#prince g'raha tia

[fatedroses]

I personally subscribe to the idea that Adventurer Zenos shows his affection and appreciation for his peers in very odd ways (like yoinking the Students' taxes and dealing with their expenses and maybe also paying for some of their expenses but shhh).

[finalfantabee]

Fairy tales.

-

Been pretty uninspired with GPOSING lately, and now that I've finished Honour Mode on BG3, I want to get back into it.

🌼Dress by @/khlorisxiv. 🌼Hair by @/retropraline.

[wildstar25]

MiqoMarch Day 13 - Classy

A prince showed her thanks to the enthusiastic adventurer the only way she knew how. (Very classy)

[sleepyhead-poll]

ROUND 1A, MATCH 14 OUT OF 16!

Propaganda Under the Cut:

G'raha Tia:

He learns a lot in his time from hibernating and when he wakes up from hibernating. He's a sweet boy and has great leadership skills. He's also an idiot (affectionate)

(Spoilers ahead) He is a catboy who is your (as in the player character's) biggest fan. He's a nerd and a geek. He tried to pretend to be evil but failed miserably because he's a terrible liar and also such a good boy. Most of his plans involve self-sacrifice. He decided to put himself to sleep as the guardian of a magical tower, to be woken up from stasis one day in the far future. Anyways then he ended up traveling back from that future in order to stop a calamity, became the leader of a society in a land teetering on the edge of an apocalypse, accidentally kidnapped the souls of some of the player character's allies, and eventually ends up merging with his original self, waking him up from stasis in the process. Also he's technically royalty. So vote for him!

Noctis Lucis Caelum:

The whole game it's a joke that he's a sleepy boy, having a hard time waking up and hating early mornings. Then he goes into dormancy in a magical crystal for 10 years and proves just how sleepy he is. 11/10 amazing sleepy prince that broke our hearts

[lully-jo]

I can't stop screaming over the fact that G'raha Tia's VA is Prince Fiyero in Wicked. Actively losing it LOL

[doyouknowthischaracter]

You've been asked before about 2 weeks ago, but I'm wondering if, with the new submissions, there's any new characters who've been sent in more than once (Hopefully by multiple people). Are there any who've been submitted more than twice now

For reference, I'm not going to list the ones that were repeated in previous submission batches, unless they show up again with the latest one, in which case they'll be added to the overall count. Previous list here if anyone's interested.

Let's see:

Ronan Lynch, The Raven Cycle x3

Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece x3

Sans, Undertale x3

Jessica Fletcher, Murder, She Wrote x3

Five Pebbles, Rain World x3

Crowley, Good Omens x3

Granny Weatherwax, Discworld x3

G'raha Tia, Final Fantasy XIV x3

Sam Vimes, Discworld x3

Haruhi Suzumiya, The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya x3

Murderbot, Murderbot Diaries x3

Captain Jack Harkness, Doctor Who / Torchwood x2

Data, Star Trek x2

Link, The Legend of Zelda x2

Tsukino Usagi, Sailor Moon x2

Eileen the Crow, Bloodborne x2

Zagreus, Hades x2

Olivia Dunham, Fringe x2

Jane Doe, Ride the Cyclone x2

Sylvain Jose Gautier, Fire Emblem: Three Houses x2

Mollymauk Tealeaf, Critical Role x2

Wallace Wells, Scott Pilgrim x2

Daan, Fear and Hunger: Termina x2

Alphinaud Leveilleur, Final Fantasy XIV x2

Nanami Kiryuu, Revolutionary Girl Utena x2

Gladion, Pokemon x2

Sylvanas Windrunner, World of Warcraft x2

Leo Fitz, Agents of Shield x2

Francis Crozier, The Terror x2

Maedhros, The Silmarillion x2

Vergil, Devil May Cry x2

Alex, Oxenfree x2

Tsume, Wolf's Rain x2

Niko, OneShot x2

Halt O'Carrick, Ranger's Apprentice x2

Dirk Gently, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency x2

Qifrey, Witch Hat Atelier x2

Schmendrick, The Last Unicorn x2

Pamitha Theyn, Pyre x2

Dracula, Dracula x2

Gideon Nav, The Locked Tomb x2

The Audio Tour Guide, The Mistholme Museum of Mystery, Morbidity, and Mortality x2

