#but I think? a lot of it is also simply who minfilia is.
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Kor and Minfilia for the NPC ask game!
Have your followers send you NPCs and you describe your OC's feelings/relationship to that NPC!
I was sent Minfilia three times! This ask and two from @sayonaramidnight and @hythlodaes. Frankly, I think you all just want to hurt me because I do have a lot of thoughts about Kor / Minfilia. There's a trigger warning here for suicidal ideation / planning; please proceed with caution.
Kor loved Minfilia. She never got to tell her that.
It's a guilt nestled deep in her breastbone, not as keen as her sister's but no less pronounced; it echoes in the laughter of her friends, the quiet of a late-night hour and wherever the wild roses bloom. She loved her so keenly, the first person she really opened up to after her Lily died, and she lost her just as quickly.
I've written about it before, but Kor never saw her Echo as a gift. She never wanted to be a Scion, let alone a Warrior of Light, and always viewed the responsibilities as burden she bore because Hydaelyn was absurd enough to give it a woman who wanted to die. When she met Y'shtola and the other Scions she had just backed out of trying to throw herself down down to the cliffs beneath La Noscea, and she recklessly abandoned her station under the belief she would join the crew long enough to learn as much as she could about the Echo — to undermine it — then take herself out.
In waking there was only apathy, and her nights were full of nightmares.
But Minfilia? Minfilia was good. Far kinder than Kor deserved, and she knew it. She stood in the Sands while this ratty Captain waltzed through her door, reputation preceding her — all jagged edges and gnashing teeth — and accepted her all the same. She took her hand despite knowing the wolf could bite and said to her, "I validate your anger. What happened to you wasn't fair."
Minfilia always believed in Hydaelyn's light, which was always a point of contention between them, but she never pressured Kor to do more than what she wanted. If she wanted to walk away and abandon the Scions, that was her right. If she questioned her leadership or balked against her judgement, she would allow her — but she was always patient in explaining her reasonings and reconciling Kor's anger. She was allowed to feel like the Echo was a burden, she was allowed her anger and her grief. Minfilia also had the Echo, but she was not so naïve as to think it was a gift for everyone, and she would not shackle Kor to it no matter how much the realm might need her.
Kor only knew leadership through two lenses: fear or duty. She was respected as a Captain because balanced the weights of tough and fair, yet she believed her crew only followed her because they had limited choice. Minfilia taught her that it was possible to lead through kindness.
To lead through love.
There were many nights spent in the quiet of The Solar, quiet hours in the din. With drink in hand the two women would simply talk. Of duty, yes. But also about how they felt about the world and their places in it. Minfilia would get so passionate talking about her hopes for Eorzea and it nearly made Kor believe in it too.
Because she loved her. Not like a lover, but in the way a soul reaches out to another and says 'oh, I know you'. In the way Minfilia could ask Kor to die for Eorzea and she'd answer "How? By your blade or mine?"
Yet she believed in Hydaelyn's light. That was always a point of contention between them. When she called Minfilia answered, and Kor was left behind.
She was a confidant the woman needed, taken from her all too soon. But the lessons she gave her Kor did not forget, and they were the foundational point for her loyalty to the Scions.
I love you, I love you, I love you. You deserve to love too, Kor. You deserve to know love.
#｡･ﾟﾟ･ — 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 : koret#｡･ﾟﾟ･ — sea answers things#i hope this hurts you all as much as it hurt me#THANKS#i need a tag for kor's wol verse THIS IS A REMINDER TO MYSELF
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I feel so sad for F'lhaminn; she had only just reunited with Minfilia when she was stolen away. Now she has to face that her daughter isn't even alive anymore in a different world. It's all so unfair. I am amazed she doesn't seem to carry a shred of bitterness in her heart.
Oh no. Corporeal aether is the stuff that makes up their bodies, right? If that's becoming unstable... And you say it's getting worse in the order that they were summoned? That tracks with it being caused by their souls not being in their bodies.
Not good.
Hah, I forgot that you knew G'raha when he was a member of the Students of Baldesion. Must be hard to reconcile the impetuous young man you remember with the esteemed Exarch you've heard tales about. He's had over a century in the First to mature and grow, not to mention however long he lived in his original timeline (I know it took two hundred years to bring Cid's plans for time travel to fruition, but I don't think it was ever said how much of that G'raha was awake for? Only that he awoke after Cid had passed away).
