has to be SOME type of canine. scrappy little scavengers who are so good at thriving under pressure. seen as a pest. evolved as a secondary predator. canis latrans = talking dog. social patterns can vary and adapt throughout an individual's lifespan - solitary, in a pair, in a pack. i have more coyote facts if you want them)

urianger: bearded vulture (so augury was a roman practice of divination through birds (also the source of the words 'auspicious' and 'inauguration' - and augurelt!), and augurs were the people who read the will of the gods through birdwatching. so it has to be a bird. vultures were a majorly important bird in augury, and i like the parallel you can draw between a scavenger of carrion and the hvw and shb gambits urianger was part of. i settled on bearded vultures bc i also wanted to pick something visually suitable as well - bearded vultures have a head of feathers, and have a sort of gawky golden elegance that suits urianger well. hey wikipedia also just told me that in ancient egypt vultures were associated with motherhood - i always win and i NEVER lose.)

ryne: cheetah (a lightning-fast predator who is also extremely anxious and needs companionship. the emotional support dogs from zoos also ties nicely to thancred being canine. her unsettled forms were mostly small little prey animals - rabbits (baby birch by joanna newsom), little songbirds (for the cage association - nightingales and canaries), lambs (sacrificial slaughter), and a lot of trying to force her daemon to be butterflies/moths to match minfilia.)

graha: meerkat (a funny little clever guy who builds a big city and needs to be in a group of people and also he can fight a poisonous viper. ballsy. the sweetest of the mongooses. to quote kit: "they're weirdly possessive over Their people. like they're cliquish kinda, they're extroverts and love to hang out with people, but they have THEIR special people also. who are favoured")

tataru: potbelly pig (extremely intelligent and cute. and PINK! my reasons are simple but effective.)

estinien: [placeholder] (i haven't put much thought into it bc my main thoughts for a daemon au would be about ryne settling during the events of shb and he isn't in the scions for that. has to be some type of predator that can survive in harsh conditions and isn't very social. a few of you are saying hunting bird, which is intriguing... like a heron or a cormorant. maybe an albatross? i'm also thinking snow leopard maybe, but also :/ lord asriel from hdm :/ )

krile: mourning dove (migratory. i think she'd be a domesticated animal, and they're close relatives of passenger pigeons. my main theme i identify for krile is constantly being the lone survivor/arriving late to the grief (minfilia, the isle of val, eureka story choice, the ninth). the colors also suit her. and there's a certain melancholy calm to her... also there's a huron/wyandot story about mourning doves guarding the entrance to the underworld that made me go HEY. OKAY LET'S GO)

[ctalimisadventures]

Thinking about our timid catboi

We all love thinking about G'raha Tia as our cute shy catboi that does the ear wiggles and playing with his wrists. It's hitting me now, how much of shake up it would be for him. He left behind everything he knew for the last one hundred years, he was the leader of the Crystarium longer than he lived on the Source.

Of course he'd be timid and a completely different person when he returns home, for him it's like moving to a new city on the other side of the world. He's lucky to even have two people be his emergency contacts. It's such a huge change. He has the Scions, which he wasn't sure if they'd accept him, everything else is unfamiliar to him.

It has never felt like Crystal Exarch and G'raha were two different people to me. The scene of him guiding people to safety at Rahz-at-Han proves that side of him is still there, he knows how to lead people. G'raha is exactly what would happen if someone was given a second chance at life.

I cherish him sloppily munching on a burger. I enjoy him fanboying over Estinien from his stories. I cherish him getting to adventure with his heroes. He's living the best out of his new life, and getting the most out of everything he's experiencing. It makes me wanna sob.

G'raha Tia is truly the embodiment of 'age is just a number.' 😭😭

[mariyekos]

It's been almost 3 years but I'm STILL not over how the stars aligned in Endwalker and the weather changed to Umbral Wind right after Estinien sacrificed himself.

Like, Estinien and the dragons went on about how the young had no winds to guide them and how this was tied to the dragons' doom (the eggs just broke me, man), so when he sacrificed himself to help us by creating a vortex/wind plume to guide us forward, it hit really hard because man! Though the dragons' future had been stolen from them, Estinien didn't give in to the defeat or resignation that had captured them and helped us forward in a way that resonated with the dragons he'd come to hold so dear. Where they saw what they had lost and gave up, Estinien paved the way to the future himself, using their dreams and his dream both.