N, Pokemon x2

Ginko, Mushishi x2

Hawkeye Pierce, M*A*S*H x2

Merlin, BBC Merlin x2

Vislor Turlough, Doctor Who x2

Roronoa Zoro, One Piece x2

Ishigami Senku, Dr. Stone x2

The Little Prince, The Little Prince x2

Soren, Fire Emblem x2

Blindspot, Marvel Comics x2

Tahu, Bionicle x2

Luo Binghe, The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System x2

Hercule Poirot, books by Agatha Christie x2

Sakura Kinomoto, Cardcaptor Sakura x2

Beatrice, Umineko x2

Jerome Valeska, Gotham x2

Klaus Hargreeves, The Umbrella Academy x2

Abed Nadir, Community x2

Dick Grayson, DC Comics x2

Dante Sparda, Devil May Cry x2

Utena Tenjou, Revolutionary Girl Utena x2

Johan Liebert, Monster x2

Siffrin, In Stars and Time x2

Foo Fighters, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure x2

Snufkin, Moomins x2

Mae Borowski, Night in the Woods x2

Haruhi Fujioka, Ouran High School Host Club x2

Anders, Dragon Age x2

Wen Kexing, Faraway Wanderers x2

Hopefully, I didn't miss any! You'll see some of these sooner rather than later as they're already in the queue, and a couple have already been posted before.

[amoebaforce]

How would you think the scions react to learning that after the final fight against Zenos in EW, the WoL had brought him back aswell for them to keep him alive, then when they also find out the reasoning behind it being that the WoL and Zenos are dating?

anon, this was a juicy one! i was immediately intrigued, then i thought... "what if they all found out at the SAME TIME?"

so that's what i wrote! enjoy! :D

characters featured: Thancred Waters, Urianger Augerelt, Y'shtola Rhul, Estinien Wyrmblood, G'raha Tia, Alphinaud & Alisaie Leveilleur, Zenos yae Galvus tags: angst, secret relationship, mention of violence/grievous injury, Endwalker spoilers!!!, gn!WoL word count: 1408

They’d really done it. Their unhinged plan — flying to the edge of the universe, bringing hope to the wellspring of despair — actually worked. When the starship landed, the sky was blue again, the sun shining bright and hot over the white-washed walls of Sharlayan. The Scions were heroes. And as such, they should have been celebrating their triumph. Or sleeping for a week. But, of course, they were doing neither.

Instead, they were crammed seven-deep into an infirmary waiting room, staring at walls and fidgeting as they waited for the Warrior of Light to emerge from one of the sick rooms. A fairly regular occurrence for them, with one exception. It was not the Warrior convalescing; it was the disgraced prince of Garlemald himself, Zenos viator Galvus. The fact that he swallowed the Mothercrystal’s power and hunted the Warrior to the edge of the universe was dramatic enough as it was, but the fact that the Warrior brought him back afterward? 

Bizarre. That was the unspoken consensus between the Scions. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, unwilling to assume but burning with curiosity all the same. As they pondered a day full of incomprehensible occurrences, the door to Room Two slid open, and the Warrior of Light emerged into the waiting room. Their comrade’s face was grimmer than befits a shard of Azem. The silence was a shell no one wished to break.

Finally, someone exhaled.

“Does he live?” Y’shtola asked, tone held taut. The Warrior merely nodded their head. “How severe are the injuries?”

“Fractured jaw,” the Warrior recited, eyes a little glazed. “One wrist and one leg are broken, and a few ribs, too. Internal bleeding. Bruises and cuts everywhere.”

“What happened out there?” Alphinaud exclaimed. He rose to his feet, and his sister followed, though her eyes were still cast to the floor. “I mean, we almost lost you, and then he teleported aboard, too, and–” 

“Zenos helped me,” the Warrior said suddenly. “We stopped the Song. Then we fought, and I… I couldn’t leave him there.”

Thancred and Urianger exchanged a look. The Warrior took another step into the room, not quite sure who to look at. A thousand emotions swirled through the Scions’ faces. 

“Listen,” Thancred said, “I trust your judgment. If you saw fit to bring him back, I can’t argue.”

