#yugiri can be very frightening

[elizabethrobertajones]

oooh right. He does drop the accent and descend into Zenos Voice(TM) for a moment -

Everything else in the Yugiri confrontation he still uses the clipped British Military accent but when he looks at the WoL and sees them for the first time properly he does the growl. And of course it's when he takes his helmet off and goes mask off.

...

one of the other things that stood out in this cutscene is a critique I saw once from someone on Yostusu's writing. True she's all

and she does back back off, but she is definitely more bored than frightened, and perhaps annoyed that she's chosen to go about mostly unarmed (maybe she starts carrying a gun after this even?). If you wander over to do the fight next to her in phase 1 (drop a few concentrativities on her for a laugh) she's just standing there arms folded waiting for this inconvenience to be over.

I think in a way it's like. She has confidence that Zenos WILL kill everyone but she can't really contribute without Gryhnwat or whatever his name is (I'm just dyslexically reading it and those are the letters I see in my head for him :P) and her chance to impress is very low since her men are getting mowed down by the shinobi because Zenos doesn't ever fight to preserve troops - he does literally challenge Yugiri to kill the lot of them if she wants to honour of fighting him, because they're just pawns he deploys ahead of himself in battle to weed out people who won't even be worth a glance.

In any case, Yotsuyu has no part to play in this battle, because Zenos has commanded the battlefield and it makes a parallel between her having this hulking idiot roe as her back up muscle. True he's a force of destruction but the very thing which makes him hers to command - him being a self-centered idiot who's only looking out for himself and trying to please bosses that will let him get back to Eorzea to fight us again, is literally what Zenos lacks, because he is so effortlessly powerful and driven that even if Gryhnwat and his roles were reversed and HE was the lackey and Gryhnwat was the prince, Zenos would be the more in control and commanding on the battlefield simply because of his personality.

Yotsuyu can ONLY try and direct that in the most abstract ways. Debatably, sex appeal to get in the door. More likely he approves of and fed her hate and promised her she could do a lot of murder because it aligns with his values and she's got an interesting bottomless well of revenge he's stoking and who knows, maybe would have eventually fought her himself one day if none of the Stormblood plot had happened, simply out of curiosity if it would make her bloodlust worthy of what he was seeking.

And she also gives him swords to try and shape his mood/keep him on her side.

The critique I saw was that she spends this fight cowering - she doesn't. She goes from standing at the side coolly to cowering only in phase 2 when Zenos pulls out Ame-no-Habakiri, and starts glowing red and being twice as explodey to fight as earlier.

She NEVER cowers away from Yugiri or the WoL. She's terrified of Zenos and the gift she gave him. (Which I am assuming is a whole metaphor for her flipping Doma to him and the destruction it brung/will bring to her honestly)

And at the end of the cutscene when they walk off, Zenos elects not to attack the newly rallied Namai people and everyone who showed up to join you, even when Yotsuyu is anticipating that they're about to get slaughtered (villagers with literal sticks!). But it's exactly what Zenos had been hoping for when he implemented his Doma strategy (completely destructive to the Empire as a long-term plan desire to feed the hate there and try and bring out more interesting people to fight long after they'd stewed in real suffering and had more oomph to bring to a round two just as he is priming the WoL for a better fight by leaving us to grow...)

Since he just walks off with a smirk, all Yotsuyu can do is follow and leave it behind too because she doesn't have her goon to crush them easily, she's left relying on Zenos to do the crushing, and he isn't interested in quick easy catharsis or revenge of just smushing Domans like bugs. And of course he outranks her so she can't do anything about it, but I think her moment of terror shows us just how unstable her sense of power is, over Doma, and the fact she can't control him and he's unfathomable to her, and even when they both want to wreak havoc in Doma they're at utter cross purposes on WHY and HOW they want to terrorise the populace...

She's shown to be in a horribly weak position compared to Zenos's apathy and single minded selfish desire, because unlike her goon's, which necessarily is a people-pleasing selfishness, Zenos doesn't care for anyone. And she's given him all the tools to be SO dangerous. It feels like in this moment she's just grasping just how tenuous it all is here, and following orders and falling in line with him, small and obedient.

Actually the real thing that hits going back and doing SB on NG+ is Zenos' english voice acting - he's SO posh in a "this man is played by Bendydonk Cumbersome in a sad war drama villain" way. He's DRIPPING the 1900s imperialism. I think this coding is why I never took to him because he was SO evil British and I've been trained to hear that accent and assume he's going to try and shoot the War Horse or whatever. That's a guy who will yell at his troops to charge an artillery assault on foot.

It's really noticeable that post-SB his voice changes from the cut to the throat and subsequent Elidibus-ing because he does not ever sound like this again even when he's got his body back, and his later voice is far more neutral "i can fix him" evil which, while he's been beyond saving for me from the first time I heard him speak, at least makes sense to me why someone might like him and be able to work with that.

Raised by British media though and always happy to watch a historical drama, I struggle so much not to start at the typecasting the voice gives me :'D

[hnours]

@echobled​ sent: hisui is... not staring at the pretty au ra, no. perish the thought.

          stares weren’t foreign to yugiri mistwalker; in fact, she had become accustomed to them— all kinds of stares: from the unfriendly ones to the more favourable pleasant ones, from the frightful ones to the reverent ones, she suffered them wherever and whenever she appeared as if she wasn’t a person of her own but a mere exotic creature to be dissected apart, scrutinised even for breathing. it used to bother her so much that she, in desperation, despite lord hien’s attempt to reassure her there was no such thing, resorted to finding safety in the comfort of garments covering every bit of skin, and concealing any hints of flawed oddity that might attract unwanted attention; it was cowardly, she knew, but at that time, what could she probably have done to change the situation? today was a different story though. things had changed drastically, and so did yugiri mistwalker. 

