#there’s the ShB one of I will be the warrior you need

[impossible-rat-babies]

I really should compile dialogue options in game that are painfully eyrie

[crowdsourcedloner]

2. What was the first moment that they knew they were in love with their LI?

13. How do they react at being away from each other?

26. How important is the romance in your OC’s overall story?

these are going under a cut for length, but thank you!!!

2. What was the first moment that they knew they were in love with their LI?

There were a lot of little moments for Nailah, but if one had to be chosen as the moment... it'd be the one they shared before scaling Mount Gulg. She pieced together who the Exarch was shortly before then, and though she still didn't know why he was doing what he was, hearing someone she deeply trusted speak so warmly to her after some of the worst experiences in her life set her heart on fire for him.

It's a similar story for G'raha - several smaller moments rather than one big one - but the through-line of all of those bits was seeing Nailah let down her walls and just be herself. He fell in love with each glimpse of her gentle nature, each quiet chuckle he heard, each shy smile he caught... it was a slow, inevitable love for him.

13. How do they react at being away from each other?

If he's not kept busy, G'raha falls into wistful pining pretty quickly. His thoughts regularly drift to thinking about (or worrying over) Nailah, and he writes letters when his yearning becomes too much to bear. The letters rarely get sent - apparently postmoogles don't accept 'nondescript Eorzean wilderness' as a valid mailing address - so he stores them in Nailah's annex room for her to read when she returns.

While Nailah likes having time for herself, she doesn't like staying away from G'raha for too long - he's one of very few people she's comfortable being herself around, and going back into the public eye alone isn't something she enjoys. Tiring as it is, she retreats to her colder, distant professionalism, fighting off her yearning with her poetry in dark inn rooms or secluded camps while collecting stories and trinkets as gifts for her lover upon her return. The longer she's kept away, the colder she comes across to those around her - though admittedly, it's hard for strangers to notice the difference.

26. How important is the romance in your OC's overall story?

it's important, but it's not the be-all end-all if that makes sense? it's the culmination of lessons she learns through her journeys, but it's not the point of her story. the romance is supposed to represent Nailah finding her own self worth and choosing to pursue something for herself, even if that something is as small as loving someone else. she needs a space to figure herself out and just... be Nailah, and G'raha gives her that and more, while she gives him just as much support and encouragement in his own choices - choices that he also is starting to pursue for himself.

...i think that's as good an explanation as i can give without incoherently rambling tbh.

[tritoch]

i know a lot of people (very understandably) dislike the paladin job quests in ffxiv, particularly HW, but i do think it's fun that, now that the pre-ShB MSQ revamp is complete, paladins now have a very cool and thematic in-game storyline that happens without a word being spoken: the development of passage of arms.

none of the below is directly stated in the script, but imo it's a fairly obvious gloss on what the game presents, if you assume a paladin warrior of light. spoilers for all expansions through the end of 6.X.

in the new version of steps of faith, as vishap breaks through each ward protecting ishgard from attack, lucia mounts a final desperate effort to hold him back, with a very familiar looking animation:

but even lucia can't hold back vishap's flame alone, so the temple knights surge forward to assist her. their efforts make the shield visually more powerful and larger. the temple knights here band together in defense of ishgard, and their knightly resolve to protect their home is the difference between victory and defeat.

lucia and the knights do ultimately succeed in defending the last ward, as you have to defeat vishap before their shield falls or you lose.

later in heavensward, obviously, we will get ffxiv's most famous (failed) attempt at blocking something with a shield.

this moment can be read as fairly impactful on the warrior of light's development; as i've noted elsewhere, after the trauma of watching haurchefant bleed out in their arms at level 57, at level 58 paladins learn to channel their magic into healing (and it's called "clemency," or mercy. mercy for whom? who was guilty?), and as someone pointed out on that post, at level 58 dark knights used to get "sole survivor", letting them heal in response to a marked target's death.

for a time, you literally carry haurchefant's shield with you, and 3.3 very much literalizes in genre fashion the idea that even when you are standing alone, your fallen friends stand with you. you don't need to call any allies to stand at your side and raise their shields with you because they are already there, in spirit.

stormblood marks a pretty important turning point in the warrior of light as a combatant, in my opinion, and the text makes this clear in several ways. first, in pretty much all your jobs, you've now far exceeded your trainers and are pioneering new techniques. this is no less true of paladin, which for 60-70 abandons any trainers at all for you to show off your peerless skills in a tournament.

second, stormblood is straight up a story about you getting stronger. at level 61, zenos kicks your ass. at level 70, you kick his ass. why? because you fought and got stronger and developed incredible new techniques and became a one-man army.

for a lot of classes, this story lines up nicely with the big rotation changes or flashy new finishers on the way from 60 to 70. SMN is now busting out bahamut and casting akh morn; RDM gets verflare and verholy; DRG starts harnessing nidhogg's power directly through dragon sight and nastrond.

the tanks are divided in two: warriors and gunbreakers get huge damaging upgrades at 70 in the form of inner release and continuation, each of which lets them hit the same button many times for lots of damage and satisfying animations. paladin and dark knight get more protective abilities; dark knight gets the blackest night, and there's been plenty said about that already by pretty much everyone.

paladins get passage of arms. instead of a relentless new attack (and you get requiescat at 68, which is a way bigger deal for your dps rotation), your big reveal at 70 for zenos in your fight in ala mhigo is a superior way to protect your party, a shield that lets you stand for your allies so they never have to fall for you again. it's lucia's same shield, except you need no allies' shields to reinforce you, proof of your martial prowess and your ability to transcend limits, and perhaps in truth a reminder that you never really stand alone.

in many respects passage of arms should really feel like a paladin signature move to you now if you are playing it at this point, because you should be popping it in pretty much every fight (you are using your mits, right...?). basically every FFXIV fight has at least one big AOE with downtime that warrants passage of arms usage, usually after the mid-fight add phase with slowly filling bar. since that AOE usually drops during downtime, there's no reason not to pop passage of arms (which otherwise restricts your movement and actions), and even on normal, sometimes every little bit counts on a damage check even if it means dropping DPS (thinking here of harrowing hell P10N on release, which was...less consistent for a lot of roulette parties than you might hope).

so from 70 onward, passage of arms is in a sense a paladin warrior of light's signature move, and certainly the one a player gets to most actually enjoy (since if you're using it, you're by necessity not doing anything besides moving your camera and admiring your sick animation). it doesn't have any competition in terms of spectacle until confiteor, and those you're usually throwing out in the middle of movement.

it's such a signature, in fact, that the only other person shown using your one-person version of passage of arms is your greatest admirer, who studied your legend for over a century.

and it's when he fails (should've popped arm's length, bud) that the warrior of light decides they can't let their friends fall for them, and sends them away with the transporter beacon. this is all wrong: you were meant to die for them, not the other way around. yours is the shield that stands between your allies and defeat. it is you who will win this passage of arms and break your opponents lance. and you do.

and then later, when they need to quickly establish zero's domain as a place of fallen grandeur, the home of someone who once believed in heroes but is now a cool and cynical vampire hunter d, what do they use? a decayed statue of someone in the paladin endwalker gear doing the passage of arms animation, of course.

from a visible instantiation of knighthood as a joint effort to defend what is sacred, to a tribute to the fallen friends whose memories stand by you and animate you, to a symbol of the wol's power as emulated by their allies or darkly mirrored in other shards.

not bad for a mit button you hit once per fight and otherwise never think about!

[rharyx]

Now that I've beaten Dawntrail, I can safely say it's one of my favorite expansions. Like, none of the expansions have actually been bad imo, but Dawntrail is just super comfy and enjoyable.

Wuk Lamat is a lovable character, and I'm proud to call her my sister Lamaty'i. I honestly don't get the hate for her role in the plot, nor her voice acting. She's adorable, and I loved seeing her grow, and experiencing Tural through both her initially naive eyes and her more trained eyes.

Everything about the journey through Tural was really fun, and I think it's some of the best zones we've gotten in a while. I loved arriving in a new place and learning about a new culture and their people, and seeing how it all tied into the Rite of Succession and what Lamaty'i was going to take away from it. How it all added to the stories of her, Koana, and even Zoraal Ja was really well done.

Like, Endwalker was good, don't get me wrong, but all the "end of the saga" doom and gloom really wore me down sometimes, so having a more lighthearted vacation where it's just you and your friends in a new land taking in the sights and helping out where you can was really relieving. I loved the entire time I spent traveling across Tural.