“Neither can I,” G’raha interjected. He fidgeted slightly in his seat. “Though I admit I’m a little confused as to why.”

Alisaie crossed her arms. “Me, too,” she muttered. “He’s a real piece of work.”

“People can change,” the Warrior argued, tone verging on defensive. “Look at Yotsuyu. Look at Fordola.”

The Elezen girl twisted her lips, though she couldn’t argue the point. Her brother took a go at it, instead.

“But you just said he went up there to fight you again,” Alphinaud countered. “Clearly he has not grown out of his fascination with harming you.”

“He doesn’t want to harm me,” the Warrior said. “It… It wasn’t like that. He challenges me because I’m his only equal. The only person who could ever hope to be a match to him.”

“What are you saying, exactly?” G’raha asked, ears twitching. 

The Warrior hesitated. Cast their eyes around the room. A sea of faces stared back, all in various stages of bafflement. All faces the Warrior had come to know, love, and respect. They hung their head.

“I’m sorry,” they told the Scions. “I’ve been keeping a secret.” 

In an instant, the room went airless. 

“I beg your pardon?” Y’shtola demanded.

“What does that mean?” Alisaie shouted.

“Now, now,” Urianger said, stepping closer. “None of us have ever presumed to be privy to every facet of our comrade’s personal life. I am sure all of us have some intimate business we’d prefer not to air among ourselves. I cannot fault the Warrior for keeping their conversations with us work-related.”

“This is work-related,” Y’shtola shot back. “Zenos has been a thorn in our side for ages!”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” the Warrior said again. “But after that day in Garlemald, after Alisaie told him off, things changed. We talked. Came to understand each other.”

Thancred frowned. “Well, I guess if anyone could understand a guy like that, it might as well be you…” He trailed off, rubbing his chin.

“So you’ve been meeting with him in secret?” Alphinaud asked. The Warrior nodded.

“And what do you do on these rendezvous with the enemy?” Y’shtola pressed, even as Urianger lifted a brow at her tone.

The Warrior sighed. Memories flooded their mind. Soft nights in Ilsabard, splitting a loaf of rationed bread around the coals of a dying fire. Whispering into the crook of his neck as the sky turned pale.

“We just talked. Not about ‘work’ or anything like that — about life, and the past, and the future. He’s lonely. He wants to move on.”

“Tell that to the people left behind in the snow,” Alisaie snapped, and the Warrior winced, because she was right. 

His freedom wasn’t fair. For acts like his, there had to be consequences. They’d told Zenos as much the first time he showed up at their door. But he showed up again, and again, and the Warrior realized he had nowhere to go. No one to cling to. 

“He’ll atone,” the Warrior said, holding their chin high. “Just like the other architects of the war. I’ll make sure he does.”

“You speak as if you are his shepherd,” Y’shtola said.

When the Warrior did not deny it, the Scions went a little stiller. Another pause.

“Do you… care for him?” G’raha ventured. 

The Warrior’s composed facade cracked. 

“I do,” they confessed. Tears sprung to their eyes. “And I know Zenos has done a lot of bad, but so have I. I put down hordes of the tempered before there was treatment. They were innocent people. Victims. I held the dying in my arms as they told me their lives were less worthy than mine, like it was just that they died and I did not. And all of us who freed Doma and Ala Migho have Garlean blood on our hands. 

“Yes, our righteous cause prevailed, and we saved the star, but I find no peace in that knowledge. I find it only with him. Zenos was groomed for the purpose of destruction, just like I was. We merely served different masters. And now, we both find ourselves at the end of our tasks, with no instructions for our next move. Equally lost. Yes, he is impulsive, and aggressive, and arrogant, but the world isn’t ending anymore — there’s a tomorrow again. One where a man like him might grow and evolve. I have to give him the chance to see it.”

A stunned silence settled over the Scions. Alisaie’s brow knitted with astonishment; Y’shtola’s mouth fell into an ‘O’. The Warrior gritted their teeth, waiting for a wave of scolding, but it never came. Everyone’s faces softened, eyes glazed as if ruminating — everyone but Estinien. He hadn’t said a word in hours, but now the dragoon let out a low chuckle. A smirk graced his lips.