           no longer coweing beneath the false sense of security, yugiri was now proudly embracing her heritage as a raen aura of sui-no-sato descendent, and of doman cultures in the far-away land of eorzea. although much more work needed to be done before the alienation completely went away, she was comfortable enough to walk the crowded streets of ul’dah bare faced. still clad in armour and fully armed of course lest unfortunate events befell her (she surely hoped her luck wasn’t that... rotten), but this was definitely a change, a development, a step forward to reach for promising prospects. however, it didn’t mean she was comfortable with stares that lingered longer than neccessary no matter what the intentions were, be it good or ill or whatever in between— she had had enough of that to last a lifetime. if her days with the scions had taught her anything, it was the bravery to speak for one’s self, to not be afraid and stand one’s ground.

          with a sharp turn, yugiri quickly located the source of the staring and approached them: it was another raen aura, surprisingly, someone who share a bit of similarities with her in this sea of strangers. nevertheless, that couldn’t dissipate the mild annoyance which was threatening to surface any minute.     ‘ pardon my sudden intrusion but, ’     she said once she was within talking range, polite as ever despite the furrowing brows suggesting otherwise.     ‘ is there something you wish to speak to me? ’

[sailorsanghelios]

FFXIV ficlets but this time with my Au’ra WOL

In honor of it apparently being Au’ra April on Twitter, I dusted off this WIP of my Au’ra WOL, Seiro being shippy with Yugiri in the aftermath of the 2.5 Bloody Banquet. Really like how this one turned out, even though I haven’t written something this self indulgent and shippy in a VERY long time.

--------- “Seiro are you alright?”

Seiro had been distracted, looking out the window as the snow fell. While he appreciated the hospitality of his dear friend, Lord Haurchefant, he had never liked the cold, and even bundled up and drinking the hot drinks brought to him, it felt unbearably cold to him.

“I am not.” he said honestly. “But I will pretend I am, for Alphinaud and Tataru’s sake…. Thank you for rescuing Tataru by the way. It means the world to me.”

Perhaps the only bit of warmth he felt now, was as Yugiri crouched beside him.  He couldn’t help but stare at her, even though he knew it probably unnerved her. She almost felt like a completely different person to him, he hadn’t ever thought about what she might look like.

She smiled at him, “ I have to say I expected Alphinaud’s reaction of shock, I have to be the first woman of our kind he’s ever seen. But you?”

Seiro racked his brain and realized something, “...I’ll be honest I haven’t seen a woman of our kind, since I was separated from my mother as a child.” His heart felt heavy, thinking about such a thing in an already emotionally charged and exhausting night. “And I honestly don’t remember it very well. I mean perhaps occasionally I’d see one in the distance, but never up close.”

“Your Garlean master did not like you consorting with other Au’ra?”

Seiro’s eyes widened as he dropped the cup of hot liquid onto the floor. He locked eyes with Yugiri, his face growing hot with shame. He knew how hard she fought against the Garleans, how they made her, and their own people, the ones he had forsaken, suffer.  And perhaps after finally meeting someone who made him feel less lonely, he was afraid of her hating him the same way.

But Yugiri only had a gentle smile, “I see and I listen to everything. I’ve known since the beginning of course. I heard the Garleans even in Doma speak of you, the Warrior of Light, the former legionary fighting against the empire, defeating your former legatus. Are you so torn from Doma that you forgot there’s little that one can hide from a shinobi?”

“...you do not hate me?” he whispered.  

“ No...if anything I pitied you.”

Somehow that felt even worse to Seiro.

“ My pride in my people, in Doma, is one of the few things that kept me moving forward in my life. And to see a fellow Doman…”

“Yugiri…” Seiro gently put his hand against her shoulder, “...Yugiri I am not a Doman. Perhaps by birth I am but...I’ve long forgotten everything. I was made to forget it, I was made to feel ashamed of it...until I met you and the other refugees in Mor Dhona, I had felt no kinship with the Domans. And even now I feel selfish, even feeling it in the first place.”

Yugiri looked at him, her voice gentle, but firm, “Seiro… Doma will be free. And you will return there someday. We both will.  There is work to do here, of course. But someday the time will come when we can return home.”

He looked at her longingly,and she did so back, and he leaned forward. Perhaps he wouldn’t have done so in less dire circumstances, it was rather out of character for him to be so emotionally forthcoming, but his lips met against her forehead. The chill of Camp Dragonhead seemed to completely disappear as he was pressed against her warmth, clutching against her soft hair.

He suddenly pulled back though, ashamed of how forward he’d been, afraid of having frightened her, but instead she was smiling, and pulled against his armor to motion him to lean back down, and she kissed him against the scales on the side of his face.

As she pulled back, her voice was breathy, “and here I was thinking I was a fool for even having any stir in my heart toward the great Warrior of Light.”

He felt his own heart flutter, with the same sort of stir she was probably describing, before it sank down, “I am no longer great. I am a fugitive who has lost almost everything.”

“ Don’t let Lord Greysfone hear you say that, or he might give you a rousing speech the same way he did Master Leveilleur.”

Seiro gave a small stilted smile at that, before it instantly cracked, “...Alphinaud is young. He lacks the baggage I do.”

He absent mindedly stoked his hand against the side of his head, feeling the jagged edges of his horns. Only hours earlier when Ilberd had first bound him, he had yanked at Seiro’s horns, bringing him down to his height, and spat into them, “ I should have known better than to ever trust an imperial lapdog like you. I know your kind, they lure you in with scraps when you’re young and train you like one of their ugly dogs. And the only cure is to put them down.No matter how much you play the hero, you’ll run back to your masters in the end.”

