#scion writes things

[scioneeris]

TBDH Chapter 121 is off to Brissy!!

[cheracarmichael]

www.books2read.com/dragelssong18

Ep 18 is now LIVE! Snag your copy and continue the adventure as Neil and Ben rush to get to safety while a mysterious creature continues to wreak havoc...

*~*~*~*

Neil’s luck holds when the Carlsons offer a safe haven during the increasingly disturbing situation at Noir Academy.

When an emergency evacuation is ordered, he must find a way to get out safely—along with his friends—and keep away from the mysterious pink blob setting his instincts in overdrive. There’s danger lurking ahead and one wrong step could cost him dearly.

Can he trust Ben’s intentions? Will Kendall and Elyenka make it out alongside him? Can he actually help or is running the only solution?

[scioneeris]

Absolutely and completely normal!! You are not a writerly failure in any way at all.

Some writers can write everyday or with consistent word counts. I am not one of them, lol. 😅

I do, however, write quite a bit on a sort of regular basis. I usually manage this by reminding myself that writing is fun and I’m doing it because I like it. And that whatever I write is ok whether it’s a lot or a little.

Sometimes I surprise myself and sometimes I open the word doc and glare at it and watch cafe videos on YT until my brain is less grumpy. It’s kind of a ‘every writer is different’ thing and that’s really neat, because it means you don’t have to be a writer like everyone else. You just have to be a writer like you.

Someone reassure me and tell me that writing usually about 1k words a day and having no-writing days at times is still adequately productive and I am not a writerly failure

[thylacines-toybox]

Pencil

A small Mr. Fox plush by Scion Living. Bought at the local garden centre in March 2024. Extra pointy.

[coldshrugs]

hi Azia! since I'll probably never play FFXIV but want to gobble up everything you've ever written or will write for Io and Estinien, I was wondering if you could kind of summarize or describe the context for their relationship in the canon universe. what do I need to understand about their history in order to better appreciate the way they fit? how do they meet and what brings them together? are there some universal truths for each WoL that heavily contribute to who Io is (kind of like how Hawke in DA2 loses half their family, or every Shepard in Mass Effect is deadish for two years)?

no pressure to answer if you don't have the time/energy or just plain don't want to! ok thanks love you bye 💙

🧍

Hi Ells. I am so sorry....

Understanding Estinio

General World Lore: The story of XIV begins five years after a Calamity (an event of large-scale devastation that leaves the land and people struggling to recover). This is the seventh Calamity over a period of 13,000 years. Other notable world happenings are:

the Dragonsong War: a war between man and dragon that has raged in and around Ishgard for one thousand years

the more recent advancement of the Garlean Empire: Garlemald is a technologically advanced nation seeking to "unite" the world under its rule

Warrior of Light Things: The player character is almost a completely blank slate. Their appearance and combat proclivities are entirely up to the player! Their backstory is not really mentioned, and the only thing we know about them from the start is that they're an Adventurer, which in this setting is someone who wanders here and there, helping with whatever odd jobs they can in hopes of earning a living and maybe some local fame too. A little network of unionized Hometown Heroes. But some things hold true for most WoLs (headcanons notwithstanding):

They have a gift called The Echo. A few other characters have the gift, but it can manifest differently from person to person. The WoL's Echo allows them to visit scenes from the past, sometimes through the eyes of another and sometimes as a kind of bodiless spectator, usually triggered by high emotion from a person or place. It also has a few other functions.

They join the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an organization that's a bit of an open secret, determined to stop Primal summoning (Primals are replications of gods, the will of a people made manifest, and they are powerful and destructive. If most people venture too close, they become enthralled). Recruited for their prowess in combat (or healing, maybe, if you're not Io) and apparent inability to be tempered by Primals, they, of course, become the team's most powerful asset.