It all felt like a proper adventure, one that the Warrior of Light has been yearning for. They're an adventurer at heart, and sure they'll protect the world when they're called upon, but they at their core just like to travel and meet new people. They love the Star with all their heart, whether due to being a shard of Azem or not. And so this adventure through Tural was exactly what they needed. And you can see it in their eyes.

There are some nit picky stuff I could say that I didn't care for overall, but in the grand scheme of things they don't matter at all, because the expansion as a whole was just really enjoyable. I just can't understand the negative reception it's getting from some people.

Maybe I'm just pulling this out of nowhere, but I feel like we're finally seeing the consequences of so many people being told to "skip ARR" and the earlier stuff so they can get to ShB -- "the good stuff." We're getting people who are calling DT boring or slow, because all they really focused on was the high points of ShB and EW, not realizing DT is what most of the game is actually like. Idk, but DT just felt like all the parts of FF14 that I've enjoyed from the start rolled into one. And if you're only here for ShB-type stuff, you're just not engaging with the game properly.

Anyway, I love Dawntrail, and I love all the new characters and bits of lore it introduces, and I'm sad I already finished it because I don't want to wait for more story content. I really want to see where this story goes, and I want to see more of my Turali family.

[akirakirxaa]

FFXIVWrite Prompt 10: Stable

Rating: T

Word Count: 721

Summary: G'raha waits for word after a very pregnant Akira takes a severe blow while trying to protect him, sending her into labor. [Takes place in the OT4 AU, in ShB between 5.4 and 5.5.]

Content Warning: References to Childbirth (not shown)

[Master Post]

G’raha paced back and forth, tail twitching irritably. He was not ordinarily an imposing man, but something in his countenance must be keeping anyone from approaching. He was not angry with Akira — he knew that if there was danger, her first instinct was always to step in the way, and probably didn’t even remember that she had more than just him to worry about — but his whole body was tense. If something happened, he already knew Akira would never forgive herself, so he needed to control himself, but—

“Archon?” a younger hyuran healer, likely assisting the more experienced, stepped out to meet him. She seemed nervous, and he endeavored to loosen ears and tail and try his best to put on a friendly face. If he were not so worried…

“She’s stable now if you’d like to come in. She’s been asking for you,” she gave him a reassuring smile, and he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. Stable was good. “There’s no solid timeline on when they’ll be born, but everything seems to be proceeding normally now. But make no mistake, we’ll have someone on standby at all times.” Because no one wants to be the reason the Warrior of Light dies, he finished in his head. It was enough to fluff the fur on his tail back out, but he forced himself to try to put on a calm face before going in.

At a glance, it was clear Akira wasn’t buying it, the Auri woman’s face drawn tight both in discomfort and apology. She was settled in a simple bed, several pillows tucked around her head and shoulders, and a light blanket covering most of her. Her battle gear had been swapped for a simple, light gown. Someone had already set a chair at her bedside and he gladly claimed it, taking her reaching hand in both of his and hoping she didn’t notice how his own shook.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured quietly.

“Why? Why did you do that?” he couldn’t help the strain in his voice.

“I couldn’t bear the thought of you being hurt,” Akira looked away, free hand plucking at the blanket. “I just. I moved before I thought and—“

“One day,” he gave her a tight, wry smile. “I’m going to convince you to put yourself first once in a while.”

“And one day I’ll convince you to stop trying to sacrifice yourself for others,” she countered, eyes likely lingering on the few bruises from the covered blow that had not quite faded with healing. Or that he’d been too distracted to heal.

“How are you feeling?” he ran his hand along her arm soothingly, his tail absently wrapping around hers where it dangled off the side of the bed.

“I have been worse,” she grimaced.

“I think you’re allowed to complain a little,” he brushed her hair out of her face. “Is there anything I can do?”

“You already did it,” she quirked an eyebrow at him, and his face reddened at the reminder. “But no, I don’t think there’s anything short of magicking the baby out. …You can’t do that, right?” They chuckled together at the silly not-quite-a-joke before falling quiet. Suddenly her hand clenched in his, and he saw her jaw set and felt a pang that she felt she had to hide her pain from him.

“You don’t have to do that,” he murmured, and he knew she knew what he meant.

“Don’t I? I have to be strong. I can’t let…”

“There is no one here but me and a few nearby healers,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And frankly? I’ve seen you face things most people never even imagine; I would never think you anything less that the strongest person I know.” The facade slipped a fraction, and he saw all the worries and fears and inscrutable emotions she normally hid below the surface.

“Just… just stay with me?” she asked, in a voice that said she didn’t expect it, that there were more important things he must need to address, that she felt it a selfish request. He stood, bending over to press a soft, reassuring kiss to her lips, free hand cupping her face where he felt the tears she would prefer not to allow to fall.

Yes, he could do that.

[ramyeonguksu]

For the NPC ask game: Alphinaud!

Wrote a little ficlet from Alphinaud's POV for Post-ARR/Heavensward! Read under cut!

Note: Rifra will be referred to as Seren (her alias from ARR-SHB) for this fic.

The freezing cold of Coerthas wasn't something Alphinaud was accustomed to, and having to essentially be forced to trek through the ilms of snow made the little elezen shiver in his boots. It was all bleak; everything that he had strived for with the Crystal Braves was taken away from him, a mutiny against him planned right under his nose. He was humbled, to say the least, and for once he because acutely aware of his childish naivete that came with his young age. Which each step he thought of the Scions that placed their trust in him, that was starting to become a new family for him, left behind at the mercy of his own army and the Brass Blades.

At least the Warrior of Light Seren and Tataru were with him, and Lord Haurchefant's bottomless generosity was able to grant them refuge in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, yet what was he supposed to do at this point? Even if he wanted to clear their names at Ul'dah. what could he even do to achieve that? Being the top of the Studium students wasn't going to cut it anymore, and he no longer had his twin sister Alisaie with him.

Just where was she anyway? She had helped them, sending Brennan the peddler with a chocobo carriage to take them away from Ul'dah, but where was Alphinaud's other half when he needed her the most?

The elezen tripped as his mind wandered, landing face first into the stone floor. Hearing him fall, Seren immediately rushed to his side.

"Are you alright there?" The viera asked, helping him sit up and dust off the snow. It was a wonder how she was able to withstand the cold, dressed somewhat lighter than what one would expect in a frigid climate, but someone like her who grew up in the freezing mountain ranges would have no problem with the temperature.

"I'm…" Alphinaud muttered, hesitation in his voice. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Make sure you don't get too distracted, Alphinaud!" Tataru warned him as she slowly approached him, fighting against the strong winds. "I'm already having a hard time getting through here, can't afford to have you struggle as well!"

Alphinaud didn't respond, the feeling of incompetence that was growing in him increasing exponentially.

Seren immediately took notice and crouched in front of him with her back towards him. "Climb on."

The boy refused. "N-no, I can keep going."

"You're exhausted, Alphinaud," Seren curtly responded. "A lot has happened today, and you need to rest. I'll carry you until we make it to a shelter in Ishgard."

Her head turned to face him, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Besides, I'm used to carrying my little sister home all the time."

Alphinaud pursed his lips together, his heart twisting as what remained of his ego fought to refuse her offer. However, today was not the time to try and preserve such, and he allowed himself to climb on her back before continuing across the Steps of Faith.

As he rested against her back, the boy reflected upon his experiences from the past several moons. Riding the same boat to Limsa Lominsa as Seren before getting to know her, separating from Alisaie over differences before finding her once more at the Coils of Bahamut, joining the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, forming the Crystal Braves… A lot, too much, had truly happened for a sixteen-summers-old child.

Alphinaud laid his head against Seren's shoulder, basking in her warmth as the cold winds blew against the three of them. When was the last time was he carried like this by anyone? His father Fourchenault began to drown in his work, and he was now too heavy for his mother Ameliance to hold him on her back like this. Without him realizing, Seren had practically become an older-sibling figure that he never had, a long-lost family member that he was supposed to have known all his life. Someone he could turn to for advice. Someone he could lean on for support...

Finding comfort in her presence, warmth against the freezing winds that threatened to stop them, Alphinaud drifted off to sleep.

[sjofn-lofnsdottr]

God, I just realized something.

Some of the stuff that annoys me about Wuk Lamat, also annoys me when G'raha Tia does it.

Both characters are characters I would like better if they didn't make me feel like the game is making me hang out with them because I am their bestest, closest friend even though it doesn't feel remotely earned to me yet. And I hate that shit!