Since the moment he had stepped into Lord Veritas’ manor, he’d felt like a monster among men. It was a feeling that’d only become worse as he went through puberty, suddenly towering over his benefactor, his horns and tail growing out, his eyes having that uncanny ability of glowing in the dark, He had always had it drilled in him, that no matter what he did, and how he succeeded, he was just a monster among the Garleans.

And now in Eorzea, it was that Garlean connection that made him feel like a monster. Even now he still used the name “Veritas”, an obvious Garlean name, because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember any other name he’d had. It was a connection he wished he could break, but Ilberd for all his treachery had been right about one thing, it would never truly be broken. No matter what the Mother Crystal told him, no matter how she said he was her chosen warrior, he had initially come to Eorzea as an invader. 

Fitting for a shinobi, he did not see Yugiri reach for him, and his eyes widened and he was jolted from his brooding, as he felt her hands gently stroke his horns. “ I know it doesn’t mean much. But it takes much more than this to convince me I was wrong about your greatness.”

The smile she gave, so warm and inviting, made his heart beat even faster, feeling like it was about to burst from his rib cage. And yet again it happened so fast, first it was their eyes locking onto each other, and then suddenly they had pulled closer to each other, with Yugiri sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around his torso. Their lips had been a fraction of an ilm from connecting, when they’d heard another voice.

“Would you like to be shown to your room dear friend? Though perhaps you want more privacy than sharing a room with Master Alphinaud.”

In the time it took for Seiro’s heart to sink to his feet, Yugiri had entangled herself from him with the speed and grace only a shinobi could have. She bowed apologetically at the Elezen looming over them with a grin on his face “Lord Haurchefant, thank you for your hospitality, I believe I should return-“

“Nonsense. You have my full blessing to stay the night. I believe it might help the spirits of our Warrior of Light here.” Haurchefant winked at him, and Seiro looked away flustered. 

“No, I must begin looking for the missing Scions.” Yugiri insisted, “The longer we wait to begin our search, the more likely their trails are to run cold.”

“Ah that makes sense. The best of luck to you then.”

As Yugiri walked past Seiro, she gently rubbed her hand against the scales on his cheeks, “We will meet again, Seiro. I know the kami will, will it.”

He smiled, giving her a nod as she left.

“I knew there had to be some way to defrost you my friend. I always thought it never suited a hero to be frostier than Coerthas itself.” 

Seiro’s face fell flat as he looked into Haurchefant’s smirk. He had never known someone to smirk in such a friendly way.

“ Do not be ashamed, Seiro. You two make a handsome pair.”

“...its frivolous to think of such things when my comrades are missing or perhaps...worse.” As the words left his lips, Seiro suddenly felt ashamed. Even Thancred, would not be entertaining the idea of romance right now.

“ The dawn always arrives, no matter how dark it is before. Life must continue. I doubt your comrades would want you wallowing in misery. Or well, in more misery than usual.”

Seiro knew that changing Haurchefant’s romantic stances on the world was as futile as arguing with the brick walls surrounding them, “You said something about a room?”

“ Ah yes. We set up a room in one of the barracks. You will have to share with both Master Alphinaud and Lady Tataru, which I apologize for,  but with the possibility of Dravanian attack-”

“As long as it's warm, I’m fine.” With Yugiri now having left, he felt almost relieved his normal practicality had returned. “Take me to it. I’m tired.”

[windup-dragoon]

“I love her.” (for Hien! I don't see enough Hien love on my dash)

Thank you so much @vestaloflight!!!!!! I had been sitting on this idea for a while and now I just have a reason to write it. THANK YOUUU. And I agree, there needs to be more Hien appreciation. Stormblood might have been rough but Hien was still worth it. 

【Ｕｎｒａｖｅｌ】

Ｈｉｅｎ ｘ Ｋｉｒｉｓｈｉｍｉ

Ｗｏｒｄ ｃｏｕｎｔ： １,２８３

Everything felt a blur. His ears rang still with an echo of steel clashing. Enough so that he was certain this would breed the most nauseating headache he has ever had to endure. But by the kami, he yet lived. His body, aching as it was, still drew breath. 

Hien sucked in a lung full of smokey air, coughing through an abrupt pain that blossomed in his ribs. Pale eyes blinked away the haze as he willed himself awake. Out of the whirling darkness that was unconsciousness. While he had hoped he would awaken in his own bed, to the familiar sounds of Doma in the early mornings, Hien frowned at the sight around him. 

Soldiers scurried about, calling for aid and hefting supplies around the camp. Ghimlyt. 

The prince forced himself upright on his cot, gingerly pressing his fingertips to his sides, checking himself for injury. But it was a wasted effort. His chest piece had already been discarded and replaced with fresh bandages. 

“Lord Hien,” Yugiri called softly, having been tending to other matters not even steps away until now. “Pray, rest a moment. Your injuries will only worsen.” 

But by the looks of it, Yugiri was also among the injured here. Her own arm wrapped and cheek bruising just beneath her left eye. Hien gave her a dismissive grunt and a shake of his head. “There will be time to rest after this is over.” 

Yugiri set her eyes upon the ground at her feet. She was was hardly surprised hearing him say as much. “Aye. Truly, ‘tis fortunate that she came to our aid when she did.” 

At this the young prince looked up suddenly, his foggy green eyes beginning to brighten. “She?” He repeated the word before the realization of it set in. “Kirishimi?” 

The hazed edges of his memory began to pull away. In such a weakened state, he had nearly forgotten the events that ultimately lead him to this very cot, nursing broken ribs and an encroaching migraine. Like light pouring in behind a drawn curtain it rushed back to him, nearly stealing the breath from his very lungs as he recalled it. 