“Didn’t realize you had a thing for blondes,” Estinien said.

Thancred snorted, and with a series of eye rolls and giggles, the tension between the Scions loosened into something breathable. Somewhere deep in the Warrior’s chest, a knot came untied.

“Me, neither,” they replied, allowing themselves a half-smile.

Urianger stepped forward to lay a hand on their shoulder. “Tis plain to me that you have made up your mind,” he said gently. “And just as plain that you hold the prince dear to your heart.”

“Aye,” Y’shtola murmured. “I do not pretend to understand you, my friend, but… I can’t tell you who to love.”

The Warrior wiped their eyes with their sleeve, uttering a teary laugh. G’raha offered a handkerchief, then pulled them into an embrace.

“Whatever makes you happy,” he said, so honest that it made the Warrior cry harder.

Alphinaud smiled to himself, already making a mental checklist of all the ways he could coordinate the prince’s reparation efforts with the Ilsabard Contingent’s. If utilized correctly and led by the Warrior, he thought, Zenos might well be a boon to the reconstruction. In fairness, he didn’t have very many fans left in the area… but that was a bridge to cross later. Right now, all the Warrior should worry about was recovery. Theirs, and their love’s, too.

[ectojyunk]

Two members of royalty

Emperor Emet-Selch/Prince G'raha Tia

[inkedinfantasy]

FFXIVWrite #20: Duel

Warrior of Light/G'raha Tia

Challengers come from far and wide to fight for the prince's hand. (Royalty AU)

Read on AO3 here.

Meeting with the sovereigns of other nations was often a rather dull affair. Allag was unmatched in size in technical prowess, and so the most troublesome challenges tended to come not in the form of declarations of war, but rather suitors vying for the hand of the perpetually unwed prince.

Truly, even the empire’s own citizens were perplexed by his continual rebuffing of his many suitors. He certainly did not lack for options; surely even the most discerning royal should’ve been able to find someone to wed among them.

Those in the palace who saw firsthand the assortment of suitors coming and going, however, claimed that the primary impediment was not the prince himself, but rather his champion.

As a show of what skill and might they could bring to the union, whether their own or under their command, suitors seeking the prince’s hand were made to take part in a formal duel. As the challengers were allowed to put forth a champion in their place, the prince reserved the same right for himself. Many hopeful kingdoms had filed through Allag’s tower, but the prince’s champion was always the same: his personal guard, and right hand knight.

* * *

G’raha knew what was coming from the moment Princess Adelphie’s small contingent stepped into the throne room. Still, he offered a placid smile and a polite nod of acknowledgment. “The Empire is honored to receive you, Your Highness. What business might you have with us?”

The woman straightened, squaring her shoulders. “I have come to make my petition for your hand, Your Highness.”

“I see. And do you intend to fight yourself, or do you wish to name a champion?”

“As my champion, I put forth Lady Callithyia, decorated general of our kingdom’s military, as a measure of our strength.”

That prompted a few low murmurs amongst his assembled courtiers. The name was indeed a familiar one, a veteran with an impressive record of victories to her name.

“Very well,” G’raha said. “Then as an opponent, I offer my champion.” He glanced to the side, where Rowan stood, ever vigilant. “Sir Rhize, if you would?”

Rowan gave a short bow, the slightest hint of a smile on his face. “Of course, Your Highness.” He descended to the main sprawl of the throne room, drawing his weapon.

“Combatants will duel to five hits, or the opponent’s surrender,” G’raha pronounced, the words by now familiar. “Begin.”

Callithyia indeed fought with a skill worthy of her accomplishments, managing to land two hits before his champion, inevitably, managed to reach five.

“Sir Rhize takes the duel,” he announced.

Adelphie’s face was pinched with disappointment, but not surprise. “As you say, Your Highness. I thank you for entertaining our petition nonetheless. Your knight is a formidable opponent.”

* * *

When the pleasantries were complete and their guests placated, if not entirely satisfied with the outcome of their visit, G’raha made his excuses and retired to his chambers for the evening. He changed and bathed unhurriedly, meticulously counting down the too-slow minutes until he heard the familiar knock at his door.