Like by the end of the CT storyline, G'raha is ... fine, I think my WoLs were on perfectly nice terms with him, but he wasn't a bestie by any stretch, and it certainly came as a surprise to them the lengths G'raha was willing to go to make sure they lived. He keeps himself hidden and distant for the mostpart during ShB so my characters don't feel like they know him any better by the end of 5.0, except for maybe how batshit his plans can get when he's desperate. But the game insists the WoL and G'raha are super best friends (and that G'raha just might be Pining for you), way too early. I'm more comfortable with it now that Endwalker spent time showing G'raha is more than the WoL's Number One Fanboy, and I think his use in Dawntrail was really effective. But I spent a lot of time thinking 'I like you okay, G'raha, but you're at an eleven when I need you at a six" during the ShB patches.

And I feel kinda similar with Wuk Lamat. I like her, I really do, but the game insists on a closeness between her and the WoL way, way too early in a way that does not feel earned to me, like it's rushing that development because she's probably not going to be around a ton going forward and they really wanted to wedge that in there. And it makes me pull back, because like with G'raha, it has the strong vibe of being that friend who is a little too clingy about your friendship. And it feels forced. I hate when that stuff feels forced.

And I can't help but contrast it with the WoL's friendships with some of the other characters. Not just characters like the twins, who have been hanging around forever and therefore have plenty of time to show how they get closer and closer to the Warrior of Light, or Estinien who has good reason to be ride or die for the WoL and Alphie but still takes some expansions off to get his own shit together, but characters we don't see a ton of like Cid. It's pretty clear to me that Cid and the Warrior of Light are good friends, because they have Been Through Shit Together, without it feeling shoehorned in artificially.

On the upside, this makes me feel optimistic about her in the long run. I'll get some distance from her, she'll probably not be So Much when she does show up going forward, and eventually I WILL agree they're good friends!

[starrysnowdrop]

Shared Soul: Hali’s Shards

So I’ve been thinking about this topic a lot, and I really want to eventually have a list of all the shards of Hali’s soul… ahh well, it would be the shards of Urania’s soul technically speaking. I don’t have a full list yet, but I have some that I’ve decided on already, and I wanted to share those with you now.

Note: Because of Hali’s canon story having multiple Warriors of Light, my headcanons for Hali’s shards greatly differ from those in the MSQ with the default WoL. Also, due to the ongoing storyline, these might change in the future with new developments.

Unsundered: Urania, Seat of Azem

Urania was Hali’s past self at the time of the Sundering; therefore, Hali and all of the other shards are pieces of Urania’s sundered soul.

Source: Hali Aloke, Warrior of Light, 8 times rejoined

Hali being the sundered soul of the Source, is the one that most closely resembles Urania, though she differs from her in several fundamental ways, most notably she will not deny herself the happiness that she desires in her life for the sake of duty like Urania as Azem had done. Unlike Urania, Hali has found her happiness in adventuring, helping others, and building a life together with Aymeric.

First: Lamitt, rejoined during ShB 5.0

Unlike the default WoL’s shard of the First being Ardbert, Hali’s shard is Lamitt, the healer of Ardbert’s group. Lamitt and Hali actually have a lot in common, with both being outsiders from their homelands, having a desire to help others through the healing arts, and they both are in love with men who have no idea what their true feelings are, well until Hali confesses to Aymeric that is. Lamitt never gets the chance to tell Ardbert. She does get to live on through rejoining with Hali at the end of 5.0, and Lamitt is thrilled that Hali gets to have her happiness with her lover.

Seventh: Aerith Gainsborough, rejoined in 7th Umbral Calamity (Bahamut)

Though Hali herself is unaware of any of her other shards that rejoined with her during each calamity, the most recent shard to rejoin with her before Lamitt was a young woman named Aerith who had lived on the Seventh and was rejoined during the Seventh Umbral Calamity. Aerith was a healer who brought joy to all who knew her. She was kind, caring, and sweet, yet feisty, passionate, brave, and strong-willed, all traits that her Source counterpart shares.

Tenth: Tidus, rejoined in 6th Umbral Calamity (Water)

The shard that rejoined back during the Sixth Umbral Calamity, centuries before Hali would be born, held the soul of a young man named Tidus who had lived on the Tenth. He was a famous Blitzball star, but most notably he was a guardian to Summoner Yuna who he had fallen in love with and was willing to give his life for. Same as his Source counterpart, he was kind, brave, outspoken, outgoing, and a bright ray of sunshine in a world in desperate need of joy and laughter.

Thirteenth: Durante, AKA: Golbez, alive

Durante is the shard of Urania’s soul on the Thirteenth who took on the name and armor of his dear friend Golbez after the original Golbez was corrupted by the darkness. Durante was a knight from Baron who tried to save the world during the Contramemoria along with Golbez, but he brought ruin to the world he tried to save instead. His unflinching resolve to save his world no matter the cost, but doubting himself that he could never be the hero that his friend was, are traits that Hali shares, and Durante is a reflection of what Hali could become if she went down a dark path.

Full List

Unsundered: Urania, Seat of Azem

Source: Hali Aloke, Warrior of Light, 8 times rejoined

First: Lamitt, rejoined during ShB 5.0

Second: ???, rejoined in 3rd Calamity (Fire)

Third: ???, rejoined in 4th Calamity (Earth)

Fourth: ???, status unknown

Fifth: ???, rejoined in 1st Calamity (Wind)

Sixth: ???, rejoined in 5th Calamity (Ice)

Seventh: Aerith Gainsborough, rejoined in 7th Calamity (Bahamut)

Eighth: ???, status unknown

Ninth: ???, status unknown

Tenth: Tidus, rejoined in 6th Calamity (Water)

Eleventh: ???, status unknown

Twelfth: ???, rejoined in 2nd Calamity (Lightning)

Thirteenth: Durante, AKA: Golbez, alive

Shards to add??: Sarah, Terra, Rinoa, Eiko, Serah, Joshua

That’s all I have for now! I’ll add to this list in the future when I decide to add more! Subject to change if we get more information on the other shards.

Published: 10/21/2024

[imperial-nuisance-rudje]

i've seen a lot of "assign exaltations to media" posts recently and i wanted to get in on this, this time with final fantasy 14

major spoilers up to 7.0/Dawntrail! also, only hitting major msq characters bc i will actually lose my mind if i have to do all the side stuff and minor characters too, even though i know i'm already accidentally skipping some characters just bc the cast list is the size of the pacific and my brain is a bit fried.

"wait some of these aren't exaltations at all" sometimes it is more interesting if a heroic character is Just Some Guy

Meteor Survivor/Default Warrior of Light - Dawn Solar. It's not even close. The WoL is a very large hammer and all the world is a nail. Even their more magicy stuff they approach like a Dawn rather than a Zenith! Couple arguments that could be made for their Supernal, for trailer-WoL I'd probably go for Melee. Like I have to actively fight the game for every scrap of Not-Solar I give my own WoL, the default WoL is super fucking Solar-coded.

Minfilia - okay hear me out. she's an Exigent of Hydaelyn and her Exaltation passes down to specifically young girls who fit other certain criteria. “Oracle of Light, Minfilia” ends up a sobriquet that devours even the girls’ names in the end. 

Ryne - See above. Exigent of Hydaelyn, just one able to make her own name for herself after it all. 

Thancred - just some guy!!!!! Not an Exalt at all he's just some dude! the stealth thing he can do could easily be a mutation rather than a power related to Exaltation.

Urianger - mortal sorcerer up to 5.0, exalts as a lunar during the time gap. Can be talked out of this, it's a gut read. E: THE GUT READ IS BC HE DEALS SAFELY WITH THE FAE AND TRICKS THEM IN TURN. Changing Moon, definitely. Spirit shape is something both ominous and benefic in terms of omens.

Y’shtola - gut is that she's a mortal sorcerer but I'm not sure if/when she exalts. I feel like the best point for that if she does is actually in the future for her, assuming my read of the plot thread tea leaves is accurate. Assuming nothing else changes, probably a Solaroid, though you may be able to argue Infernal over Solar for her.

Lyse - Deeb, Fire Aspect, same as her sister. I don't have much reasoning for this, it just feels right.