A painful vibration that rocked his body as his blade met with Zenos’ own. The shower of sparks with each clash that sizzled and died at his feet in the bloodied mud and dirt. But yet in one twist of the Garlean’s wrist and Hien was thrown back several yalms. He recalled the pain that erupted in his chest as he collapsed there on the spot. They all had succumbed to the Garlean’s might. He had struggled to reclaim his footing, to rise up once more like all of Doma had. But his knees buckled beneath him. All had seemed so hopelessly lost. 

“She came for us.” Hien announced with eyes closed, reliving the moment as if it were still happening. 

He had heard the desperate pounding of a soldier running into battle. Half expecting a stray military officer, Hien willed himself to look up to his defender. Zenos’ new challenger. But his breath hitched at the sight. Hair like moonlight swayed in the dismal heat of the fighting. He had no need to see her face to know in that moment who it was that stood between him and an uncertain fate. 

With a burst of drumming filling his aching chest Hien rose to his feet from his cot. His sheer determination diminishing the pain that plagued him. “Where is she?” 

Yugiri was quiet. No protest for the young prince to rest. Not even an upward glance to meet his eyes. 

His throat tightened. That rabbit heart of his, having beat so fast only moments ago, now felt dead. Ice in his veins. All at once he felt numb, not only to his aches and pain but to the wind and world around him. 

Was this the will of the kami? Had Zenos truly bested her so easily? Was she alone on that battlefield, dying? 

The thought alone tore at Hien. He had promised her. He had told her that everything would work itself out in the end. That they would see a future worth living together, with all of Eorzea and Doma at their side. Had he truly lied to her? 

He still recalled the tremble in her hand as he held it only hours before the fighting had begun. A frightened quiver that only seemed to settle in his grip. He had looked her in the eye and lied. 

“Lord Hien!” Yugiri’s voice was a distant sound to the crushing weight of Hien’s thoughts. He so desperately tried to recall her face beneath closed eyes. To hear the slightest catch in her voice, a hint of a laugh. He loved those moments and now hated it all the same. But a rise in Yugiri’s voice caused him to withdraw from those now painful memories. “My lord, look! Ser Aymeric returned!” 

Hien did as instructed, following Yugiri’s alarmed gaze. His jaw slacked and heart thundered back to life. 

Aymeric, flanked by Ishgardian soldiers, sprinted into the encampment and began shouting for his men. It was not Aymeric’s arrival alone that had caught the Domans interest. But rather what the Elezen cradled in his arms. The prince couldn’t waste a single precious moment and immediately ran to Aymeric’s side.

“Lord Hien,” Aymeric regarded the Doman prince, relieved to see him awake. “You’re awake already-” 

But Hien cut Aymeric short, not interested in anything but the woman limp in his arms. “Is she alright?!” 

Kirishimi’s expression could have fooled him. Made him believe she was simply asleep in the Lord Commanders arms. She always did go on about how much she enjoyed naps. But Hien was no fool. Death could easily wear the same mask. 

Sensing the dread in Hien, Aymeric nodded. “Aye. For now. But I fear there may be little that can be done for her here.” The ebony haired elezen squeezed shut his own eyes, clutching tighter to the fallen warrior in his care. Such a mighty thing, so frail and doll-like. 

“The other scions...” Hien knew to which Aymeric meant immediately. Everyone else around her had already fallen victim to this sleeping curse to which they did not yet wake. Aymeric feared the worse, as he should. 

A trembling hand reached for the woman in the others arms, dusting her icy cheek with a feather touch of his palm. He hated this. This bitter taste of helplessness. It was no different than leaving her to face the newly birthed primal, Tsukuyomi. Never had he run from a fight before until that day. Only Kirishimi and her friends stood to fight. 

“She will be taken to Ishgard,” Aymeric announced, his tone level. “I will escort her personally.” 

Ishgard? How far away was that? Hien cursed under his breath. Why couldn’t they be in Doma? Where he himself could look after her and greet her with a clumsy but heartfelt ‘good morning’ when she woke. What he wouldn’t give to be at her side, now more than ever. 

Aymeric adjusted the motionless Kirishimi in his grasp, stirring Hien and prompting him to withdraw his hand. 

“I love her,” His throat tightened as the words flew from his lips. It was akin to dying a thousand painful deaths not being able to hold her himself. To let her head rest in the crook of his shoulder and against his neck where she could hear for herself just how his heart sang for her. “So please...” 

Although this outburst of a proclamation had taken Aymeric by surprise, he lowered his head in acknowledgement and offered his best mask of a smile. “I understand.” 

[livvyplaysfinalfantasy]

The 4.2 quests begin with a recap on things in Gyr Abania: the Resistance has been formally instated as Ala Mhigo's standing army, with Raubahn Aldynn at its head; the Qalyana have appointed Shanti's daughter, the undead Anamika, as their new leader; and Fordola is still taciturn. But there's word of urgent news coming out of Kugane... from Hancock of all people.

Upon your arrival, he informs you that a new detachment of imperial soldiers has been brought to the embassy to investigate rumors of a woman who may or may not be Yotsuyu - and that this woman travels with a man greatly resembling Gosetsu. Yugiri has alerted Hien and come to search for Gosetsu herself. Hancock, for his part, has pledged "one of the best informants money can buy" - which so happens to be Gyodo, the Namazu who sold you out to the Garleans on your first visit to Kugane. Fortunately, the threat of Lyse and her "boot" is enough to earn his loyalty; he points you to a pawn shop broker to whom Gosetsu sold his precious katana in order to earn enough funds to survive and cross the Ruby Sea.

Alphinaud then buys back the katana at asking price, without first checking the cost... thereby plunging the Scions of the Seventh Dawn into enormous debt. This moment becomes a recurring gag throughout 4.2 and beyond - but while it's cute and silly, I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical of it. Alphinaud spent most of 4.1, the previous patch, going through the finances of all of Ala Mhigo and was wary of Monetarist interference the entire time. He's come far since his days of handling the Crystal Braves' fundraising, and the inattentions that concealed Ilberd's betrayal. While interfacing with merchants is a completely different set of skills from accounting, it simply doesn't strike me as characteristic of Alphinaud to be so unscrupulous with money, even when a friend's legacy is on the line. This was one of several moments in 4.2 when I felt as though I didn't recognize the character that was being shown to me - and this was a remarkably low-stakes instance.