He answered it, welcoming in Rowan, his knight, divested of his armor and weapon for the evening and gazing at him softly with a tired smile. Stepping inside and shutting the door, he pulled G’raha into a kiss.

“I’m starting to think you enjoy this, Raha,” he murmured.

G’raha grinned. “You arriving in the dark of night to kiss me? Yes, very much so.”

“Smartass. The duels, I mean. Watching them all send their best against me.”

G’raha hummed, playfully noncommittal. “There is a certain appeal to it. You are a most formidable opponent, after all.”

Rowan’s eyes glinted in the low light. “I’ll show you formidable,” he said, and pulled him in for another kiss.

[miqomeow]

Wolgraha week Day 2: Date

"Dayn! Are you alright?!" G'raha Tia interrupted himself when the Warrior of Light began coughing.

"Y-yes, don't worry Raha, it was just something in my throat." Dayn reassured him after composing himself. Noting the red haired miqo'te was still alarmed, he smiled warmly and nudged his knee slightly with his own. "Pray, please continue with your retelling, there's much I need to catch up on."

Weary for just a second, G'raha gave a sigh of relief and smiled as he continued on with his recount of recent events.

It had been several weeks since they've returned from their journey to Ultima Thule and the battle against the Endsinger and, surprisingly, Zenos. They had emerged victorious at a great cost to the Warrior of Light, who had perished by the former crown prince's hand and resurrected shortly after by G'raha Tia with aid of the Scions. He had remained unconcious for days and bedridden for several more after he woke up.

Being so much time indoors and unable to do most things he used to, G'raha started noticing Dayn's mood to decline and, after much consideration from his and the chirurgeon's parts, they allowed him to take the Warrior of Light outside.

And so, G'raha greeted Dayn with a bouquet of roses, helped him get dressed in comfortable clothes (at least, comfortable enough for the bandaging in his chest), and took him out for a stroll on to a secluded bench near the fence beside the Studium, where they would spend the afternoon talking and enjoying a small date after so long.

[motheatenscarf]

Woof, I've never experienced such rapid emotional whiplash in a story before. From the absolute joy and satisfaction I had at how neatly things were wrapped up with The First to the sinking, bone-deep exhaustion and dread that "Oh... oh no, that's our new villain?" in a matter of seconds.

I was so deeply endeared by the little scene where G'raha Tia interrupts afternoon tea with the Scions to accept their offer to join them. Characterization was as on point as I've grown to expect not just from dialogue, but unspoken expression. Alisaie leaping off the ledge while Alphinaud walked down the stairs like a civilized boy. Y'shtola silently handing over a bag of enchanted bullets for Thancred to use while she finished her tea before joining the fray. Just the way G'raha was so much more visually expressive than any other character period but especially for a miqo'te, it's so endearing and fucking cute.

And then it cuts over to Zenos with this... prancing jackass cavorting around him, still voiced by the guy who voiced Asahi, so... y'know, tedious.

Not to out myself as someone who's been on tumblr forever, but do you know what he reminded me of?

Do you know what my first thought was?

Oh, boy, that sure is.... a villain who reminds me of BBC Sherlock's Moriarty and all of the Choices that were made in that portrayal.

So that's about how much confidence they've inspired in me going forward. That Zenos was literally bored to the point of falling asleep by being in this character's presence is not only a bad sign but also, highkey relatable. I'm also bored by this. I'm also bored by how bored Zenos is. He did nothing for me as a character until he went full mask off and he's got the bored prince mask back on again and I hate it.

They did give him a fun line about "I will set the world ablaze and we will dance before the pyre" but like. Cool, let him say weird shit, but also let him DO things.

Unshackle him and let him run around on all fours while reciting his soliloquies through the blood dripping out of his mouth in between howling at the fucking moon and making problems for everyone.

I can't believe I have to say this after having done the Ala Mhigo dungeon and the Menagerie back to back, but. Let Zenos be weird! Make him more unhinged! That version of Zenos is many things, but he is NOT boring!

Bored and tired Zenos is, unsurprisingly, boring to watch. For the love of god, stimulate him and put some enrichment in his throne room, at least let him chew on Fandaniel like a squeaky toy, I hate this.