But then I looked up at the weather for the first time and just crumbled to dust. Because there in the corner was the bright green circle of Umbral Winds and I just. Broke.

From what I understand the weather changing at that point was actually complete chance, but I didn't realize that and to me it seemed like Estinien sacrificed himself not only to guide us forward, but to bring back that most precious thing that the dragons lost and remind them of what happiness and hope felt like. The dragons had lost the wind to guide them but Estinien wouldn't let them stew in their sadness. He didn't just reprimand the dragon who'd given in to despair by telling them of the survival of their kin through Midgardsormr; he brought back the wind that was so essential to their lives, the thing they loved the most (save the children whose lives could never be recovered). He changed the weather of the entirety of Ultima Thule so the dragons could feel the touch of the wind that they'd treasured but lost and had mourned for an age. Think how much power that would take? How much emotional strength? How much devotion? How much love and care?

It also hit me hard because it was like Estinien wasn't really gone. Thancred had sacrificed himself to create the air we breathed, meaning he was constantly around us, and Estinien had sacrificed himself to be the winds that guided us, the weather following us throughout the region.

In the end, yeah, that second one was actually just the result of really convenient timing for a weather change afaik, but I didn't know it at the time and man did it crush me in such a good way. Endwalker, man. Estinien, man. The dragons, man. Ahhh!

[stars-and-clouds]

Okay guys but think about Aymeric for a minute.

He is adopted into a family of nobles when he comes from, possibly, a low born mother who was possibly forced into sleeping with a powerful man like Thordan. Had to keep quiet about it and possibly lose her son right after giving birth. Aymeric grew up hearing rumours about being a bastard, about not deserving his life, about how lucky he is, how he was probably a mistake.

And now he is the only one alive to carry on the Borel name, becomes the lord commander of the temple knights at a very young age, then lord speaker of Ishgard, slayer of Fafnir, unifier of dragons and men after a thousand year of war. All this while he grows up hearing he will never be good enough. Imagine how insecure that must make him. Having achieved so much will not make him think "wow, I really am amazing. Sure showed them!" It will just stress him out even more, thinking he can't do it, he isn't capable enough to carry these responsiblities out, not deserving enough to. In fact, idk if we've ever seen him being proud of himself or even happy? Doesn't he always want to jump to the next task? He is too humble for someone in his position, sometimes it's like he doesn't believe he is actually as good as he is said to be.

I think this is shown by his decision to give up his position as lord commander as soon as they finish dealing with Nidhogg. Like, he will do his duty and stop. Because he doesn't think he can do it anymore. He thinks he is not important enough so he goes to confront his father by himself in the lion's den itself, so to speak. Practically kills his father, almost kills his best friend to do his duty, brings about peace and much needed change and gets stabbed for it. How shit must that make him feel about himself?

Aymeric is so good at being a well spoken, smooth politician, we forget to see how broken he must really be inside and he is all alone. Even Lucia isn't with him anymore, having to stay at Garlemald.

The way his eyes light up every time he sees the warrior of light, calling them 'my friend,' every second sentence, as if pleading to be called the same. Writing to Estinien whenever he can, having a deep wanderlust and adventurous spirit but being unable to fulfil it. He is so much like G'raha in this sense but unlike him, Aymeric hasn't gotten his happy ending yet.

The man is so alone but so dutiful. So insecure but so good at hiding it. He craves connection but his duty forces him to be unable to make it. I cannot imagine how hard he has it.

He needs hugs 😭

[freyito]

ʜᴏᴀʀᴅᴇʀ

✭ pairing(s): estinien varlineau x gn reader

★inspo: something my friend said that STUCK stuck so HARD

✩ in which: dragons tend to hoard the things most precious to them.

✧ a/n: need to get this out of my system okay. i need to. i promise you there's a luocha fic and like more fics up i PINKY PROMMY. i wanna write so bad but ffxiv also has me by the neck

🗒 cw: gn reader, he's just jelly (but not like yandere... he's silly), ENDWALKER SPOILERS, short n sweet, not proofread

✎ wc: 1.6k

Estinien is a jealous man. It is not something you can genuinely tell, seeing as he plays it off. But inside, he’s pouting and crossing his arms, sometimes even imagining him whisking you off. He is the most calm and collected man you know, blunt in almost all aspects. Unafraid to speak the truth, except when it comes to you.