That said, I can't be too mad with how this patch handled Alphinaud, because there's a great moment shortly thereafter: as the party joins forces with Soroban to head to the Ruby Sea, they discover Garlean airships firing upon the Confederacy. Alphinaud's response is to jump into the ocean, despite barely knowing how to swim, resulting in the single greatest noise at 22:52.

A battle is already underway by the time you reach the shores of Sakazuki - a battle with an injured Gosetsu at its center, and a frightened Yotsuyu cowering behind him. The Garleans have pulled out all the stops to make sure Yotsuyu returns dead or alive; they drop what feels like a million magitek armors on top of the tiny island. Needless to say, your arrival is timely, and your friend is grateful for the assistance. Your joyous reunion with Gosetsu doesn't make it any less jarring for the party to hear him speak calmingly to Yotsuyu, calling her "Tsuyu." Gosetsu explains the circumstances behind their survival, the state of Yotsuyu's memory, and his internal dilemma to kill her - all with her standing right there behind him. Ultimately, Gosetsu decided that, because the kami granted them both survival, it would be Hien's decision as to whether or not she would live. This logic confounds even Yugiri, but with that, the two of them join you as you make for the Doman enclave.

This introduction to Yotsuyu as "Tsuyu" encompasses a lot of what made the 4.2 and 4.3 arc such a frustrating experience for me. From here on out, one of the main questions at stake in the story is whether or not Yotsuyu will regain her independence or even have any sort of life worth living. It's a question just as much of agency as redemption, if not more so - and yet the cast, even Gosetsu, treat her as though she isn't there, or is an inanimate object, or is unable to hear and understand what's being said. Yotsuyu is given so little room in her own story to express herself until the very end of 4.3, leaving players to rely on other characters to set the tone for her own regrowth - and yet those characters offer her only infantilization (Gosetsu re: dango), objectification (Gosetsu and later Hien openly discussing her fate) or sexualization (Tansui: "Call her 'Tsuyu' or whatever else tickles your fancy."), with only limited acknowledgement on the story’s part that this very behavior contributes to the same sort of mistreatment and neglect that Yotsuyu has suffered throughout her life.

[shieldandword]