G’raha - I have tried to come up with not this but he really is just the Exigent of the god of the Crystal Tower… You could probably argue for deeb, bc of the royal eye thing, but i feel very strongly that he hasn't Exalted when he first shows up and that pushes him over the deeb exaltation age limit and I personally need some kind of major explanation to accept breaking that rule and while the Crystal Tower could probably manage it... given the physical changes he shows as the Crystal Exarch in ShB I think it works better if it's a very costly (to the Exalt) Exigent exaltation.

Papalymo - Mortal sorcerer. He dies because it was the only way to fuel the spell caging Shinryu as a mortal.

Alphinaud & Alisaie - I'm torn with the twins, honestly. I lean towards them being mortals but you can definitely argue for them having an Exaltation, especially after Coils or ShB, and they're young enough to be late-bloomer deebs if you want them to light up mid-story.

Erenville - Believe it or not I do think he's an Exalt. He's a Wood Aspect Dragonblooded like his mom and he put all of his points into dealing with critters and logistics and lifting heavy things and absolutely none into combat. (You could probably also argue for Earth, honestly, I can't articulate why I feel so strongly about the Wood aspect.)

Wuk Lamat - Dawn Solar, with her Exaltation coming when she breaks through to reach the Queen Eternal again at the end of MSQ. Shockingly social-focused Dawn, but still a Dawn.

Aymeric - Air aspect Deeb. His idealism nearly gets his ass killed like three times I am not budging on this.

Haurchefant - Water aspect deeb. WAIT HEAR ME OUT: i know the easy answer is to slap Wood on him for horny crimes and call it a day, but the way the rest of his personality actually is he fits water way more, including the part where when he's at his limit he's an unstoppable terror that doesn't know restraint. I could also be convinced to assign him Fire. (He's too flexible for Earth and too practical/grounded for Air, imo.) It also fits with his family since the Fortemps we meet all kind of vibe as damp-adjacent at minimum.

Krile - Joke answer: Sidereal bc i nearly forgot to add her-- :V

More seriously, the whole "refugee from another reflection" thing makes assigning her an Exaltation difficult. Alt timelines exist in this game but reflections are explicitly not those, it's more akin to Autochthon's relationship to Creation, and (barring some serious ass-pulls from the writers in the patches) Krile is an ordinary woman in terms of physiology. She's also not dead or associated with death, so I guess that means there's four options she absolutely cannot be rather than ones she can be.

Zenos yae Galvus - Does not Exalt until after 4.0, where he rises as a Dusk Abyssal. Because it fits with how fucked up he is and StB/his arc that he, a mortal man, is able to cause problems until the WoL starts taking him seriously. I could also be open to him being a Casteless Lunar bc lunisolar bond w/WoL (I love a good Fated Nemesis and so would he) but in general I feel like his everything works better if he doesn't Exalt until he tries to remove his own head and it's important to his story that he is Very Dead-Seeming after that point which makes options very limited.

Varis zos Galvus - If he is an Exalt, he's a deeb. Earth aspect, but I could probably be talked into Fire too. The “if” is because I'm torn between him being a disappointment because he never Exalted or because he's the same aspect as his dad but never reached the same potential in grandpa’s eyes. The Garlean upper class generally maps surprisingly cleanly to Dynasts.

Emet-Selch - Honestly this applies to all three of the Unsundered, I'm just keeping the family together, but: I truly believe those three are narratively closer to Deathlords than anything else in Exalted, and I say this while also acknowledging that Zodiark is more like a Yozi than one of the Neverborn. I do not know how to square that circle.

Thordan - Deeb. Air or Earth aspect, either could work with his personality.

Sphene - Orichalcum Alchemical. Living-Sphene was mortal. (Why not liminal? Quite frankly, bc she is not made of meat and still retains her living memories, both of which are disqualifying factors.)

Zoraal Ja - Mortal. I think it adds to things if part of his violent insecurity is that he never lights up despite being his father's son.

Fandaniel - Could admittedly go with either Abyssal or Infernal, depending on what aspects of him you want to emphasize, but I personally see him as a Daybreak.

Gaius - Fire aspect deeb.

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 15-18 author notes

Shall we sit back and go over the recent episodes together? C:

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

Obligatory ShB spoiler warning.

Any theme song enjoyers? I associate this song with this moment, and generally with Exarch’s longing and excitement that can’t be shown. “And in my usual voice, I say, there you are”.

Go away grandpa, you crashed an otherwise perfect party :’>

Had this followed the msq more closely, i.e. had Feo Ul not been the first to find Vivi, or had it happened in an environment more familiar to him, he might've asked Exarch if he's shy, or just ugly. Kinda like if you’re a bully in your school, you might still wanna keep a low profile in a new school.

Vivi treads lightly in a new world, at least tries to. He doesn't yet know how thick or thin is the ice under his feet.

Exarch doesn’t know about the tree since he was busy waiting for Vivi in the Ocular, having just finished the summoning spell, tense and giddy, hood up and all. Minutes passed, nothing happened, then Exarch started getting antsy and finally turned on his tv to find Vivi in Lakeland.

“Hey it could’ve been your spine” I hope is clear: as in Vivi could’ve landed on Lyna instead of the aforementioned tree, not a threat to snap her spine in a fight. He knows better than taunting random people.. Moreover, people stronger than him x’D

Artist achievement unlocked: managed to make a hooded person look expressive. IN THE BACK VIEW.

SPROUT?!

He’s more cute than he deserves to be here and you’ll perceive him.

Being at the end of the episode, “we’re friends, yes” is the first and only line almost nonchalantly tossed to Vivi! Exarch wanted to buy time and observe him, how he’s changed, how’s best to approach him now.

..And Vivi needs rest and new clothes, he spent AN ENTIRE DAY in one outfit. We've seen him around several people so far, and, while he's always genuine, he's the most himself with Exarch, even at this early stage.

But yeah, he’s jaded, regrets many choices in his life and wants his money back.

Vivi's tailored for this ship. Before I even knew that I wanted to write a comic of this size, I asked myself, what condition does he need to be in at the beginning of ShB for the chemistry to happen? The answer was, well, "terrible". I’ve got the juicy deets, but you’d have to be patient and keep an eye out for more flashbacks sprinkled in throughout the story.

What matters now is that, finally, both of them are sufficiently tired to start noticing something else than gremlins in each other.

Have fun living with the knowledge that there’s no face where it’s supposed to be :>

Exarch has a way with the fae: don't flinch, offer them something nice. He offers rest to Vivi without hesitation, as soon as he sees his emotionally battered state. And, oh, he’s still an archer, landing that perfect shot first try. This here is a genuine spark of interest, surprise and gratitude in Vivi’s eyes.

I went balls deep with the visual subtext here. Despite being shown up close, Vivi’s broody face takes on a secondary role as his mind literally closes in on Exarch in that moment, on the mystery man that’s suddenly so unlike the rest. Even if he’s yet another quest-giver, even if shit’s on fire, he allows Vivi to go? Rest? Have some time for himself???? Exarch is, or is about to become, his only light in the darkness :3c

Exarch’s stiff posture is also intended here. He must’ve rehearsed this scene sooooooooo many times, he was prepared for hostility, interrogation, tantrums, but this Warrior’s indifferent and just wants to leave?

Magical boy de-transformation! Headcanon time, two of them even.

Firstly, the Tower can register living presence in its vicinity, a passive ability which Exarch can casually tap into. Being aware of an entire city’s population is, mildly put, overwhelming, thus he’s learned to shrink the “radar” area down to his Ocular, or wherever he’s at the moment and whenever he actually needs it. He feels that Vivi’s indeed left, therefore he can safely remove the hood.

Secondly, the hood shadow’s magicked. The panel above demonstrates how it’d look naturally, if it were a normal shadow. But he casts a pitch black glamour that also extends to his hair.

Just a cool crystal flare that I feel like showing off :>

None of you would believe me now if I said this isn't a horny scene? Although this looks lewd, for someone who’d spent a century clinging to memories and tales the lingering scent is just another confirmation that all of this's real. He can't even touch the WoL (or so he thinks), the scent could be the most he ever gets. Bearing in mind the stress of the day, I genuinely don’t think that he’s in the mood here. But no worries, he’ll get plenty of horny opportunities later on :>

The subtle characterization in the way he opens a door to a supposedly empty, still unknown room.

An unironically normal reaction to the Light, and shadowbringing \o/

This. This goes into my personal collection of the best vivifaces I’ve drawn.

He’s quick to react to a threat (?) popping out of nowhere in a supposedly safe room.