He himself has noticed the changes with his behavior, as small as they may be, ever since he had ‘absorbed’ Niddhogg. When he fell for you, he had felt so oddly attracted to you, a constant pull that lured him in closer, and closer. One that he did his best to ignore, but clearly couldn’t, given the current day, and that shiny ring on your finger.

Regardless of your known status, Estinien cannot help but be jealous. The gods themselves could dote on you and he would still pout like a little kid. He would give them the dirtiest of looks, but turn his head away and act painfully unaware of what he was doing if you looked his way. But over the better part of a year, you’ve learned to read his tells. His voice deepens ever so slightly, his eyebrows furrow, and he’ll adamantly deny the fact that he was jealous. Which, obviously, does nothing to hide his lie. A man of his standing? The Azure Dragoon? Jealous? No, no. He isn’t, he could never be jealous.

And yet, here he is, doing his best not to show any outward signs of jealousy. While you were seated with your friends at the Last Stand, with Estinien brooding nearby. He wasn’t stalking you, in fact, you had enthusiastically invited him. But he chose to stay away, grumbling about protection or something of the sort. Which would seem right of him, given that he had just returned from saving the world. But you knew full well that that wasn’t the case. You were meeting up with friends, to enjoy a comforting meal after believing you were to witness the end of the life you’ve known.

You can almost hear his grumbling and ranting in his head, as you chat and laugh with your friends. It felt lighter, something that had been devoid in the days that had been past. You had been worried sick about Estinien and the Scions, traveling to the edges of the universe was something that felt unfathomable. And to know that Estinien was willingly going on such a venture, it was horrifying. So, when he came back alive and well, you were more than relieved. And it was clear he had worried about you, too. Though he would never tell the scions that, he wouldn’t even admit that he was worried sick about you. Not only is he a jealous bastard, but a stubborn one, too.

However, that does not mean he didn’t show you how much he missed you. The night he returned, all he did was hold you, head buried in the crook of your neck. Barely any words were shared, and any time you shifted underneath him, to simply reach for a blanket or stretch your legs out, he pulled you impossibly closer with a soft huff. To see him being all moody in the corner of your eye while you catch up with friends after the night before… you couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

You can practically read his inner thoughts. ‘Why do they get so close?’, ‘Why do they get to take up their time?’, and you know you’ll remedy his jealousy so easily in a couple more hours. It’s not like he couldn’t sit down with you, but he wasn’t much for PDA either. So watching (and pouting) from a distance was all he chose to do. And you respected it, no matter how silly you thought it to be.

“I missed you,” Estinien grumbles as his hand finds yours, quick to pull you away and towards the Baldesion Annex, fidgeting with your fingers as he does so. His tone is almost mournful, but you know he’s being dramatic. Only with you. “Let’s take a break. I want time with you, and you alone.”

He speaks as if he was really engaging with you and your friends. You can’t help but smile at his clinginess, something that was, again, only shown towards you. Yet he had grown out of his shell over the past couple of years as well, you knew that. Especially when he joined the Scions on their little… adventure. You had never seen him so energetic, normally he was just dark and moody. But he started to smile more, even try and joke, and it was comforting to see. You had found friends with the scions as well, Y’shtola mainly since she had the most sensible tastes out of everyone. The girl-talk with her was amazing, and you had learned things you never even thought of before. Simply the talk of reflections and calamities was enough to make your head spin. But it did boost your ego to know that you had made sense of certain things without being directly in the fight, while your fiancé could barely make heads or tails of it.

You lose yourself in your thoughts, mind bringing back more and more memories, delightful as they were. Before he had left, he had proposed, something you had never thought he would’ve done in a million years. But his proposal was sappy, sentimental, and you swore you caught tears in his eyes. Thinking back on it, it felt almost outlandish. The former Azure Dragoon, knelt before you, rambling on about how much you’ve changed him, his outlook on life, and all he would do for you (which was nothing short of everything).

Before you can dig too deep into your memories or perhaps even shed a tear, Estinien’s pulled you back so easily, pulling your hand up to his face and placing a kiss to your palm. How quick he was to take up a room, yet so calm, he was practically desperate for more attention. Your attention. And he plans on savoring every second he has with you.