A summary? Uh, okay. So y'all are like balloons, and the string tethering you to the ground is fraying, and we really don't want to find out what happens when you float away.
Well that, at least, is reassuring.
My friend, far be it for me to contradict you, but I think there is more to being a gifted mage than simply having the raw power for the spells. I would wager that it also takes quite a bit of ingenuity and skill to execute the damn things.
I am glad to hear it.
No! Don't you dare-
HAH! Ah, I am so glad I caught part of that. Go Alisaie. Show G'raha we're not supporting him killing himself to save everyone else.
Yeah! Wait. No. That's not what I...
Ha haaa.....
(Okay, tangent, but like. Yeah, I have totally noticed how... there's a lot of people, on both the Source and the First, who revere me in the way one might a God. And we know what Gods are in this world: primals. So like, theoretically, could this belief in me be used to summon a "me" in primal form? A "Warrior of Light" primal? Or, Warrior of Darkness, as the case may be? Further, could I summon the power of my own primal incarnation into myself à la Shiva? Food for thought...)
Oh, okay, compare and contrast?
Oh, you're right.
Okay, I mean, I knew this, but I LOVE that the game is using what is a necessary gameplay feature (allowing you to have your same inventory and equipment across both stars) as a pivotal plot feature. This isn't the first time it's done that - everything to do with Feo Ul springs to mind - but the fact they're actually drawing attention to it and using it!! I just! Beautiful.
Cool cool, we'll just turn you all into rocks and I'll carry you home. Excellent plan.
That's a scary looking Nu Mou. I didn't know that was possible. Alright, off we go then...
#ffxiv liveblog#rhesh'a tag#f'lhaminn#krile baldesion#crystal exarch#g'raha tia#alisaie leveilleur#urianger augurelt#baseless speculation
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[old friends]
When they first met, Aran did not think of it as an adventure to be excited about. All Minfilia had told her was that their friend “Cid Garlond” had much desired to see her, and that she should make haste to be by his side to help him with whatever his endeavor was on that night, and that would take several weeks- if not months- to complete.
She’d only nodded. Though she didn’t like or dislike Cid, she found that her own lot was being instrumental to whatever he wished to use her for, simply by virtue of being the strongest woman in his line of sight. Which was annoying, but. Well? It was good for the Scions, so she guessed it was good enough for her.
(She didn’t have to like it, though.)
When she showed up that first time, she was instructed to speak to a man called Rammbroes (who, thankfully she was familiar enough with to know he would not treat her as an errand girl) who then sent her on a mission that- after much technical-babble- was…an errand. But that was mostly okay, in this case. He beseeched her as he would a friend, especially when he added, “There is also someone I would like you to check up on, a researcher that came along with us. If you can find him, I will be very grateful, as I have not heard from him in a while.”
This was the start of her troubles.
“I have hidden them,” said the voice in lieu of her stupid aethersand, her stupid lightning cores. “And I would send you to fetch them- so long as you pass my trial.”
Given she had Midgardsormr perched on her shoulder at the time, she was not in the mood to entertain more ancestors, or fairies, or great beasts, or whatever wanted to toy with her now, and would sooner put them to her blade instead. A relief, too, when whatever it was decided that she’d overperformed for it and had to reward her with her prize.
Perform. She was used to that now. Still, the word itched against her scalp. Mayhaps she should change her hairstyle again soon. Thinking such as she headed back to camp, she relayed to Rammbros that she had not, in fact, found the bloody researcher he’d been talking about and was instead beset by something else, only to be cut short in her story by the announcement of the very same researcher showing up on their doorstep with all the aplomb of an impressionable teenager.
“I hope I did not keep you waiting long,” he said. Aran looked him up and down. A short man with red hair and one green eye, one red.
Kinda cute. She’d thought, arms crossed. But not really my type. Despite this, his eyes were on her (though, notably, he seemed to be trying not to do so with some measure of excitement) and she let her own slide past, as though she could not keep up with his boundless enthusiasm-
-until it occurred to her suddenly that she’d heard his voice before.
“This is Aran. The friend I was talking about. Most people call her the Warrior of Light, though."
He seemed a bit put off by this, eyes wide and tail lifting a bit in the back, as though hearing such surprised him. When Aran realized it meant he hadn’t know it was her, she smiled, despite herself.
“I-” He cleared his throat. “Well, ‘tis a pleasure to meet the eikon slayer! Cid did say he was bringing a friend, but-” Were it not so dark, she may have thought his cheeks were growing pink- though whether that was from excitement or embarrassment was anyone’s guess.