GOMU GOMU NOOOOOOO-

I know the arm’s too long, but I like to incorporate some animation princliples :>

The Champion of Eorzea uses a stick to cure a 100 years old depression, ca. 2023, colorized.

Vivi didn't mean to pierce him, actually. While the space's more than enough for living, it's still cramped for fighting as a dragoon, and he simply misjudged the distance while spinning around and lunging at the source of that eerie voice. There’s also an ooc explanation: I couldn’t quite align all of this in one frame, and thought hey, Ardbert’s a ghost, it’s okay to pierce him!

Both are quick to handwave the fact, and let’s be honest, self-defense of that sort must be a mundane thing for a WoL.There’s more important stuff to discuss. Both are desperate to vent to someone they could trust. They may disagree on things, but generally they vibe pretty well with Ardbert.

A lil shoutout to @agent-jaselin​ for commenting this under the respective episode. I almost forgot to point it out while making this post. Vivi tries to see if he can relate to another WoL, if his struggles are valid, or if he’s overreacting to a typical hero life. Ardbert had a whole friend group adventuring alongside him, the Scions don’t measure up unfortunately, on top of that Vivi (emotionally) stays the fuck away from anyone post-ARR for their own protection (and his own if he ends up losing someone else), so it’s not quite the same experience for him.

One of the few redeeming qualities: Vivi keeps his word. This's gonna be relevant in like 2025 :'>

He baby, THAT’S his problem.

From pointing his spear at him to comfortably undressing and falling asleep in his vicinity. Ardbert's possibly the first man to be asked to stay and not get laid by Vivi :’>

While the Crystarium and its people seem nice, it’s still Vivi’s first day (one loooooong day since the beginning of chapter 2) in a brand new world, and Ardbert’s the only somewhat familiar person here. A ghost? Even better. The supernatural’s easier to deal with and is less likely to backstab you.

The sweet-voiced hooded guy says that it’s okay, that he’s safe here.... Yeah that on itself is a flag for our mr doubter. He’s grown reasonably paranoid since ARR, (almost) everything he does has a nice cynical-flavored logic to it.

While this’s a wolgraha comic, it’d be bland without support characters. Ardbert doesn’t play a massive role in this particular story, still you’ll keep seeing him here and there.

The next several episodes focus on the main two and Feo Ul, they’ll claw their way in even if they were left out x’D

[wine-dark-soup]

opinion on your ff14 woman you know the one

i think i can safely bet this is about kan-e-senna.🤡

so without furder ado:

listen to me. listen. i love her. all the criticism she and gridania get is warranted and was largely covered multiple times by people more eloquent than me so i'm not gonna talk about it here.

but. i feel like players are exaggeratedly mean about kan-e-senna sometimes

"she's a passive coward" she founded the eorzean alliance. and because i just did it again and have the screenshots on hand, here's her final decision concerning gaius' ultimatum before he invades eorzea:

she's the FIRST LEADER to (in a decisive moment where she gets up and grabs her staff, reassuming her role) admit surrendering to the empire is a bad idea. most of all, she interacted closely with the previous warriors of light; and after carteneau, SHE was entrusted with their legacy and louisoix's. she CAN'T surrender if only for that.

i don't think she's meant to be an *active agent* in the sense she will never be raubahn running through a battlefield (although from what i've heard she WILL throw herself in the melee in the EW master rolequests). but throughout the game she has a catalyst role. she creates the alliance. she invites the other leaders to continue the fight when faced with an ultimatum. she is the first character to somewhat read what's going on with thancred's soul which will launch the events of shb. it's her who welcomes fourchenault in gridania, which will launch the events of endwalker.

but she *wants* to be an active agent in the story, because she DOES want to act when needed. whether she actually can or not is another problem and the root of many of gridania's issues.

she wants to help the people, but is completely blind to their problems because she spends her days in the lotus stand. she wants to travel, but she can't, because she has to help her people, by... spending her days in the lotus stand. there's an irony here that i absolutely adore.

the EW tank rolequests really highlighted this contradiction in her character imo. she's supposedly a good orator and kind leader, with a voice clear as day, but it doesn't show. so the people and the forest suffer more than they should and so does she - because of the pressure she's under. the very stupidity of gridania's immobilism (caused in part by kan-e's inability to act) manifested in the form of her childhood best friend turned beast (who, btw, should have become the elder seedseer. sudden pressure put on her after his disappearance) and the illusion of a plague spreading through the forest. it doesn't get more straightforward as a metaphor.

[scionshtola]

i pray you won't stop looking at me like that

pairing: Corisande Ymir/Y'shtola Rhul summary: When the celebration at the Crystarium becomes too much for Corisande, they seek time alone at the rookery. Y'shtola finds them there, and has a better suggestion for how they might spend their time. word count: 3071 | rating: Explicit | read on ao3 notes: spoilers for ShB. also PLEASE note the rating!!

The stars are still shining bright against the dark night sky when Corisande slips away from the celebration. It is not an easy thing to get away—a few people call out to them as they pass, and though guilt tugs heavily at their conscience, imploring them to turn around, they feign ignorance and continue on their way. The past few hours have been a decidedly loud blur, music and shouting and people coming up to them to shake their hand and thank them effusively. More than one person burst into tears at their feet, and one couple declared they would name their first born child after them.

They only need a moment to themself. A moment for their blossoming headache to subside, to restore their worn down nerves, and then perhaps they can return to the festivities. A party full of people who simply want to thank Corisande for restoring to them the very night sky they celebrate under.

She sighs. The danger, the sleepless nights thinking only of the nigh impossible problems before her, the near deaths experienced by both herself and those closest to her, are far easier to grapple with than the acclaim that follows. She is not likely to ever be comfortable with the recognition that comes with being the Warrior of Light—or Darkness, as it were—particularly when it comes in the form of hours and hours of conversation with strangers.

The rookery is quiet though, and blessedly devoid of other people, just as they hoped. The chocobos and amaros are still roaming their pen, their Zun caretakers likely caught up in the celebration before stabling them for the night, but they do not seem to mind. Corisande forgoes the gate and seats herself on top of the fence, her legs dangling inside the pen. Most of the animals are asleep, though a few still mingle about, plucking at the piles of hay or dipping their beaks into the trough for a drink. A chocobo ambles toward them, poking its beak into the back of her hand.

“My apologies, but I did not come bearing treats,” Corisande says, lifting their hand and stroking the bird’s head. “You will simply have to make do with hay like everyone else.”

But he seems content enough with attention, and the stress of the past few hours begins to ebb away as she pets him. She is just beginning to wonder if she ought to check the stables for a grooming kit when the chocobo’s kweh alerts her to quietly approaching footsteps. Corisande straightens, steeling themself, plastering on their best smile and readying their excuses—I was just on my way back, the Crystarium is so large, I got lost searching for a bathroom, I thought I saw something but it was only an amaro.

“I thought I might find you here,” Y’shtola teases, coming up behind them. Corisande sighs in relief at the sound of her voice, letting their shoulders sag. They glance over their shoulder as she leans against the pen and tilts her head back to meet their eyes, her gaze warm.

The tender feeling between them is as familiar to Corisande as she and Y’shtola are to each other, a feeling shared between them almost as long as their friendship has existed. But it has only been a day since the first kiss they shared in the aftermath of the battle against Hades, and there is a new undercurrent of excitement with every familiar look and touch. One that makes their cheeks warm at the soft affection written in her expression and their heart beat faster as her lips curve into a smile.

“What gave me away?” Corisande jokes, already feeling better for having Y’shtola at their side. The chocobo, likely feeling ignored, butts his head against their arm.

Y’shtola shrugs. “After several hours of celebration, I had grown quite tired of the crowd. I desired more particular company, and suspected you might feel the same. I sought you out but once I realized you had already departed, the rookery was the next logical stop. If there is some kind of stable around, ‘tis usually where I can find you.”

“There were a lot of people,” Corisande murmurs, with considerably less irritation than she might have only moments ago. They turn back to the chocobo, hiding the smile that came with the rush of affection at being so well known, and scratch its chin, the motion soothing for both her and the bird. “And a lot more crying than I was prepared for.”

“Urianger mentioned as much when I came upon him during my search. I am sorry, Corisande. It sounds…overwhelming.” Y’shtola’s soft voice is a balm to the frayed edges of their nerves, as is the gentle touch of her hand to their elbow. She glances at the chocobo they are still petting. “I can leave you with your thoughts, if you prefer. You seem to have found more than acceptable company.”