It only strikes you as he leads you to the bed. He’s hoarding you. Every bit of jealousy and possessiveness is a part of the shadow of Niddhogg, or whatever is left of it. Estinien he may be, but there were still remnants of a great wyrm in his body, one that tends to keep the most precious things close. You can’t help but be stunned by this revelation, while you could understand different timelines, for years you had wondered just why he could be so possessive with you. Like a dragon from a children’s tale, and it’s pile of gold, you are his charge. Or more simply put: you are the apple of his eye.

He holds you so very close, as he did the night before, lips ghosting against your neck. His breathing is even, deep and measured, his hands settled on your waist. If you were to ask him if he enjoyed spending his time like this, he'd adamantly deny it, saying he prefers training over… cuddling. Such a childish thing, he would say, wave it off, and shake his head. But, of course, actions speak louder than words. He loves you, after all he had been through and seen, he just had the sudden urge to be by you, to feel your skin against his, feel your hands in his hair (which is his favorite feeling, to be cared for, the tender touch of a lover. But he would never admit that), and whisper sweet nothings to you.

Emboldened by his trust in his comrades, Estinien had faced the end of the world head on. And yet, beforehand, there was an uncommon fear, one he could not shake. Farbeit for him to be afraid. But when faced with the Ragnarok, there was a voice in his head screaming at him to turn back. You were in his every thought as he pushed on, worried that your look of concern would be the last thing he ever saw on his face. He had never been scared of death, far from it. That was how life went, if he were to die in his service, to Ishgard, to the Scions, anywhere, then he had no complaints. But suddenly, he couldn’t stand the thought of dying. And every step he took when they ended up in Ultima Thule was a defiant one. He had promised you that he would come back to see the life you two could build with each other, and he was not one to break promises.

Every act he had done since he returned was part of that promise, his jealous brooding included. There was more to living than just living, and that reason was you. He reminded himself of that, and in turn, tightened his arms around you with a soft huff. You could poke fun at him and his jealousy, that you have him wrapped around your finger, scold him for his spending habits, and he’d still want nothing more than to curl up in your arms at the end of the day.

© freyito, 2024 | masterlist | queue | kofi | star header by roseschoices DO NOT REPOST AS YOUR OWN OR USE FOR AI/AI CHATBOTS.

[lilbittymonster]

Day 23: On Cloud Nine

Read on AO3

The dirty panes of the window were just beginning to allow the approaching dawn’s light into the room. The tavern was unusually quiet at this hour, and Aymeric realised he had never actually been here overnight before. The silence was eerie, if serene.

He had slept in fits and starts. Every time he adjusted in bed he was reminded of the pleasant burn at the base of his spine, and all that had transpired in the hours before, and he would be too giddy to sleep all over again. All of his due lethargy seemed to have gone to the man currently curled against his back.

Estinien had slept solidly through the night, only rolling once or twice throughout. It was unusual for him in a most pleasant way, Aymeric thought, not having nightmares disturb his sleep. Even without turning over to face him Aymeric could picture his face in slumber. Jaw slack and brow unfurrowed in relaxation. Peaceful and untroubled.

As if his thoughts had woken him, Estinien stirred behind him, inhaling deeply at his neck and pulling him closer. Another wave of giddiness washed over Aymeric at the fact that, without the excuse of proximity for warmth, Estinien would still want to be near him like this. He gently stroked his thumb along the arm curled across his chest.

“Are you awake?” Aymeric whispered into the morning stillness.

A soft grunt was his answer and he smiled fondly.

“’S it morning?” Estinien asked, voice still rough with sleep.

“Almost. Dawn’s nearly upon us.”

Estinien grunted again and burrowed his face further into the nape of Aymeric’s neck.

“You slept well,” Aymeric commented. “You hardly moved.”

“Watching me sleep, were you?”

“I don’t have to watch if I’m right next to you.”

“Fair enough. And you?”

Aymeric bit his lip. “Not very much.”

“You aren’t hurt, are you?” The change in alertness of Estinien’s voice was instant as he sat up.

Aymeric rolled fully onto his back to look up at him.