Io Laithe is my WoL, a viera born in the Garlean-occupied region of Dalmasca. When she was 19/20, her home village suffered a violent raid, and her family was lost. She managed to escape and flee far to the west. At the beginning, she's around 29 and an accomplished archer, among other things. Io endures more loss over her story, friends and lovers, and she blames herself over and over. She struggles to lay down her grief and represses her anger for so long that she almost loses herself to it at one point, but she claws her way back with the help of her friends. She's soft-spoken, and reserved, but is also deeply kind and surprisingly funny. (This paragraph is short but I feel like I talk about her so much lmao. Trying not to gush too hard)

Estinien Varlineau was born to a family of sheepherders, in a small farming community outside Ishgard. When he was 12, his village was razed to the ground in a dragon attack. He found the charred remains of his parents outside his home (his dad had tried to shield his mom from the dragon fire). His younger brother was inside, trapped under a collapsed beam but already gone. He was the only survivor, and was taken in by a man named Alberic who held the title of Azure Dragoon (the most powerful lance-wielder in the land, but I'll spare you the specifics. There's dragon-y magic and a literal dragon eye that gives them powers. This was supposed to be quick omfg). Estinien swore to avenge the deaths of his family and trained with Alberic, eventually becoming the next Azure Dragoon. Eventually, he gets his vengeance, but the cost is so much more than he expects. At the end of it, he is begging for his own death, but his friends (the WoL included) refuse to let him go out like that and save him. He's since been on a journey of self-discovery; who is he without the drive to avenge those he lost, without his duty or his post? In personality, Estinien is blunt and abrasive, he cannot read a room (but he would like to leave it). He has a sharp sense of humor and often teases his few friends, he's extremely sentimental, he's very protective of the people he cares for, and can't stop himself from helping a kid in need.

Relationship Summary

They overlook each other at first. Io finds Estinien too harsh and rude. He thinks (since she is seeing Haurchefant at the time, who is... affiliated with a noble house of Ishgard) that Io is another pretty girl grabbing at coattails--surely not the "great warrior" he's heard about. And it takes a journey into dragon country for them to warm up to each other, when he learns she can easily hold her own, and she sees how protective and kind he can be to their traveling companions. They become friends and it's easier than either of them expected. They don't talk about their loss with each other though, not for a long time. Both hear the other's story from someone else, and it endears them to each other, an unspoken, invisible bond in addition to what they've already faced together. Just as Io saved him at the end of the Dragonsong War, Estinien saves her when she faces off against the might of Garlemald and almost dies. It's a long time before she gets to thank him for that, but when she does, it's around the time he agrees to join the Scions too. They spend more time together, and they become almost inseparable. And as the world hangs on the brink of what seems to be another Calamity, they quietly fall in love and almost lose each other again. Neither confesses to the other until things have settled down. But once the confessions are out of the way, they easily fall into warm domesticity. They spend the better part of a year mostly in one place, living together, working together, making the smaller trips they need to but always returning to a home base. Now, there's the itch to travel again. They just pulled a stint of traveling separately but ended up in the same place. He very much wants to continue roaming, and Io does too, but part of her is starting to think about a family. I haven't decided when or if they talk about this lmao. They love each other so much, but both have a strong streak of wanderlust, and both are legendary heroes who belong to the world as much as they belong to each other.

Why they compel me:

I don't know if you guys know this about me but I love to think about grief :> It's the shared trauma, the love transformed into anger, and how new bonds can heal someone. I did not plan for Io's backstory to be so similar to Estinien's, and even before I shipped them, their friendship was a highlight for me. I love that they do most of their recovery on their own. I love that they always come back to each other. Big fan of people who might not appear outwardly soft all the time, but are just SO mushy for their partner.

They are both symbols of hope for their people, for better or worse. They understand that about each other, what it's like to have some of your personhood stripped away so you can embody an ideal.

Estinien is impulsive and straightforward, Io is cautious and thoughtful. He pushes her, and she grounds him. They both relish the peace the company of the other brings, and they are more certain of the other's ability and resolve than they are of themselves. They are best friends, they are family, and they admire each other.