“You know your presence is always welcome,” Corisande says with a smile. Indeed, perhaps the only thing more perfect than the solitude she sought was sharing that solitude with Y’shtola. She shifts, twisting her body until she faces her. “Please, stay.”

Y’shtola smiles and tips her head back, staring up at the stars that she cannot see, and Corisande’s gaze is drawn down the line of her neck. Across the latticework of laces over her chest, down to the swell of her breasts just above the furred neckline of her dress.

“’Tis a rather pleasant night, is it not?” Y’shtola says. Their gaze snaps to her, only to find her already watching them, the quirk of her lips telling her she knows exactly where their eyes lingered. She reaches for their hand, tangling their fingers together, tugging them back to the ground and reeling them into her space.

A tiny thrill courses through her at the realization that this is the first time they have been truly alone together since their kiss—the first time she can do anything about the pull she feels toward Y’shtola, the desire that has simmered so long beneath her skin. She puts a hand on her waist, thumb gliding over the black fabric that clings to her full curves, pulse racing at her proximity.

“If I may make a suggestion, however?” she continues, touching Corisande’s cheek and guiding them closer, until her words ghost across their lips. “Mayhap our time would be more pleasurably spent in my quarters at the Pendants.”

“I was going to return to the party,” they murmur, surprised they can even muster a thought for the celebration with Y’shtola’s hand on the back of their neck, with the perfect view they have of the hunger in her gaze, with the heat of her body pressed against theirs.

Y’shtola hums. Only a whisper of space between them. Her eyes drop to their lips as she says, “I prefer my idea.”

Corisande closes the gap, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, and Y’shtola rises on her toes, pressing herself closer, closer, her fingers twisted in the lace of their lapel. When they part, chests rising and falling rapidly, lips swollen, Corisande says, “I like your idea, too.”

Y’shtola’s soft laugh is sweet to their ears, a familiar sound they never grow tired of hearing. She kisses the back of their hand, and tugs them toward the Pendants. The chocobo kwehs after them and Corisande turns around to wave goodbye to their friend before hurrying after her.

They are hardly through the door of Y’shtola’s quarters before their lips find each other again. They kiss as they tug off boots and socks, pull at laces and buttons, hands slipping under hems and breastbands. In the silver light of the moon pouring through the open balcony doors, Y’shtola’s dress pools at her feet and Corisande pauses, gaze drawn by the expanse of bare skin, the last parts of Y’shtola she has neither seen nor touched before. An excited tremble rolls down her spine—after tonight, there will be no part of each other they do not know.

Y’shtola catches her hand, kisses her knuckles, and leads her to the bed. Corisande follows, pressing parted lips against any bit of Y’shtola’s skin they can reach. The back of her hand, the round of her shoulder, the top of her spine. They do not stop when Y’shtola pushes them firmly onto the bed and climbs into their lap, kissing a line down the side of her neck, across her chest. They wrap their arms around her waist and shift her higher, pressing their lips to the skin between her breasts.

Y’shtola tugs gently at the end of the ribbon holding back their hair, pulling it free and sliding her fingers into the newly loose strands. She tips Corisande’s head back and kisses her, mouth open, warm, inviting. Both of their hands roam, cupping, caressing, pulling each other closer. Each kiss, each touch, each soft gasp elicited only feeds the flame of their long-simmering desire, until it boils over into a desperate need for Y’shtola.

She is not alone in her desperation. Y’shtola pushes at her shoulders, guiding her onto her back, and her breath catches in the brief moment that she hovers above her. Limned in silver moonlight and gold from the low light of the bedside lamp—switched on for Corisande’s benefit, and full glad she is for that—she is so impossibly beautiful that for a moment she thinks she must be dreaming.

They are brought back to reality by Y’shtola lying between their parted legs and pressing searing kisses over their chest that set their skin aflame. Her hand glides over the inside of their thigh, presses against their center in a way that makes their hips jump, desperate for more. They slide a hand into Y’shtola’s hair and try to tug her mouth back to theirs but she resists, devoting her attention to their breasts instead.

They would laugh, were they not otherwise preoccupied. They know this side of Y’shtola well, devoted to the task at hand, unable to be swayed from her purpose until she found what she sought, and curious above all else. They give in to Y’shtola’s questing fingers, the testing touches and kisses as she seeks the spots that make their back arch, their hips chase, their fists curl in the sheets and her name escape their lips in a moan, until their whole body quivers with pleasure.

She trails kisses across Corisande’s belly, over the curve of her hip. She pauses between their thighs, her breath ghosting over them as she holds them apart. They push themself onto their elbow and glance down, thinking Y’shtola seeks permission they are only too happy to give. But the moment their gazes meet, she dips her chin, eyes never leaving theirs.

The firm swirl of her tongue over their clit elicits a low moan, the heat of her mouth almost too much on their already heated skin. Her hands, her tongue, her lips—Corisande cannot keep track of which touch causes which pleasure, her body taut and aching with need. It is not long until Y’shtola pushes her past the precipice, kissing her through the throes of her climax.

Like any competent academic, Y’shtola seeks to replicate her results, mouth still moving over them even as they still. But Corisande guides her away with a gentle hand in her hair, and this time she lets them. With a hand around her waist, they shift them both onto their sides, close enough that their warm breaths mingle.

Y’shtola’s fringe is matted to her forehead, her lips shiny, cheeks rosy and warm under their hand as they brush her hair away from her face. There is a fondness in her gaze—not new, exactly, but different, her feelings laid bare in a way Corisande has not been privy to before.

“I hoped for this for so long,” Y’shtola says between kisses, so softly Corisande is unsure if she is meant to hear. She tucks herself into them, her next words barely more than a whisper against their skin. “I ached for this—for you.”

“How long?” Corisande asks, without really meaning to ask, still caught up in the bliss of the night, of Y’shtola in her arms. They trail the tips of their fingers over her back, enchanted by the way she melts into their embrace.

Y’shtola hums against their neck, silent for so long they think she will not answer, but eventually she says, “Years.”

Her teeth graze their collar bone, and she follows the slight sting of the bite with a gentle kiss. Corisande’s hand stills, their heart skipping a beat. Just how long had they spent ignorant of Y’shtola’s affections?

She cups Y’shtola’s cheek in the palm of her hand, and Y’shtola covers her fingers with her own, soft and warm and gentle. “I am sorry for making you wait,” she whispers. How much longer could they have had, if only Corisande noticed?

“There is no need for apologies, love. There is no blame to be laid at anyone’s feet, except perhaps Fate’s, for it’s continuously horrible timing.” Y’shtola’s smile is gentle, almost wistful. She squeezes their fingers. “We are here now, no matter the arduous course we walked to arrive.”

Corisande kisses her, slow and deep, fingertips pressing into her skin to hold her close. They trail one hand over her chest, her side, cupping her rear and sliding their hand along the underside of her thigh, hitching her leg over their waist. “Are you certain you want no apologies?” she asks, her hand finding its way between Y’shtola’s legs, fingers stroking the small, pale patch of hair before dipping lower.

Her eyelids flutter closed when they brush their fingers featherlight across her sex, a soft gasp escaping her that they catch with a kiss. Her fingers scrabble at their shoulders, her tail flicks frantically over their calves, and her kisses grow desperate, sloppy and wanting, as their hand moves against her, inside her. She moans against their lips, and the new sound delights them equally as much as it quickens their own desire. She wants to hear it again, over and over, the same as her laugh.

Y’shtola breaks the kiss, dropping her forehead against their shoulder, her rapid breaths hot and tickling across their collarbone. Corisande kisses her hair and holds her flush against her, feeling her chest, her soft belly, move against her with the slow roll of her hips seeking their hand, nothing left to separate them but a thin sheen of sweat.

Y’shtola has wanted this for years, but how long has Corisande wanted this? Does she even really know? Can she pinpoint a moment in time when her feelings for Y’shtola had grown into a desperate yearning to know her in all ways, beyond the pale of dedicated friendship? It was not the first time that she had been blind to her own romantic feelings for another and with Y’shtola the lines between platonic and romantic had blurred so quickly, so early in their friendship, it was difficult to say exactly when the feelings had grown.

And how had she gone so long without it? Without Y’shtola’s lips on their skin, without her hands stoking the flames of their desire, without every inch of her body pressed to theirs atop silky sheets? Without knowing the taste of Y’shtola on her lips, without hearing her whimpers and curses as they touched her, without knowing the soft feel of her bare hips beneath their hands? The idea was inconceivable to her now. She wanted to know all of it, every spot that made her toes curl, every twist of her fingers that drew a moan from her lips, where she could kiss and touch that made her tremble and gasp.