NAME OF YOUR MUSE: Imry Ceigwardwyn ONE PICTURE YOU LIKE BEST OF YOUR MUSE’S FC: TWO HEADCANONS YOU HAVE FOR YOUR MUSE: THREE THINGS THAT YOUR MUSE LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME: -Eating. Imry loves food and trying new food, and wherever she goes she loves to sample the local cuisine. She's known for loading up on street food or other goodies and distributing it to her travelling companions just as part of her routine. When visiting her sister, she'll always bring her a lunch, knowing Raiya gets wrapped up in her work and forgets to eat. Suffice to say, if Imry is giving you food it means she's fond of you. She's not much of a culinarian herself (too liable to burn things by accident) but can make some simple dishes. Honestly, this habit is probably how she won Akiv'a over to begin with. -Training. Imry has a lot of energy and has a hard time sitting still. As a child, she explored every inch of her parents' ship and was usually found clambering up the rigging whether she was supposed to be up there or not. Now that she's older she channels it into a morning fitness routine. -knots. She grew up on a ship and knows all sorts of sailors' knots and things, and will make bracelets and the like out of string and give them as gifts. SEVEN PEOPLE THAT YOUR MUSE LOVES/LIKES: Akiv'a Ryaol- her best friend and closest companion for several years. They met when Imry was a fledgling adventurer who had gotten in over her head with a pack of monsters, and he stepped in to help her. She annoyed the heck out of him at first but somehow grew on him, and now they fight side by side so in sync that it's often commented on. (They're not infrequently mistaken for a couple despite both being gay.) The two of them are as different as night and day but absolutely devoted to one another. Tohnrune Rokren- a dashing sky pirate captain who preys on slavers and other lawless brigands that target the weak and helpless. Imry met her during the whole Void Ark saga and the two of them hit it off and stayed in touch after that. Tohn visits old friends in Ishgard often, and it was during one such visit she learned about Imry's feelings for her. Though their paths often take them apart from each other for periods of time, their relationship seems to be holding up fairly well. Raiya Ceigwardwyn- Imry's older sister by four years. Though she can seem rather awkward and unfriendly, she's simply not very skilled with social graces and prefers the company of like-minded people. (i.e. people she can talk magitek with) Though she and Imry are very different and had rough spots in the past, she's very fond of her excitable younger sister--and quite protective of her. (By our modern standards, Imry is definitely hyperactive-ADHD and Raiya is autistic and probably inattentive-ADHD. Suffice to say having a loud and boisterous younger sibling when you have sensory overload leads to some issues.) Yulili Yuli- a girl a year younger than Imry. They met one year at the Moonfire Faire & she decided to run off with Imry and Akiv'a to become an adventurer, which had always been her dream. She doesn't have much natural talent for magic but makes up for it with sheer determination. She and Imry dated briefly (about 3 months) before Yulili decided she wanted someone who was a bit more attentive. (Read: not married to their job) They've remained good friends, however. N'valyh Tia- a mercenary who once took a job that put Imry and Akiv'a in danger. He's since managed to redeem himself by saving Akiv'a's life and decided to stick around. Val is like an older brother to her & she likes listening to him tell wild stories. He challenged her to a drinking contest once and lost. (Its very, very difficult to get her drunk due to her size) For his part he tries to look out for her because he knows all too well that people will take advantage of her trusting nature. (As he did himself...) He taught her some hand-to-hand techniques so she could still fight if disarmed. Delphinius lux Catullus- a young prodigy who wanted to become a doctor and instead ended up in over his head among the horrific Imperial Science Division. He was sent on a trip to the facility at Castrum Abania which unfortunately coincided with the Alliance pushback into Ala Mhigo, and was captured as a prisoner of war. Imry met him when going to speak with a group of prisoners in order to assuage their fears of execution, and noticed him trying to treat an injured man with no supplies. Imry had an Echo vision of him trying to sneak food to a battered test subject and being tormented by his peers for it. Recognizing the test subject as someone she knew (Cota) she went to him to have him vouch for Delphinius' character, and he was given some limited freedom (with supervision) to lend his expertise to treating the wounded, friend and enemy alike. Imry intimidates the hell out of him, having grown up on various horror stories about the residents of Eorzea, but he's beginning to warm up to her. For her part Imry has already decided he's friend-shaped, which is a thing she does. She thinks his commitment to medical ethics is very admirable. -Ketenbraena is literally Imry's other half. Created from her negative emotions--loneliness, grief, fear--they knew nothing else for the first few months of their existence. Keten mistakenly sought to protect Imry from harm by taking control of her body for a time, but when her friends demanded her return, they attempted to bury themselves in her subconscious to escape what they saw as a failure to live up to their only purpose. Distressed by this turn of events, Imry used the power of her Crystal of Light to give Keten a corporeal form at great cost to her own aether. Keten saw this as a betrayal and a rejection, and they resented her for a long time. Eventually they began to form their own bonds with others and come into their own as an individual, and reconciled with her. Even when they weren't really on speaking terms, Keten was fiercely protective of Imry to an almost frightening degree. They've mellowed out quite a bit at least, and the two seem more like close siblings now. -(NPC bonus round: she sees Thancred as a sort of older brother, and for his part he is fond of her but worries a bit about her extreme naivete. -Y'shtola intimidates her a bit. Y'shtola thinks she's a bit too much like Lyse and one Lyse is enough. Probably exasperated fondness. -Lyse and Imry get along like...well. they're kind of a force of nature together. -Imry thinks Alphinaud is great now that he makes an effort not to use big words she can't understand all the time. Alphinaud probably had a puppy crush on her at some point but gave up when he realized she's definitely only into girls. He's sort of protective of her over the fact that people assume she's stupid and will take time to explain things in a way she can understand. -Imry thinks Alisaie is great and the feeling seems to be mutual. -Haurchefant. She adores him. (Not romantically, unfortunately for him, but.) Finally someone as excited about things as she is. -she has a big fuckin crush on Yugiri (like she does on literally every girl she meets, hopeless) and thinks she is the coolest TWO THINGS YOUR MUSE REGRETS: Imry is not really the regretting type for the most part. She's very in the present. However, the things she dwells on tend to be the times she's failed to live up to her responsibility as a protector for her friends. (Something Keten definitely inherited from her) (In terms of MSQ, the end of ARR and the Vault are Big Ones. But that's not especially unique.) More recently, she had a compounded misunderstanding with Akiv'a that turned into a fight. They made up, but she wishes she'd tried harder to understand him rather than take their friendship for granted. A PHOBIA YOUR MUSE HAS: Yarzons. Spiders in general, she's leery about banemites but she thinks yarzons are the worst. If you ask she'll probably mumble something about their legs while gesturing wildly.

[iamsarsa]

Untitled Fic.

Setting up my OC for Stormblood. Thancred/OC, past Haurchefant/OC mentioned. I couldn’t for the life of me, figure out a good ending line to this. I still feel like its awkward but oh well.