Some key reads, chronologically:

close quarters | oh no, she's hot…

oblivious | a mutual friend notices io and estinien seem… different.

what i see in you, i hope you find in me | io realizes she is not in love with zenos

pang | estinien has his own realization

see you in the morning | the night before they depart towards unknown danger, estinien tries to soothe a worried io

in this state | io is unconscious, estinien keeps watch

mustering | estinien tells io about his brother, the first time he's talked about him in decades

take another step off the edge | FIRST KISS!!!!

And then their tag is filled with gposes I've made, art I've commissioned, writing prompt fills, fics from the two AUs I've written for them, and tons of quotes or poems that fit their vibe. I'd share a playlist but I don't have a playlist... there are five now T^T BYE!! 💗

[avirael]

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

Returning to the Rising Stones gave A‘viloh a strange feeling. In a way everything had returned to normal. The sultana was not truly dead and would recover fully. The Scions were acquitted of all accusations and A‘viloh and Rael were allowed to travel Ul’dah and the rest of Eorzea again without fearing capture.

But to be honest nothing felt like it had returned to normal. Not here and not at all. The Rising Stones felt foreign and empty. The place had clearly been ransacked and only a handful of people had returned. There were a few familiar faces still but everyone who had made this place a safe haven for A‘viloh was gone.

Sure, Riol and the others promised to search for the Scions, and beside the Shinobi now the Immortal Flames too had begun looking for them. But so far Yugiri hadn’t found any clues and A‘viloh worried that there weren’t any to find at all. Or worse, that what they’d find would only prove all of his worst fears true.

“If they are alive, Yugiri and the others will find them…”, Rael said and placed a hand on A’viloh’s shoulder as he stared at the empty chairs and tables around the room. But the dark expression didn’t want to leave his face. “And what if they aren’t?”

For a moment Rael stayed silent and made a face as if they wanted to tell him that everything would be fine. But Rael couldn’t know that for sure and they weren’t one to tell lies.

“…then we find out anyway. At least we will know what happened then and get some closure.”

Closure? Rael should know that A‘viloh was not good at this. He had never been, had never known how to let go and move on. His mind had never let him and if it wasn’t actively reminding him of his losses and failures, they still would frequently return to haunt him in his sleep. His demons knew no closure.

Rael scowled as the Miqo’te grimaced. “You do know, that they are MY friends too, right A‘vi? I‘m worried about them too but while they are gone - and I want to believe they will all return safely - but while they are gone we must continue doing what they want us to. We cannot do much to help the search but we can maybe prevent Ishgard‘s destruction.”

Absentmindedly A‘viloh nodded. “You‘re right. I am sorry…”

But he could not tear his eyes away from the place were their friends had so often sat down to eat or talk or just spent time together. He could still invision it so clearly. Even without the echo the memory was still so vivid in his mind, it was as if he could imagine their ghosts sitting right here this very moment.

For a short second he was presumptuous enough to wonder if this was how Hraesvelgr and Nidhogg felt…

[scioneeris]

It’s not that long you guys, it just takes time. 😅

It's a slow process 😕

[tallbluelady]

"let's go smash some stuff until you're ready to talk"

Before Rowan could even reach for the doorknob she heard a knock.

"Ro?" Khaliun's voice was soft but clear through the door. "Are you awake? Will you talk to me?"

"I'm awake." Rowan grimaced at Ardbert. "Though I'm regretting it at the moment."

"I can't blame you for feeling that way but... Cerigg and Taynor said they're ready to face Phronesis once and for all."

"What good is that going to do? I've seen the sky." 

"It'll be something for you to do while everyone insists that you rest," Khaliun said. "And we both know that resting really isn't your style."

"Senseless destruction isn't either."

"It's not senseless - it'll help lay a poor sinner to rest," Khaliun said.

Rowan sighed and looked to Ardbert, who was doing his best to hide his emotions.

"Mayhap purposeful destruction will do me some good..."

[ahollowgrave]

thinking about prudence and odette and fleabag and Endwalker.