They feel her climax roll through her, pressed together as they are, her hips jerking, her fingers digging into their waist. When she comes down, she slides her hand into Corisande’s hair and kisses her sloppily, so unlike the focused way she had drawn out their pleasure. She smiles into the kiss, pleased at the way Y’shtola has come undone under her touch.

“Apology accepted,” Y’shtola mutters against her lips, and Corisande laughs.

They move, straddling Y’shtola’s waist. She looks as gorgeous stretched beneath them as she did leaning over them: skin golden in the low lamplight; wet, parted lips; skin marked where their hands and mouth have touched her; silvered eyes watching them. She pushes herself up when they lean over her, meeting them with a kiss until they guide her gently back onto the bed with a firm but gentle push on her shoulders.

She trails her hands down her body, delighted by the shiver that runs through her at the whisper of a touch, and follows the path with her lips. Y’shtola tries to watch but her eyes fall closed when their tongue flicks across her nipple, their hand cupping and kneading her other breast. They press their smile into her skin as they kiss over her soft stomach, lower, lower.

“I am not quite done apologizing,” Corisande says, and seeks her forgiveness between her thighs.

The stars are fading, the dark night sky giving way to the purple beginnings of dawn, when they collapse into each other’s arms. Corisande folds herself into Y’shtola’s embrace, resting their head on her chest, their long ears laying comfortably flat as she trails her hand gently through their hair.

She has not known this kind of contentment in years, and she basks in the warmth of it, exhausted but satisfied. She tilts her head, resting her chin on Y’shtola’s chest so she can look into her eyes.

“Was it worth the wait?” she teases.

“I have always known you were worth waiting for,” Y’shtola answers, sincere, and they do not hide their smile that follows the love and warmth that tides through them. It seems to Corisande the sort of answer that she would normally be embarrassed to give, uncomfortable with emotional displays as she is. But what room is there for embarrassment between them now?

Corisande reaches over and switches off the lamp, and Y’shtola pulls the quilt over their shoulders. They close their eyes, warm and happy, and let the slow rise and fall of Y’shtola’s chest lull them to sleep.

[ofcoffee-andletters]

FFXIV Write day 20: Duel

Notes: This...is complicated. This belongs to the Lore and eventual writing of my own version of Meteor (default WoL). But the very few things you may need to know are that, Meteor did everything as the game intended up to ShB and then he said fuck you I want Ardbert. He was mute, due to lore reasons - and he loves Ardbert a lot and very much so, thanks.

ArdbertMeteor NSFW implied

Duel : a combat between two persons : a conflict between antagonistic persons, ideas, or forces

——————————

What is destiny? A succession of events that are meant to happen, some would say. What is fate? Well, fate and destiny are one and the same, right? People will clamor that your fate is your destiny and that whatever awaits you at the end of the road is simply what the Gods, the Star or whatever external and wise force was willed for you. What if — then…destiny was meant to be made? By your own hands?

———————

The first time their eyes met they stood on opposite ends of a battlefield — there was no recognition upon either face, and yet there was something primal growling inside of them.

One side calls the other a fool, for following the exact same steps that ended his world — that made him ruin everything, but all that mirror reflection heard was pain and the sound of someone who needed, with desperation, understanding and forgiveness.

A voice already was telling him about the futility of this…

You’re not meant to be.

Even if you both touch, it will be an ephemeral touch.

And he feigned ignorance at those wise whispers.

——————————

Fingers interlock, and despite the raw hatred, the disgust on every action — the intense pain he can feel with every movement and bite, he has no voice to even complain. A blessing and a curse. A silent lover for someone who doesn’t want love, only redemption — to let go and to cling to everything and nothing for a moment in his life.

“You’re so stupid…”

He knows.

“Why are you doing this to yourself…?”

He has no idea. He had walked towards the wolf’s mouth willingly and instead of fighting, he offered all of himself.

A grunt, and growl. His arms are pinned above his head and he can’t do anything but open his mouth and wish he could scream — not for his own pain, but to let out the immense sadness and regret he can feel coming from the man who is relishing and regretting everything about this.

He has no idea what kind of look he is giving.

He can only feel the hand that turns him around, “…Looking at you makes me so godsdamned angry…” A growl without any actual bite. “I know you can stop this. I know you are letting me do this…”

The question is why.

And as he feels his fingers interlock with the man’s on top of him, he realizes that he simply doesn’t care about the why. This feels correct and as it should be. They will fight. One of them will die.

So be it.

One of them does deserve a happy ending anyway, and he is sure as all hells it is not himself.

—————————

“You can’t do this!” Someone is yelling. “…Are you…? Do you even realize how fractured you are?!”

He does not open his eyes, remaining sitting next to a bed.

“…We can…probably, understand you feel the need to repay a favor but — there’s a point where you’re just…being suicidal.” A softer voice warns him, he does not care.

Steps come closer and finally someone grabs him by the shirt, raising him from the chair and making him open his eyes, “We saw you almost die…! Why are you trying so hard to kill yourself, Meteor?!”

The Warrior of Light glares at Thancred and the Pendants’ room is filled with a silence and tension that could be cut down with a sword. Atop the bed is the body of one Ardbert Hylfyst, someone who should’ve been dead a hundred years ago, someone who begged Minfillia for release and peace a few years ago only, by the Scions’ recollection of events.

And yet, there he is. Breathing steady and relaxed, not waking even with the sounds of screaming as the poor Hume is too tired and not used to be alive after haunting the First shard for the said hundred years.

His fate was to rejoin with Meteor and allow the Warrior of Darkness to survive.

But Meteor has never been good at standing there and accepting fate.

“So I should just let him go?” Meteor asks, making everyone surprised as they hear not his voice, but the voice of the man resting at the bed…but that was Meteor, himself, speaking. “Let fate take someone else away from me…?”

“He was already…”

“So what?” Meteor pushes Thancred away and as Y’shtola tries to scold him, as well, he looks around at the Scions.

His family.

His beloved family.

“I accept the consequences of my actions — and this is not because I am being grateful. This is because he doesn’t deserve that, neither that end or to just vanish away while I am the one who keeps going on…and on…” He looks towards the bed and he sighs, lowering himself until he is kneeling next to it. “…I want to give him the life he should’ve gotten.”

Silence reigns again.

And Meteor knows everyone probably realized the words he left unsaid —

I love him and I will go against the very fabric of the Star for him. I will face death again for him. I will bend the rules of destiny to my will, For him.

And so the Warrior of Light, whose destiny was to face an interminable battle alone — chained himself to another soul, to a soul that should be long gone.

And called him a soulmate.

[genderdotcom]

ffxivwrite2024 day 17: sally

the warrior of light faces her worst enemy yet: packing for a trip. (post-shb spoilers)

The suitcase’s gaping maw managed to loom ominously even from the floor. It hadn’t been this hard when she had left for the Far East, had it? No, back then she could have gone in her underclothes alone with nary a word of complaint, such was her verve to see her homeland freed… 

Now, though, she had no earthly clue what she was supposed to do. The towers, the lunar primals, Zenos, Fandaniel- it all blended and muddled together until the uncertainty was too much to bear. What use would she be in Sharlayan? A shoulder for the twins to lean on, to be sure, and she would bear their weight gladly- but with so much uncertainty even in Eorzea she was loath to leave.

The door opening shocked her out of her reverie.

“Oh, Fickle! I thought I’d missed you!” Lyse gasped, crossing the room in a few long strides and turning her around until they were face-to-face. The palm of her hand was warm on Fickle’s forearm, bringing to her notice the sudden chill in the air. Dusk came quickly to Ala Mhigo.

Fickle leaned in, meeting Lyse’s lips with her own for another shock of warmth. Lyse smiled against her and drew her closer still, though with care taken around her fangs- they’d made that mistake one time too many. One hand tangled in the fur at the back of her neck. The kiss deepened, teeth clacking in their earnestness, until Fickle broke away to lay her chin on Lyse’s head. An uncomplicated embrace.

“Soooo… what brings you here? I have to say, I thought most of your stuff was in the Rising Stones.”