[sageofthescions]

The meeting was proceeding smoothly. Thancred had taken the lead, proposing a mission of subterfuge in Garlean territory, meant to sow discord and, hopefully, oust the Ascian wearing the crown prince's skin. With any luck, removing the Ascian influence would open the door for them to eventually make peace. Or so was the long-term goal. Lenar was content to let the diplomats and the spymaster work out the details amongst themselves.

And then the pain hit.

Lenar clutched his head, a ringing sound filling his ears and drowning out all other sound. He felt lightheaded, dizzy, his body feeling light as if he were falling. Or flying.

"That way sorrow—"

The voice was distorted, faint, as if speaking across a vast distance.

"History must be changed..."

Lenar felt a hand on his shoulder, momentarily grounding him. He clung to the sensation like a drowning man, desperately trying to claw his way back to reality—

"Ahead looms a Calamity," the voice warned, a note of urgency to it. "Ahead looms Light, expunging all form and life. Twin dooms only you can forestall. Only you."

This time the voice was clear enough for him to make it out. It was... familiar. Familiar. Didn't he know this voice?

"Lenar! What's wrong?" Aymeric's voice sounded far away. Distorted. Like he was drifting somewhere between, fading in and out of hearing range.

"Who... is this...?" Lenar gasped out, finding himself struggling to even draw breath.

"Let expanse contract," the mysterious voice intoned, "eon become instant... Throw wide the gates that we may pass!"

In an instant, the pain disappeared and Lenar suddenly felt as if he was present again. He felt cool stone under his body, and the subtle background noises were different. Something hummed around him, like... magitek? The noise echoed faintly around him, implying a large room, maybe round.

"This... isn't Ala Mhigo," Lenar muttered, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"Thal's gilded balls," he heard Thancred mutter beside him. "Not again."

Thancred surveyed their surroundings, well-honed instincts searching for any potential hiding spots or exits. The room was round, and a striking shade of blue. No corners to slip into, nor any furniture to hide behind. And it looked for all the world like it was built out of crystal. Gold decorations marked the walls around them, creating the illusion of windows all around the walls. There were three doors: one to either side, and one behind them. Given how... exposed they were, Thancred and Lenar would have a hard time sneaking out of the room.

Before them was a set of round steps, leading up to a platform with some sort of... crystal mirror? It was difficult to tell exactly what it was from this angle. Partly because of the figure standing before it.

He—Thancred presumed it was the owner of the voice that summoned them—wore a set of black and red robes, his hood pulled up and obscuring most of his face. He held an elaborate staff in his right hand, the design striking Thancred as familiar in a way he couldn't quite place. Frankly, Thancred's attention was more readily drawn to the hand holding it. Unlike his left, which was clearly flesh and blood, his right arm looked as if it was carved from the very same crystal as the rest of the room. And from this angle, he could see bits of this strange crystalline substance creeping up the sides of the man's neck, one streak even making it across his cheek.

"Oh," the hooded man said, sounding just as surprised by this turn of events as the other two. "This is... not at all what I intended—"

Lenar perked up. He recognized that voice. This was someone he knew.

"G'raha Tia?" Lenar said.

The figure froze. Thancred saw his mouth open and close, before he cleared his throat.

"I... I don't know who you're—"

"Don't play coy," Lenar said. "I'd recognize your voice anywhere. Sure, it's been a while since I last heard it, but..."

"H-How did you..." The man's voice wavered.

"Well, it's not as if I can recognize people's faces," Lenar pointed out.

"...I suppose not," G'raha conceded.

"I take it the two of you are acquainted, then?" Thancred remarked, glancing between the two with obvious amusement on his face.

"Indeed. In fact, I was almost certain we'd never have an opportunity to meet again," Lenar replied. He smiled. "Praise Halone, it's good to see you again. For certain values of seeing, of course."

G'raha chuckled despite himself. After a moment's hesitation, he removed his hood and Thancred could finally get a good look at the man's face.

He was a miqo'te man, with short red hair that tapered to white at the ends. His eyes were a striking red, and despite the exhaustion that seemed to cling to him, they still shone with a certain vibrancy. As the hood fell away he shook out his ears, which must have been laying rather flat considering how Thancred hadn't seen any sign of them when it was up. G'raha returned Lenar's smile, his expression softening with obvious fondness.