Season 2 of fleabag with the Priest. You know the one. Esp the confessional scene. Odette is the hot priest, btw. Prudence would be fleabag. It's not a 1:1 obviously but I am thinking very much more in their push and pull with one another. I think, much like in the show, Prudence (Fleabag) would have eagerly slept with Odette (Priest) from the jump. Prudence eagerly sleeps with a lot of people, sometimes not-so-eagerly but it beats sleeping alone and processing feelings. Prudence doesn't *do* emotional vulnerability. Odette doesn't do casual. I think the scene in Endwalker, Returning Home, where a Scion comes to the WoL's room will be their confessional scene. It is Prudence who comes to Odette's room, and it is Prudence who expresses concern and love to Odette, who tries to impress upon the important of Odette's role in not only her life but the whole star's, who shares her fears but her ultimate hope!! And ofc, ofc Odette pulls Prudence into her room. This does also mean they get to have a moment... the moment. "I love you." "It'll pass." ... "I love you, too."

screams into my hands you underSTAND!?

[tsunael]

WoL Think Thonkers

#3. How do they feel about being Hydaelyn's chosen? (Feel free to break it down from ARR's "Champion of Eorzea" all the way to "The Savior of Etheirys" as much as you like. Have those feelings changed, or just grown more complex?)

The short answer is 'bad'.

She's a foreigner, and most importantly a layman. Word of Louisoix's deeds had spread to every corner of the star, but Tsuna was so far removed from Eorzea and Her struggles that it had little bearing on her. After all, the Far East had their own problems with Garlemald, and during the time of her Echo awakening the rebellion in Doma was coming to a head.

She joined the Scions not out of passion for their cause, but because she had nowhere else to go. It was either stay with them, or go back to dancing on the street for coin-- or worse: be ostracized for her Echo. Arenvald and Minfilia were the few souls that had been touched by Hydaelyn like she had been, and so she felt as if she found a home there even if she was pressed to earn her keep.

She's also not the adventuring type-- she's not in it for glory or even for potential riches. Any deeds Y'shtola espied her doing in Vylbrand was borne from reckless altruism. She learned in due time, of course, (how to fight and how to live) but it was a steep curve.

Being 'Hydaelyn's Chosen' does also make her a target. She is blamed for not being more omniscient. If she is 'chosen' then why could she not prevent the Banquet? What was a few dozen soldiers to the power of a primal? Why could she not save Minfilia that day? Why did Hydaelyn have to take her? Ever since she joined the Scions nothing but misfortune came upon them. **

Everything up until Stormblood was her being swept up in events, and surviving because she was 'favored', was the only one who can, or because she had to. It took the events in Stormblood for her to finally confront her past and realize that it was a choice she made to continue on her path.

By the end of Endwalker her candle had been burned at both ends. The deaths of so many weigh on her, and Hydaelyn is now gone. She's dealing with so much trauma by then that much of her journey is tainted for it. She also refuses to wear the 'Saviour of Etheirys' mantle because it wasn't just her that stopped the Final Days.

So, in all it hasn't grown better, just so much more complicated.

[scioneeris]

Did you know fluff week was underway? 🥰

(Well, more like seven guaranteed new fluffy shorts as my week is in pieces. 😅). But!! Fluff!! And characters that I have not shared elsewhere, like Nyx and Shorian.

Join on the $1 tier for fluffy reading!

[cheracarmichael]

First of the spooky oneshots up on Patreon!

Some spooky fluff with Harry, Quinn and Ghost Hedwig. Enjoy~!

[tovaicas]

I literally can't believe you do not get a one-on-one section or conversation with estinien until the VERY END OF THE GODDAMN EXPAC

[cryptcombat]

"um character *rIGHtfUlLy* expressing their contempt for z*nos who wronged them is valid uwuuu" they already did this shit over and over in the last patch. Apparently regurgitating the same info we already know of counts as good writing 🤨🤨🤨

[morocosmos]

Returning - G’raha

Intro chapter | Thancred | Urianger | Y’shtola | Alphinaud, Estinien | Tataru | Alisaie, Krile

Warrior of Light & G’raha Tia

Takes place during Endwalker, just after the end of 6.0. This is a series of vignettes on each of the Scions’ relationships with my Warrior of Light, Moro’a as he’s recovering after the end of the Final Days.