“It is.” She mumbled into Lyse’s hair. “I left some stuff here last time, that’s all.” Lyse’s chambers in the war-ravaged capital weren’t much to write home about- she hardly spent time in them, after all, running to and fro trying to keep the Resistance on track- but there was a bed big enough for the two of them. That was all they needed in those uneventful, perfect months after Zenos was defeated. A bed to come back to…

It felt like a distant dream. Scant weeks ago, for Lyse, but the months and months spent in the First blurred Fickle’s memories at their edges until all that remained was the phantom feeling of warmth.

“I’ll miss you.” Reunited at last, and parted just as rapidly. Oh, if time could dilate like it did between worlds, that they could have a thousand cold evenings and warm mornings between these sheets. 

“I’ll miss you too, Fickle. But you aren’t leaving right this moment, are you? You haven’t started packing yet.”

Fickle broke away from the hug to look back at the suitcase. True enough, it hadn’t become any less empty, and its carpeted interior seemed to gaze at her judgingly, saying you couldn’t have thrown a bra in here in all the time you were ruminating?

“Ah.”

[akirakirxaa]

FFXIVWrite Prompt 19: Taken

Rating: E (for explicit)

Word Count: 1010

Summary: Akira gives in to her heart over her head for once. [ShB Era Akira x Emet, follows this and precedes this.]

[Master Post]

For a moment, the two fought for dominance, lips crushed together and tongues twisting against each other. She felt him grip one horn and tug her head to the side, baring her throat to him. He bit down, just hard enough for her to feel the pressure through the scales, and she couldn’t help the whine that escaped her lips.

Still riding the high of doing something she wanted to for once, she scrabbled at the ornate coat Emet-Selch wore, fingers deftly finding the clasps and buttons and sashes and did this thing ever come off? But eventually she was able to shove it from his shoulders, baring a laced up shirt, trousers, and boots. His hands wandered to her skirt and pulled it free, the fabric piling at her feet. As if to distract herself, she pulled at the laces of his shirt, loosening it and not thinking about how he pulled back enough to pull her singlet over her head.

She placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back and towards the bed, and with some more scrabbling at each other and probably some magic she didn’t notice in the rush, they ended up both on the bed, Akira perched atop Emet-Selch quite as if upon a chocobo, and…

And froze.

She didn’t want to stop, per say, but it was like she suddenly got a splash of water that brought her to her senses. What would her friends think? What would the people of the First think? What would the Exarch think? No longer caught up in the moment, Akira was now faced with having to actively choose to do this. His length was trapped between them, and it would only take the smallest movement to make it over this hurdle.

But she just couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t help but picture the looks of betrayal if the Scions discovered this…indiscretion. The hurt. Would Thancred lash out at her for it? Would they shun her? Would they turn her out, Warrior of Light or no? What would the Exarch think, after summoning her to save his world only to find that she’d slept with the enemy?

And in the storm of what ifs crept in her own disgust at her own body. She was too muscled, too scarred. She had too many scales, horns and a tail and surely he who already thought people like her to be a disgrace to the way life once was could not possibly want her—

“Hero? Are you in there, Hero?” his exasperated voice cut through her self doubt, but now she met his eyes of molten gold and he was looking at her and she was overcome by the need to hide.

“I…” It was as if Akira’s voice was stuck in her throat. Such a small thing. People did this kind of thing all the time, right? It was just sex, it didn’t need to be this complicated. But her body refused to move. His face softened at what must have been panic on her own.

“Do you want to stop?” he asked quietly, and she thought for a brief moment before shaking her head in an oh-so miniscule motion. It was like he had taken her heart in his hands and, despite whatever this was that was freezing her, she wouldn’t dream of stopping.

Even if it was a betrayal.

Then her world tipped, and now she was the one pinned beneath him, one of his hands holding one leg against his hip while his other pinned one of hers next to her head, fingers entwined together. Her face flushed as he nosed along one horn slowly.

“Would you prefer if I took the lead, then?” he murmured to her, and the breath over her horn made her heart pound all the more fiercely.

“Please,” she breathed. She thought she felt a smirk against her horn.

His hand drifted from holding her leg to the inside of her thigh, trailing up the sensitive skin until pressing into her folds, teasing out quiet whimpers and groans, her hips bucking against him. He slid his fingers around her entrance, but not pressing in.

“I… I need…” Akira panted out, but before she could finish, he pressed his mouth to hers, tongue easily slipping past her lips. As she kissed him back, he pulled her leg back up, wrapping it around his hip, and pressed in.

Akira couldn’t help the whine that slipped out; she was not oblivious to the obvious height difference between them, but the stretch was just barely short of too much and was just a hair more uncomfortable than it was pleasurable. As if he could read her mind, Emet-Selch stilled for the moment, hand supporting her leg roaming over her, brushing over her defined abdominal muscles and carefully teasing at one breast, mouth busy worrying her sensitive horn.

She slowly relaxed, and as she did, he carefully kissed his way down to her throat before biting. Her hips bucked, and the sensation, now far from pain, drew a whimpering gasp from her lips. Emet-Selch took that as the all clear, and he rolled his hips against her, drawing more of those little noises from her, face still bright red and eyes shut tight.

“Look at me,” his voice was almost as breathless as she felt, and she did, prying open her eyes to meet his. For a moment, she was lost in them, molten gold holding her captive. She felt like her skin was tingling, and she wondered if that was him, some magic of his. Perhaps a slip of his control, and while that should scare her…it didn’t. He surged forward, mouth crashing into hers in a more primal echo of the kiss they’d shared just moments ago, and Akira went pliant beneath him, yielding before the force of him. He groaned into her, and for some reason that was what sent her over the edge, and he swallowed her cries as he chased his own completion on the heels of hers.

[feralkwe]

For the DT questions meme, 2, 12, and 18

i love how we nearly same-brained these questions. xoxo

under a cut for spoilers.

2. what was the first thing they did when they arrived in tuliyollal?

kit took a moment to stand on the shore and just absorb everything into her senses. the sound of the waves, the warmth of the sun, the smell of the air, the color of the sky. she was charged with seeing as much of the world as she could, and it's something she takes very seriously. everything about this voyage held the promise of a new adventure, and she was determined not only to commit it to memory, but to pause in the moment and experience it in ways that previous adventures had not allowed for. it marked what she needed and wanted to be a new chapter of life, and she paused to ground herself in that before taking steps forward.

12. what was their opinion of the culture of recycling souls and the use of regulators? did this change as the story progressed?

much like aubrey, she was utterly and wholly horrified. that very much did not change. given all of the loved ones--friends, mentors, lovers--whose souls have returned to the aetherial sea, she could not find any way to be okay with the idea of denying that rest and renewal of life to them. to the very depths of who she is it felt wrong and tragic in a way that made her physically ill. the more she thought about it the more angry she became and the more determined that it had to stop. not only that, but the removal of those souls from the memories of their loved ones terrified and devastated her. being able to remember those loved ones is a responsibility that, sure, comes with pain, but is a privilege to her as well. the charge to remember is what she considers perhaps her most important duty, and one she will see fulfilled in the names of those who carried it before her. there is no world where she would be able to accept it.

18. what important relationships changed or developed throughout dawntrail?

i knew before i read them all you'd pick this one for kit lol. obviously her relationship with thancred and urianger changed. ew ended with things uncertain for them, and dt offered a new opportunity to remember what drew them together in the first place while offering the fun of a friendly rivalry that was oddly healing. it also added another... shall we say element that i am still figuring out much to my own outrage. why do they keep doing this to me? some days i miss the simplicity that was just kit and urianger lol.

kit also always liked erenville, but they really had a chance to develop a friendship through dawntrail. getting to go on a journey with him alone was an incredible experience for her and she's come to care for him deeply. he quickly and easily elevated himself to a place where he is cherished by her.

most interesting to me is the way she was able to finally start the process of healing the rift between herself and g'raha. because my timeline for her has stb/shb/ew all happening one on top of the other, she's not really had the chance to address her harsh, ugly, and slightly unfair feelings toward him. where she'd cooled to indifference to his presence, there was finally a moment where she was able approach the pain. you know the one. she's known for a while that she was being too hard on him, and that he deserves her grace at least as much as emet-selch or elidibus did, but has been resistant to actually taking the steps to change that. i'm actually relieved, and look forward to digging into how that all played out.

also, the mentor/mentee relationship she's built with wuk lamat is something which has been very good for her. it's much different to the one she has with alisaie in ways i'm too tired to try and parse out right now, but probably relates to the hot girl warrior fun times they had. it was something which delighted me throughout the msq.

thanks for the asks! i had such a fun time with dawntrail and will take any opportunity to chatter about it!