#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.

[eorzeanscholar14]

A Thematic Analysis of Dawntrail (and Endwalker BUT MOSTLY DAWNTRAIL)

SURPRISE I REMEMBERED THIS BLOG

Anyway, I was thinking about Dawntrail and how it's thematically similar to Endwalker while still carrying its own message, and I want to ramble about it.

This is going to be a LONG post, so the analysis itself is under the cut.

So. Dawntrail has been out for two, maybe three months now, and because of uni I've not been able to play FFXIV for a while, but that's given me time to digest the new storyline a bit and the themes that are present in the story.

I think I'll divide this post into sections, for easier readability, going from the background of both expansions (yes I will tag spoilers) to my thinking on it.

Part 1: Dawntrail's Story

THERE WILL BE HEAVY SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Dawntrail picks up pretty much where the post-Endwalker MSQ left off, with the party of the WoL and their friends (now featuring Erenville and Wuk Lamat!) setting off on a boat to Tural. A storm rattles them a little bit along the way, but most people end up being fine thanks to our intrepid heroes, and we make it to Tural no problem.

Once we're there, we go through the rite of succession, and Wuk Lamat learns a lot of things along the way, but mostly that in order to be a good ruler, she has to be willing and able to learn about the people she rules over, and be willing to listen and take action to help them with their struggles.

Surprising no one, she ends up becoming the new Dawnservant (and asking her brother Koana to help her, which I love) and her father, Gulool Ja Ja, steps down so she and Koana can begin ruling.

(Oh, and they kill Valigarmanda, a Tural Vidraal that not even her father could kill, and thoroughly smoke both Bakool Ja Ja and Zoraal Ja in the trials after that. Zoraal Ja then disappears and eventually opens the gate to and enters the golden city.)

Things are peaceful for about a day. During that time, the WoL accompanies Erenville to Xak Tural so he can visit his home, and they help settle matters in Shaaloani first.

After that, though, a weird sphere pops up over Yyasulani, and airships are seen heading towards Tuliyollal. Erenville and the WoL rush back, only to find a bloodbath, and Zoraal Ja battling his own father, covered in strange technology.

Zoraal Ja wins, and Wuk Lamat grieves for her father, promising to avenge his death.

She follows Zoraal Ja's airships into Yyasulani, where she and the party discover a changed world - and meet Queen Sphene, the ruler of the land and Zoraal Ja's Queen of Reason. The new world is called Alexandria, and she leads them on a tour of it - but something is... off about the whole place.

Eventually, Sphene reveals herself to be the big bad, and we defeat her, but Wuk Lamat promises to help Gulool Ja, Zoraal Ja's child, take care of the citizens of Alexandria as if they were her own.

Part 2: Dawntrail's Important Themes

Ok, so why the overview? Well, because it helps me keep the story somewhat straight, and lets me dig into some of the most important moments in it.

The first happens in the first part of the story, and it's about accepting differences in each other's culture, and learning to live in harmony with those around you. That's literally what Tuliyollal was built on, remember. And we see Wuk Lamat learn this lesson in a number of different ways throughout the rite of succession - she grows as a person because she allows herself to learn.

If you ask me, we should all strive to be more like Wuk Lamat in that regard.

The second happens right in the middle of the story, and Wuk Lamat is not the focus of it at first, but her brother, Koana, is. He is the first to recognize his faults, and work to overcome them, turning them into strengths. In turn, Wuk Lamat follows her older brother's example, even going so far as to ask him to serve as Dawnservant alongside her.

No one is perfect for one role alone - but if we collaborate, we can achieve great things. And while this has always been a theme of FFXIV, it really shines in the newest expansion.

And finally, some new old themes to consider:

Grief, but also remembrance.

This is the one I'm going to talk most about, so buckle up.

We first see the theme of remembrance in the Yok Huy, who do not have gravestones, but rather epitaphs that depict a person's life story, that they may always be remembered. They preserve important historical events in the same way - through murals and epitaphs, such as the discovery of the golden city.