“How bad is it?”

Moro’a gritted his teeth as he tried to think through the haze of pain. “Bad,” he answered simply. The magic Frynn had used to treat his pain had nearly worn off, and he recalled the force of his fist colliding with Zenos’s jaw, followed by the accompanying crunch; from the way the shock had ripped through every muscle and bone in his arm, there was little wonder as to why it was in such a state.

He watched as G’raha nodded, his red eyes narrowed in a serious expression. There was more there – concern, as well as some other form of tension. “And…you are adamant that you would rather have me tend to it now, as opposed to letting the sages handle it?” the Seeker asked, after a long pause.

Moro’a considered G’raha’s words, working through the implications beneath their surface. The sages’ feathers had already been ruffled once in the aftermath of his aethershock attack; the Scions might risk incurring more than unsavoury thoughts were they to explicitly reject their expertise any further, and it was unlikely that Fourchenault would extend his authority to their aid a second time.

Despite that, he knew he would much rather have any one of the Scions do something than have the sages administer their form of remedy on him again. The first time he'd complained of pain, they’d carefully made adjustments to the machines linked to him, and several minutes later a strong numbness had followed, permeating throughout his body. It’d been deeply uncomfortable, comparatively mild to what he had experienced in Norvrandt as the Light had taken its toll on him, and yet. He’d been forced to endure the lack of sensation until blessed sleep at last claimed him.

Moro’a knew there was more to G’raha’s hesitation, too, but he was unsure of how to approach it. “Fourchenault said you and the other Scions could lend your magic ‘within reason'. Such was his wording, correct?” he inquired instead. G’raha nodded again, and Moro’a looked up towards the ceiling, weighing his choices.

“I believe you could consider this one such situation, then. If the sages pester you for a reason, tell them I’d be willing to explain it myself. They can present alternatives if they have any,” he decided out loud. G’raha didn’t immediately respond, and Moro’a noticed that his eyes had widened, though he maintained his composure. “Very well,” G’raha replied, settling back an ilm into his chair. The surprise was gone, smoothed over by a small, optimistic smile. “I shall entrust negotiations over to you, my friend. Then, if I may…” Moro’a felt G’raha lift his arm, and he couldn’t help but wince as his mending nerves protested. “My apologies,” the Seeker murmured.

“S’fine.” G’raha’s touch was neither rough nor gentle, but a cautious balancing act that Moro’a felt as he tilted his arm here and there, feeling where bone had been fractured and flesh torn. Moro’a half-watched, half-turned his gaze to the side, unsure of what more to say. Even after all this time, a faint air of awkwardness remained between them; an undesirable reminder of year-old differences and disappointments that made itself known when no one else was around. But Moro’a was glad for his presence all the same; pain aside, staying in this small room while all but immobile had made him want for company.

“Does it hurt most around the proximal phalanges of your hand, or is it more generalised?” G’raha enquired, after a time.

“Slightly concentrated there. But the rest of the arm hurts almost as much as where I’d hit Zenos,” Moro’a replied, feeling slightly embarrassed detailing how he had punched the Garlean. It still felt too surreal that he’d fought Zenos bare-fisted at the very edge of the universe less than three sennights ago. But G’raha made no move to bring it up as he continued to inspect Moro’a’s arm and hand with what the Keeper could only describe as utmost concentration. G’raha had been tense when he’d arrived for what would be his first visit since Moro’a had awoken; he had relaxed a little, though that undercurrent of something other remained. It was several moments more before he placed Moro’a’s arm back by his side, seemingly satisfied enough with his assessment to speak.

“The damage to your arm was certainly, well, extensive,” G’raha began. “Llorhis, the head nurse did report multiple fractures extending from your fingers to your lower arm��from what I can tell, the Technon restoration unit has focused on steadily repairing these, as well as where the muscles were torn all throughout.” So that explained the heightened pain in his right arm, Moro’a thought. “As for what I can do to relieve the strain it’s placing on you–” an odd shadow crossed over the Scion’s face, for just a moment – “I can modify a spell that Beq Lugg taught me for numbing pain. It was, ah, intended for my own use as the Crystal Exarch, once upon a time. But I should be able to adapt the spell without issue.”