It was surprisingly easy to find her - she was in the first place Thancred looked. He knew that her Inn room would be empty, she didn't have many things stashed there and he knew she preferred to travel light anyway. No, he knew where she would be and despite the cold, he made his way to Camp Dragonhead to inquire. While he had made the trek to Dragonhead once or twice, he had never gone... there, where he knew she would be, most assuredly alone. It only took a few words with Emmanellain to find out the exact location, and he set out in the cold despite the chill settling into his bones. Coerthas was a far cry from the warmth of Ul'dah, and today in particular the wind seemed to have a particular bite too it. To distract himself, he mulled over the encounter that led to this possible fool's errand - an encounter from what he had thought was the least likely person to tattle on Selphie. "She wants to leave." Thancred glanced up from his near empty mug, raising an eyebrow at 129A, "She wants to what now?" She stood next to him, rigid, those odd red eyes boring into him and repeated herself, "Selphie wishes to leave Eorzea. She is planning to travel with Yugiri and Gotetsu to Doma." Thancred let out a laugh, "Well, if she wishes to help - I think Doma would do her well, although you need to be sure she doesn't get in her head to study the art of the samurai, I don't think she'd do well with such a weapon." 129A shook her head, almost patronizingly as though she were trying to talk to a very small child, "I was not finished. She intends on leaving the Scions, and..." she stops for a moment, searching for the right word, "She wishes to leave everyone behind. She intends on disappearing and hoping you all take her for dead." Her bluntness startled him, and he could only look at her in confusion trying to make sense of what she had said, "So what you're saying is... she intends on faking her death? What kind of nonse-" She interrupted, "She intends on disappearing and letting you fill in the blanks. She thinks it will be better this way, and I do not have the ability to convince her otherwise." That sparks anger in him, and he slams his drink down, "Letting us 'fill in the blanks'? What in seven hells does that mean? What in god's name is she thinking?" 129A offers him a shrug, "I do not know. She is not thinking logically, I agree, it is why I came to you." she stops herself, an odd look of confusion spreading across her usually stoic face, "I do not wish to leave the Scions, and I think perhaps she does not either. But I think her emotions are overriding her senses, and I do not have the capacity to reason with her. I do not understand the feelings she has in regards to all of you, she says it is what is "best to protect you all" - and I am unable to understand her reasoning." Thancred lets out a sigh, reaching a hand up to rub his forehead, "No, it's alright... I can guess why she'd be acting like this. I'll talk with her," he looks at 129A... no, Aea, curiously, "Thank you for telling me." "You're... welcome. I hope you can help her." By the time he finally reached Providence Point he felt like he had become one giant ice block, and for one brief second he thought this journey had all been in vain - and that she wouldn't be there; she was already halfway to Doma and he had already lost her. But he saw her, sitting in the snow, one knee up and her head resting on it, her tail curled protectively around her shivering body. In one hand was a bottle, and scattered around her were empty ones. He cringed, noting the snow that had begun to pile up on not only the bottles, but also on her frail frame. And then... in front of her was the memorial, his memorial - the man he only really knew of as a ghost that his lover had once loved and that had given his life to save her. He could hear her mumbling to herself, punctuated only by the occasional choked sob that was forced back with a swift drink from her bottle. Not wanting to frighten her, he walked up slowly before kneeling beside her to lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You really should consider warmer clothes when you come here, my love." She jumped, falling backwards into the cold snow, her eyes looking at him with a wild and surprised look. "Thancred?!" Her eyes faded from surprise to one of guilt, "What... what are you doing here?" He sat down beside her, taking the bottle she held and taking a swig out of it before speaking, "A little bird told me you'd be here, before you left on your journey." "Oh, right...  yeah, I'll be leaving for Doma. I just wanted to pay um, my respects and all that before we left with Yugiri." He looked at her, taking another drink before speaking, "But you weren't planning on saying goodbye to the living?" She looked at him, her expression turning to one of hurt and it stung him to see. But he didn't regret the words, after all... it was true, wasn't it? Besides, it hurt him having to hear from Aea that what Selphie's intentions were. He loved her, and it hurt to know she didn't feel she could come to him to talk - that she felt it better if she disappeared from his memory as thought it would be easy to forget the love of his life.  "N-no, I..." "Selphie, please do not lie to me. I did not walk in this godforsaken weather to be lied too." She took a deep breath, grabbing the bottle away from him and taking a deep drink. It was quiet, the only sound was the wind blowing past them as the snow began to drift down in larger and larger flakes. "It's better this way." her words were so soft they were almost swallowed by the swirling winds of Coerthas and he struggled to hear her quiet admission.  "Have you told yourself that so much that you've actually begun to believe it? Or do you know that you're lying to yourself every time you say it?" he looked at her with a mixture of bemusement and annoyance at her cliched answer.  "I'm not lying, dammit!" Her eyes flashed with anger, but behind the anger he could sense the anguish behind her voice, "Do you really think it's safe for us to be here? To be with the Scions? Do you think it's so great to parade me around as a Warrior of Light when I am a weapon created by the enemy?" she let out a bitter laugh, "Yeah, tell me how well that'll go over with Eorzeans when they find that out. I'm sure that Nero bastard will make that happen sooner rather then later. And then what? Will you be able to stop both the Garleans from forcefully taking Aea and I back? Or will you just let the people of Eorzea pass their judgement on us?" "It's not the people who chose you as the Wa-" She cut him off, "Oh yes, it was Hydaelyn! That makes it all better, that will make the people understand. That will give them pause to think rationally when they find out their supposed hero is nothing more then a mechanical puppet that can be ready to help invade at the switch of a button." She gave him a harsh glare, taking another swig of her drink and daring him to speak. "So, then you have it all figured out then?" he asked quietly. "No, I never said I had it figured out. But, I'm not going to let anyone else die. I'm not... I don't want anymore stupid sacrifices. Enough people have died, Thancred. I don't want to see anyone else I care for die because they believe in what I may or may not be able to accomplish." This is what made him explode with anger, grabbing the bottle from her hands and throwing it aside, ignoring her protests of seeing her alcohol spilled, and grabbing her by the shoulders, "Do you think you are the only one to have lost someone!? Do you think you are the only one afraid of losing what means the most to them?!" His voice was strong, but beneath it was the wavering fear of truly losing her, just as he had lost Minfilia. He looked at her, his shoulders heaving from his outburst, the swirling emotions filling him and making him shake, and he studied her face, becoming frustrated by the empty look she was giving him. He felt his eyes burn, and wasn't sure if it was the blinding snow, or tears threatening to come out. His voice softened however as he spoke again, "You are not the only one to have lost loved ones... we all have, Selphie. But we must carry on in their memory, or what will have they have sacrificed themselves for?" She was quiet, staring up at