And the near extinction of their people.

People, mind you, who they are still very much grieving. After all, a LOT of people died when the Yok Huy traveled to Xak Tural. In fact, we can see this plain as day in the Chirwagur population - they still believe the Yok Huy should be the overlords of the land, although they lack the strength to do anything about it and mostly just keep to themselves. And some people do that in grief - they cling to what once was because it brings them comfort in a time where there is very little to find in their life.

You know where else we see this?

Alexandria.

In fact, that's the whole concept of the Endless right there. They are AI that wear the faces of departed loved ones so that they may be eternally remembered, never forgotten, never dying, living in a veritable paradise.

A paradise that is at least partially based on Alexandria before the Electrope Wars.

In fact, Sphene did not become Queen of Alexandria until the Electrope Wars, so really her whole existence is an example of clinging to the past.

Part Three: What Does This Have To Do With Endwalker?

Boy oh boy, am I glad you asked!

In Endwalker, the Ascians have brought about the end of the world. Everyone is scared, and they don't know what to do, and then Radz-at-Han and Garlemald nearly fall to ruin. Many people die, and many more are actively grieving.

Ourselves included.

At this point in the story, the WoL has seen MULTIPLE friends die in front of them (although really only Moenbryda is brought up time and again, but she wasn't the only one - remember Minfilia, Ysayle, Haurchefant, Papalymo? Heck, even ARDBERT, who at one point tried to kill us and later helped us kill Hades.)

How everyone handles grief in Endwalker is different - some give in to despair, and become monsters themselves. Others try their best to hold out hope for a brighter tomorrow, like those in Radz-at-Han, and Garlemald, and Sharlayan.

Yet others actively do something with their grief, channel it into something useful - like the WoL. Of course, they literally travel to the aetherial sea, confront their grief head on in the form of the souls of their dead friends, and then beat the crap out of the last remaining Ancient who may as well be a god at this point so they can use her last bits of aether to power their ship to travel to the end of the universe and battle the literal embodiment of despair. And we can't all do that. But the message is the same no matter what: No matter how grief affects you, things can and will get better, even if you have to try and try and fail again and again to make it so.

Also can I just talk about that last fight with Zenos really quick? Because to me, that symbolizes the WoL finally letting go of what haunts them. Zenos, to me, is the shadow that haunts the Warrior of Light - literally. Not only is he our mirror, in Endwalker, he is a metaphor for grief, and how it never truly leaves, even when we've made peace with it.

And considering the real-world events going on at the time of Endwalker's release, this makes sense. It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, death tolls were climbing by the day, and many people were losing hope.

Part 4: How Does THAT Tie Into Dawntrail?

In talking about how Dawntrail and Endwalker are similar, we need to also consider the real-world events around the time of its release.

COVID-19 is still a very real threat, and ruins if not ends many people's lives daily, no matter how much we pretend it's gone away.

In multiple countries, there are elections being held that could determine whether certain groups of people even get BASIC RIGHTS, and in multiple other countries, people are being massacred for (from what I can tell) no other reason except genocide.

While Dawntrail begins as simply a new beginning to a new story, it ends as a reminder of the previous expansion's message - and a new addition to it.

Those who have left us are not truly gone, so long as we remember their stories. They can't come back to us, but they can stay in our memories until we ourselves pass on, and in that regard they never truly leave us.

[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

[eorzeanscholar14]

Alice prefers to sleep with none. Being born and raised in Ul'dah, she tends to run a little hot sometimes, something she's only really aware of in colder temperatures. So she prefers to sleep with no blanket. When she eventually falls in love with someone (read: Haurchefant, Estinien, Zenos, G'raha) and moves in with them, they are delighted that they now have an adorable hot water bottle.

Until it's summer and Alice refuses to stop cuddling them, keeping them up all night because BY THE GODS IT IS HOT.

How many blankets does your WoL need to sleep?