G’raha was looking intently at him now, as though trying to gauge his response. “Additionally, I believe I can also adjust the extent of said numbing to your preference…should you have any concerns in that regard," he said, delicately.

It took a moment for Moro’a to catch on to G’raha’s meaning, but as he did, realisation had him staring at the other miqo’te, and G’raha dithered. “T’was only a hunch,” he added quickly. “After the aethershock, and learning you’d rather the Scions attend to your pain over what the sages have used.”

Moro’a blinked. “What was your hunch?” he couldn’t help but ask.

G’raha’s ears lowered to the sides a little as his gaze travelled to his lap. “Thanks to an explanation from Alphinaud, I learned that the sages employ several forms of umbral aether when treating pain,” he explained. “It led me to wonder if you might’ve found the effects of potent stasis-leaning magic uncomfortable, or perhaps even distressing…given what you’d endured on the First."

"...Like how the Light was affecting me." Of course G’raha would have picked up on this, Moro’a realised. He’d somehow neglected to anticipate that G’raha would have thought to consider how he might feel about it, before he’d even brought it up. Truthfully, it was a relief to see him approach the situation so conscientiously.

"Thank you," Moro'a said quietly, G'raha's ears swivelling towards him as he listened. “I was going to mention it, but you’re right about how I feel towards their methods. By which I mean I despised every second of it,” he sighed, leaning back into the pillow. The pain was beginning to tire him out again. “I would take just about anything else, perhaps even going without any remedy if I had to.”

“Well, ‘tis good that you need not resort to that last option. I would say you’ve endured enough for an age and a half,” G’raha stated. “But surely you know that my white magic will have a similar effect. Would that still be alright?”

“Yes – I doubt it would be half as uncomfortable as what the machinery did to me,” Moro’a explained. “I trust that you’ll figure out something.”

“Very well.” G’raha was smiling, and his shoulders looked more relaxed, as though the tension he’d been holding had abated significantly. “I’ll need to fetch my staff and take some time to work out the spell, but rest assured it won’t take long,” he said.

“And…thank you in turn. For trusting me with this task.” Moro’a nodded, feeling several onzes lighter himself. The air between them had changed – not entirely, but enough to soften the awkwardness into something far more hopeful.

[blissfulalchemist]

Prompt: Give a future historian’s take on your oc. Brain: Oh okay so write it like an academic paper then?

A Meta-Analysis on the Heroic Deeds of the Warrior of Light by Thea Flore First Draft to be submitted for Peer Review Nearly one hundred years have passed since the supposed passing of the Warrior of Light, Etheirys’ famed hero and legend, and they have become a story told to children or tales that feel hard to believe as your great-grandfather recounts one because he swears he was there to see it happen, even though they would have been a baby when the event occurred. I too was ready to leave them to the storybooks when a random encounter with a viera gave me pause as they took in a painting within the newly made historical museum of Doma, a simple comment of, “That scar is on the wrong side.”. When I inquired on just who they meant, they pointed to Lord Hein wherein I saw similar features in another standing regal next to him with the viera next to me. Given their average lifespans I suspected that they had the most credibility on any tales told, prompting me to look further into these events. I hope that by looking at the retellings and taking in the accounts of people that were most likely to have been alive during the Warrior’s life span, it should be noted that many of these people will be of either elezen or viera descent, we will be able to separate the truth from the fiction. While many do not find purpose in this endeavor, I find that by preserving as much of the truth as possible we can better understand the nuances and points of view of the people and time in the years after the seventh umbral calamity. Given the many great changes that occurred in this time period it is easy to let the tales lean into fiction thus losing any critical analysis so that mistakes of the past cannot be repeated if we are to continue an era of peace and prosperity.

Like truly brain there’s no need for this!