"'Tis good to see you again as well, Lenar." Thancred raised an eyebrow. There was something hiding in G'raha's tone that he couldn't quite place. "Apologies for the rather... abrupt summons, apparently."

"Where and how, exactly, have you summoned us?" Lenar asked.

"Before I explain, I feel I should..." G'raha cleared his throat, rather deliberately glancing away from them as his face slowly reddened, "fetch something for the two of you to wear."

"That would be much appreciated," Thancred said. "This does not sound like a conversation to be had in one's nameday suit."

"Nameday...?" It was at this point it finally clicked that the reason why the room felt so cold. Lenar and Thancred were both in the nude.

"...Lenar." Thancred regarded him with a bemused look. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."

Lenar remained conspicuously quiet. Thancred let out a heavy sigh. G'raha raised his free hand to his face and stifled a chuckle.

"I must admit, of anyone, I would not have presumed you to be the one unbothered by nudity," G'raha remarked, making his way down from the platform and towards one of the side doors.

"Yes, well," Lenar fumbled, folding his arms over his chest defensively, "it's a largely visual thing. How am I to tell if one is with or without clothes if I can't perceive them either way?"

Thancred broke into barely-stifled chuckling. "Is this the same justification you give for failing to tell whether someone is a man or a woman?"

"Yes!" Lenar replied, voice rising ever so slightly. G'raha laughed from the other room. "Listen, do you realize how many elezen women have supposedly 'masculine' voices?"

"...Fair enough," Thancred conceded with a shrug. "I suppose the tendency for elezen voices to hover around the lower registers would make relying on that as a determination rather difficult."

"Precisely!" Lenar declared triumphantly. "And anyway, I don't really see what all the fuss is about to begin with. It's quite an arbitrary distinction, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't quite call it arbitrary."

G'raha returned with a pair of robes, draping them across each of their shoulders and leaving them to wrestle them on themselves. He politely turned away as they grappled with the clothes, only chancing a look back once the sounds of rustling cloth had settled.

"All done?"

"Yes," Thancred said. "We are no longer exposed to the elements."

"Good." G'raha made his way back to the raised platform and faced the duo. "I apologize again for the abrupt summons. Now, as to the matter of where you are..."

[ffxivimagines]

Hand in Hand | Fealty AU

“What terrible posture you have.”

The Warrior of Light, sworn protector to the youngest prince of Allag, and unwilling participant in social niceties spits, “And your lead is, of course, infallible, your Radiance. I had assumed dead men could not waltz.”

“Ah, but you see—“ he says, grip tightening ever so slightly on their waist “—I could not stay away from an old friend for long.”

The Warrior’s attempt at neutrality (paltry as it has been) is thoroughly shattered by the touch. “T’would do you well to remove your hand from my person, lest I need remove it with my blade.”

“The one you are not in possession of, yes?” Solus laughs, quietly amused, and very pointedly ignores how their hand tries to slip from his. So many incarnations later and they are still a spitfire. He does not enjoy it being all animal malice, however. The true them he had known was cunning, quick witted, and blunt. This little imitation is a knockoff. Single-minded, vitriolic, and graceless enough to heave around a huge and semi-blunted claymore for the sake of a bastard prince.

Where is his devotion? That prince simply sits on his fancy little throne, tall staff in hand, and watches his precious Lionheart dance with the dead emperor of a far-away country. What a terrible creature he is to not show Psy—no. No. This is not them. This will never be them.

But he can still enjoy picking them apart, rooting through their memories, inching the hand high on their waist downward until they glare knives at him. He does these things in fits and starts, frivolous with his power. They try to fight his lead and step away when their prince calls them, but Solus’s hold is unyielding.

“I have been summoned and as such must obey,” they say sharply. “Release me.”

Solus smiles and the gold of his eyes seems to glow in the light of the ballroom. “You can leave whenever you so wish,” he replies, “but I do not believe you wish this to end.”

They spit curses at him under their breath and attempt to make a strategic escape. Making it look like the emperor of Garlemald and all associates territories was according them would not look good for the tenuous ceasefire being arranged after G’raha’s coming of age festival winds to a close. They could not afford to jeopardize the safety of their people.