[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

[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

[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.

[bubblytardigrade]

Ultimate Showdown of Eorzean Destiny

with apologies to Lemon Demon -_- ENDWALKER SPOILERS

...

...

...

Titan, the primal, was hopping around Eorzea's cities like a big playground When suddenly the Warrior burst from the shade And hit that primal with a big Cascade

Titan got pissed and began to dig in But didn't expect to be blocked by Pipin Who proceeded to stab him with a Plunge that struck true When Ysayle and Midgardsormr fell out of the blue

And they started beating up poor Emmanellain And nobody stopped them cos he was such a pain But before Artoirel could intervene Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn arrived on the scene

She pulled out her pistols, and she raised them like that Sent his brothers off to Haurchie with a rat-a-tat-tat But she ran out of bullets and she couldn't reload; She got squashed by a massive gigantoad

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny Good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny

Emet-Selch got bored and he stifled a yawn Urianger started casting Death of the Seventh Dawn And it hit Emet-Selch for a full KO Sent him smashing into Lahabrea watching the show

Thancred was injured, and trying to get steady When Curious Gorge showed up, war axe at the ready But suddenly something caught his leg and he tripped-- That goobbue from 1.0 with its arm whip

Then he saw Kan-E-Senna sneaking up from behind And he reached for his gunblade which he just couldn't find 'Cause Nanamo stole it and she swung and she missed; Sadu Dotharl had blocked it with her fist

G'raha Tia jumped up and he did a somersault While Estinien Varlineau tried to pole vault Onto Hildibrand, but they collided in the air Then they both got suplexed by Godbert up there

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny Good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be This is the ultimate showdown

Sin eaters sang for their Immaculate leader But down from the heavens descended Moenbryda Who delivered a kick, (with a punch to the skull) Into the crotch of Fandaniel

Who fell over on the ground, insta dead As Lahabrea tried to shapeshift into Lahabread But Y'shtola grinned, seeing through this clever ghost And she triplecast Fire, made him into Lahatoast

Then Raubahn the Bull and X'ruhn the Red And Louisoix even though he's super dead Venat, Erich, Themis, Hermes, Hyth and Nashu Thirsty girl Aenor and the Blue Bird too

Papalymo, Jandelaine, Lyse, the Warrior of Light Alisaie, and Alphinaud, and every single Temple Knight Gaius and Rammbroes and Nero tol Scaeva Noraxia, Tonaxia, Lucia, Slowfix, and Leveva

All came out of nowhere Levin fast And they kicked Prince Zenos in his Juicy a-- 'Twas the bloodiest battle that the world ever saw With civilians looking on in total awe

The fight raged on for a century Many lives were claimed, but eventually The champion stood, the rest saw he was more: Masayoshi Soken with a death metal score \m/

This is the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny Good guys, bad guys, and explosions as far as the eye can see And only one will survive, I wonder who it will be This is the ultimate showdown Of ultimate destiny

[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.

[minnowtes]

Fics

The Long Fall - G'raha Tia is a prince. Markl Myste is a travelling mercenary hired to be the prince's guard. Rated: G, long shot slow burn, WolG’raha fic

Wonders  - A lazy day in an empty home, waking up to watch the fireflies at sunset. Aymeric has never seen them before, and G'raha hasn't seen them in centuries. Rated: G, fluff, G’raha/Aymeric/WoL fic

If life could be simple - A short look into the domestic life of G'raha Tia and Aymeric de Borel, with thoughts going to a Warrior of Light who is otherwise preoccupied. Rated: G, fluff, G’raha/Aymeric/WoL fic

Lethargy - At midnight, the Warrior of Light comes home to see Aymeric fast asleep in his study, their shared bed untouched from when last he was home. Rated: G, fluff, Wolmeric fic

Too Little, Too Much - Late night cuddles for a touch starved knight and an over-observant prince. Rated: G, fluff, Dimiashe fic

[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..."