“No, nothing like that. I was just too wound up to sleep properly, is all,” he reassured him, brushing back a stray lock of snow white hair.

Estinien’s expression smoothed once more as he relaxed back down into the mattress, fitting himself into the crook of Aymeric’s neck. Fury take him, Aymeric was certain he had died in his sleep and was now reclining in Halone’s halls. He draped his now free arm across Estinien’s back.

“Have you aught planned for the day?” Estinien asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Aymeric said regretfully, twirling a lock of hair between his fingers.

“Mm. Pity. Could’ve had a quiet morning in.”

“I suppose we’ll just have to do this again.”

“Aye, seems we must.”

The pair lay in contented quiet as the morning light continued to creep into the room. Other patrons began moving about, the opening and closing of other various doors sounding up and down the hallway. As loathe as Aymeric was to move from his place, he did have promises to keep.

“I should go,” he said. “It’s best that we leave separately, anyways.”

Estinien said nothing, and Aymeric feared he had fallen asleep again, but slowly he released his grip from Aymeric’s chest and allowed him to slip from the bed. Slowly Aymeric stood, wobbling a bit as he walked over to where his trousers had been dropped. As he dressed, he spied Estinien watching him from the bed, his expression a touch smug.

“Proud of yourself, are you?” he teased.

“Quite.”

Aymeric chuckled and finished donning his armour. He hesitated, wondering just how much of a goodbye he was supposed to offer at this stage.

“Are you going to stay here for a while?” he asked instead.

“Seems a waste not to, if the room’s paid for.”

“Indeed. Well. Rest well, Estinien.”

The last thing Aymeric saw as he closed the door behind him was Estinien curling around the pillow he had slept on. Biting the inside of his cheek to staunch the smile he felt trying to sneak its way out, he ignored the knowing stare of Gibrillont as he walked by the bar.

[95jezzica]

Slight Shadowbringer spoilers below 'Read More', but-

You know, at one point I want to make an FFXIV-alt for story purposes. The tallest character I can make. They join the Scions and go through the story. They fight primals, get accused of horrible crimes, faces assassination attempts and more. They lose people. They win some. They celebrate the victories they get. They keep fighting for their friends and the world(s).

Then, at some point in Shadowbringers the topic of age comes up given the time differences between-

-the Source and the First, and WoL casually comments: "Oh, I thought you two were younger than me," to Alisaie and Alphinaud.

"What do you mean?" One of the adults ask, at first confused, but with the slow realization none of them had ever actually asked how old WoL is before. And why would they? They always assumed WoL was an adult with how tall they were, rivaling even Urianger and Estinien. More than old enough to join organizations and armies to fight for the future of their world(s) at any rate.

"Well, everyone always treated Alphinaud and Alisaie as the youngest, so I guess I just assumed that was the case as well. Turns out they're older than me though."

Let WoL's adult friends' horror grow as they realize WoL is a child as well, just like Alisaie and Alphinaud. Let them flinch in horror as they realize they, the Scions, were the ones who essentially made WoL a child soldier. They never asked how old WoL were.

Like many tall people, WoL was assumed to be older than they were simply because of how tall they are.

Let the Scions like Urianger, Thancred and Y'shtola realize they - albeit unknowingly - put WoL through a similar if not the same situation as the past Minfillia(s) went through. That WoL has more in common with Ryne than they expected or like.

And as the story goes on they try so damn hard to lessen the burden for WoL. No 16-18y old should be made to go through what WoL has gone through. Let the Scions cry and rage as they realize they're powerless to change WoL's fate - because they CARE, damn it! WoL is part of their family! And if nothing else they are currently the adults who spend the most time WoL's life. (And isn't that a horrifying thought for them to realize?) .

.

"How old were you when we asked you to join the Scions?"

"Oh, 16. It's the legal age to become an adventurer, and I left for (city) the day after my birthday," WoL happily replies, sounding a bit nostalgic. "Feels like ages ago, doesn't it?"

.

At the end of the day WoL is still the one who is forced to shoulder the burden of saving the worlds from destruction. No one else is strong enough.

Let the WoL not really understand why their adult friends are looking at WoL in aghast horror and grief at the revelation.

"What's wrong?" WoL asks, as if their adult friends' world haven't just been flipped on its' end.

Everything is wrong... And they're powerless to change it.