him with empty eyes, and he noticed she wasn't wearing the patch that normally covered her whitened eye and he became aware of just how light she felt in his arms, and he wondered if she had been taking care of herself... if she had been bothering to keep up with her aether treatments. Or if she had allowed herself to subsist only on a liquid diet... "I'm just... so tired..." she murmered finally, turning her head to face the plaque and shield left behind as Haurchefant's memorial. She went quiet again for a moment, studying the broken and battered shield bearing the Fortemp's sigil. But her face soon began to crumple and tears started to make their way down her face, "I'm so scared and tired... all I know is running, don't you see? All I know is running... I told you that from the beginning. I ran back then, and I'm running now. Because it's the only way I know." He felt her body collapse against his, and he pressed her sobbing body against his, wrapping his arms tightly around her. What she had said was true - it was only a matter of time before her, and Aea's past came to light. But it hurt him to see just how little she thought of her accomplishments... it hurt to see that she couldn't tell she had forged her own path, one that was far removed from the path her creaters had set her on. "I couldn't... protect Haurchefant. I couldn't protect Aea. They believed in me, Thancred. More then anyone else, they believed in...in me, and I couldn't protect them. Th-they died thinking that I was something to believe in. There were times that I thought I could, that I could protect everyone... that I was invincible. But I'm not... I'm not and neither is anyone I love. I'm scared, I don't want to lose anyone else." He held her close, his head resting on the top of hers, his hand gently brushing the snow off her pale lavender hair, "So in your quest to not lose anyone else... you choose to lose them on your own terms? Selphie you've come up with some admittedly odd plans in the past, but this one is truly absurd. Running is not all you know, far from it... I've seen you stand up against the odds before, even worse odds. You're not a runner... you're a fighter. You've been fighting to make your own path your whole life." Her tears had slowly begun to subside, but she still clung to him, and he could still feel her body trembling in his arms. "Please... just come home with me," he whispered into her ears, "I don't want to lose you... I don't want you to leave me. And I don't want to leave you - I would fight the whole of the Garlean army to have you stay by my side. I would defend you from all of Eorzea-" “Don't say that... you'd be slaughtered. And don't say that your love would protect you. It didn't... it didn't protect him." Thancred was quiet for a moment, taking a moment to look at Haurchefant's broken shield. In his mind it served as a symbol of the lengths the man had gone to protect the woman both of them had loved, but to her... he supposed it served only as a symbol of death, "No... but his love protected you, did it not?" He held her tighter in his arms, "You think you are not worth the love others bestow upon you... and I'm telling you that you are." He pulled away slightly, using a hand to turn her face up so she was looking at him, "I first met you far before you were ever the Warrior of Light, when you were just a ruffian on the streets of Ul'dah, stealing riches and giving it the poor, and I'm telling you that you are worth it. You have always been worth protecting, there is good inside of you." "But what if-" "Stop worrying about the what if's for once," he brought her face to his, kissing her gently, "Let yourself rely on others... don't close yourself off to others who care about you just as much as you care about them. No one expects you to figure things out on your own."She sighed, leaning her head against his chest in defeat, "Alright... I get it. I won't, I won't leave. I mean, I'm still going to Doma but I won't-" "Fake your own death and leave me devastated?" She offered him up a grumpy stare, "I wasn't going to fake my own death... I was just gonna, y'know, disappear, and let you-" "Fill in the blanks, yes, I know. And I would've assumed the worst, and would've been heartbroken." He smiled at her, kissing her forehead, "But you're not doing that, so it's alright." A voice broke out behind them, "We're staying then, with the Scions?" They both looked up startled, peering through the thickening snowfall as 129A's form emerged, thankfully holding two blankets. "Aea? What are you doing here?" Selphie pushed herself up from the cold ground, gratefully taking one of the blankets. "I followed Thancred to assure all went well with you two," She looked at them carefully, "And I am making a guess based off your conversation, that we will not be leaving the Scions and faking our deaths?" Selphie let out a frustrated groan, "We were never going to fake our deaths, okay? We were just gonna slip off into the night, never to be seen again." 129A simply stared at her, and then gave a half shrug, as if to say "Alright, if that's what you tell yourself." "Wait," Selphie paused, and looked at the other girl carefully, studying her before turning to Thancred, "She was the one who told you right? I mean she had to be, I didn't tell anyone else." Thancred nodded, "She did, why?" Selphie turned back to stare at 129A, who simply stared back not betraying any sort of emotion on her face, "Well, it's just... why did you tell him?" "I did not wish to leave." "Yeah but, you didn't have to you know - come with. You could've said no." 129A shook her head, "I am unable to disobey orders from any S-Type model." Selphie looked at her, then began to laugh, "S-so wait, you're telling me... you're telling me, you tattled on me to Thancred, so he would get me to give up my plans?" "That is correct." Selphie began to laugh harder, and Thancred glanced at her, confusion written on his face, looking for an explanation for her sudden laughing outburst, "Oh...oh man, that's, that's GREAT... you, you did something totally and utterly selfish! You did something for your own interests instead of just blindly following me!" 129A shifted on her feet, looking for once... slightly uncomfortable, "Your plan was not a logical one I only wished for you to see that, I-" Selphie clapped a hand on the other girl's shoulder, shaking her head, "No, no... Aea, it's a good thing. You need to be a little selfish sometimes, you need to learn it's okay to say no to me, cos sometimes it's for my own good." she smiled gently at her, "I'm proud of you." 129A turned from her,ignoring what she had said and instead looked back towards the path to Camp Dragonhead, "We should head back, Thancred looks like he needs to be warmed immediately." Selphie glanced at Thancred who was in fact shivering heavily despite the blanket, "You're right, let's head back,” she said with a small sigh. As Selphie and Thancred began to walk down the winding snow covered hill, 129A lagged behind, taking a moment to glance at Haurchefant's memorial. "Selfish..." she thought for a moment, thinking back to why she had told Thancred... it had been in part due the stress and sadness she had sensed coming from Selphie - while she wasn't able to place these emotions in herself, she knew that it meant the other girl was in distress.  But there had been that other feeling... and that had been the overriding factor that led to her going to Thancred. She truly hadn't wanted to leave behind the Scions, she had grown to enjoy the missions given, the order it had given her new life. So she had gone to Thancred in the hopes that he would stop Selphie from going through with her plan, if only so they would continue to work the Scions. "Self...ish." She repeated the word... perhaps that was what that odd feeling was. The feeling that had nothing to do with her feelings towards protecting Selphie. "Aea! Are you coming or not?" Selphie's voice rang out from the bottom of the hill, "Hurry up! I think Thancred's getting frostbite and he's getting awfully cranky." 129A nodded, and began to run down the hill to catch up. Yes, perhaps she had been selfish... and it hadn't caused her to malfunction... the thought gave her an odd sense of satisfaction that she was not yet used too.