They follow the emperor’s lead smoothly enough, stomping on his feet with purpose every few beats. It is a blessing that Allagan dress uniform includes a floor length robe. They take full advantage of the obscurity to make Solus wince. Not that he does but the intent is still there.

It takes three more songs and a pleading “Kill Him Before I Do” type of look shot toward their prince before they are freed. Solus smiles as G’raha approaches and leans in, whispering uncomfortably close to their ear, “Do remember my name properly, old friend. It is Emet-Selch.”

He pulls back and twirls them right into the arms of their ridiculous crystal prince. G’raha has some level of understanding when he offers his own company in exchange, citing a rotation of the guard as grounds for his Lionheart to take up residence by the throne. “If you would grant me the honor, may I ask for a dance, your Radiance?”

And so they do, the prince far worse at the waltz than his jack-of-all-trades warrior. “There is something off about you?”

“Is it the odd aether?”

Solus smiles with a patronizing curl to his lips. “So you are not useless, after all. The first decent princeling in the entire history of Allag and of course you have their affections unto death.” He can hear the murmurs shaping and warping in corners about royalty dancing together so intimately (to allow the leader of another country to lead, how scandalous) and asks, “Would you marry them?”

“I— No! They are not someone I could bear to burden further,” G’raha says, tripping over a few words in his haste. “They deserve to live a life without court interference.”

“And you believe having them as your lifelong guard is safer,” Solus accuses. He follows the lull in the music to dip the prince, pulling nearly the same maneuver as what he had done to the Warrior to ask, “I assume you would have no objections to my request for their hand, then?”

G’raha flushed down to his chest at the combined proximity and the insinuation that his longtime friend and dearest companion is something to be given away. “You will find,” he growls, “that some diplomacy should be handled with more tact and less intent.” He pulls himself from Solus’s grip with obvious fury and strides away.

What a curious creature he is indeed.

The event concludes without further issue, but there are five more days to go before the festival is through. He has time to burn, for what it is worth. There is nothing that princeling can do to keep him from thoroughly ruining the plaything with his old friend’s face.

With that in mind, he begins the next day’s soirée with a public announcement.

“Ladies, gentlemen, people of the court, I bid you good morning. I have a small announcement to make. T will take but a moment. I announce my intent to court His Highness G’raha of Allag’s Lionheart. If there are any in attendance who object my claim, speak now.”

The dining hall erupts into pandemonium.

[quinnthebard]

On a whim, he snatches a flower form a nearby vase and in an attempt to make her more at ease, gives an exaggerated bow and extends his hand holding the bloom as an offering. She giggles, a joyous musical sound, and he can hardly contain his own as he stands straight. “Milady.” He greets her as she takes the flower from him but before she can pull back her hand, he gently grasps it and places a soft kiss on the back of her hand, peering up at her as he does. His heart pounds as she blushes at the action. “M—my lord, how gracious of you to greet me.” “’Tis only right! Such beauty must not go unnoticed.” He circles her, his tail flicking behind him playfully, as he admires her from every angle. “Where did you find such gorgeous garb?” The floor length ball gown is a deep maroon in hue, a sheer fabric floating just on top of the heavier base of the skirt. The bodice hugs her curves and ends right above the hips. To top it all off, the sleeveless number has a neckline just deep enough to tease him with a hint of cleavage and a more… primal side of him reacts. Her cheeks grow deeper red, almost matching that of her outfit. Sneak peak of next chapter of Sunflower

[windupnamazu]

I accept. Henceforth, I shall count myself a Scion of the Seventh Dawn.

G'raha Tia, at your service.

[wildstar25]

but then I also go EXTRA feral thinking of a Fairy tale au where Arsay is the charming prince who is under some mysterious curse and the only person who can break it is an enthusiastic wanna-be adventurer, G'raha Tia. When he does break the curse by defeating the evil wizard (with the princes help) Arsay swears her life to him and they set off on grand adventures together

I do go kind of feral thinking about a fairy tale AU where G'raha is the lonely prince locked up high in a tower by his evil step-father and current King, Emet-Selch. Arsay is the roguish knight who happened upon the tower while wandering through the enchanted forest and rescues G'raha.