His eyes were nearly sparkling. A little endearing, maybe. A little frightening, also, for reasons she could not explain at first. A feeling. “Right! G’raha Tia, at your service! This is my first foray, so you’ll have to excuse me. I’ll have to improve my martial skills somewhat, before we set upon the tower.”
Her eyes dimmed. She was becoming used to a something by now that she dared not share with the others, a dangerous sort of thing that betrayed how this world, under Hydaelyn’s laws, worked. As they chattered on about getting inside and the schematics of the tower, Aran excused herself to schedule another appointment with Jaudeline in Limsa. That feeling in her gut did not go away and even as she bid them goodnight, she closed her eyes to recover the edges of that instinct, burning it deep into the back of her mind.
That boy was in danger. She would make it her job to be sure he survived.
It was all moot, at some point. No matter what happened, what she did or thought to say, G’raha was always destined to be lost in that tower. To lock himself inside.
“The future is where my destiny awaits.”
She wanted to shake him. To grab his hand- and did, she realized suddenly, when his gaze flickered downward- though she released it almost as quickly as she’d caught it. The others gave him well-wishes, supporting him in his goal to search for a better future by doing only what he could do, by proxy of being the last in a long and spiraling Allagan bloodline.
Aran only clenched her jaw. She knew this plot only too well, and did not say a word.
She took a step back. It was not until night fell that she realized she was simply standing at the closed doors of the tower, contemplating how to feel about heroes that don’t come back.
-----
What was it about that man that made her so crazy? Was it the cowl? The sandals? The voice that she was sure she had heard somewhere before- its lilting tone only offset by how somber he sounded. Or tried not to sound. When he gave her the tour, she found herself less and less angry than she should have been; he abducted all of her friends and put them in precarious states, and coerced her into coming to a doomed world, but-
…but…
Oh, but it was beautiful! They were thriving, not surviving, and even he sounded ecstatic to show her! To make her understand! Surely it wouldn’t have been different if he’d taken her hand as he’d done it, the pride of a father bragging about his children (though trying not to) leaking into his voice as he directed her here and there and elsewhere to be sure she understood. To be sure she knew.
This world is worth saving.
It was new. After all that war, after fighting Zenos, after nearly falling to his blasted blade it felt…
Romantic.
Romantic and idealistic and…
Under the newly shining night sky, he kneeled before her. A proposal, of sorts. Even long into the future, the action was not lost on her. Still, she wanted to chastise him. To be angry with him or admonish him for doing this at all. For reminding her of what he’d already done, villainous as his accidental actions were. But…after his display with the Lightwarden- his graceful parries and stunning shield bashes with such magnificent, quiet calm, that she’d nearly held her own breath- she thought differently. She felt differently.
How embarrassing.
The desperate plea of an old man, his hopes resting on a dying world. On her. Again. And yet-
“Will you help me save this star?”
Beautiful. He was beautiful.
----
After the rejection- after the almost in her room, that other night, she withdrew in a way she did not think she could. From him, specifically. From others, not as much. It faltered only for a second when he returned from Vauthry’s castle, when he faltered, when Alphinaud let it slip that the Crystal Exarch truly could not go far from the tower without weakening himself severely. It made her want to scream. Made her want to say so many, many things, but none were coherent. What could she say, really? ‘Stop endangering yourself’? ‘Stop being a fool’? What did that matter to them both? Wasn’t she also a fool to trust him? To fight for a cause that was in some parts a lie? To allow herself manipulation so long as she had someone to believe in?
Oh yes, she knew. She was stupid, but not that big of a fool. And he was not that good at lying to her, either. He omitted before he lied outright, and she perceived it easily, in the middle of the beats and the almost-stutters clipped between words and-
….where had she heard those things before? It was different, but still there, still obvious, I know you, I know, I knew you, but from where? From when? Why was he so strikingly familiar, and yet so different than anything she would have thought before?
How could she forget someone so glittering bright?
It was at Mt. Gulg that she realized it was not in the forgetting. Nor was it in the remembering. It was in a secret that had been sealed and buried deep in that despicable tower and did not leave any hints big enough to pull on like thread that would lead back to him. Not until then. Not until Mt. Gulg.
“The future is where my destiny awaits.”
He said it in a moment of delirium. A moment of weakness. She doubted, too, that he remembered he’d uttered it aloud at all, but…
Oh, beloved.
She wanted to close that distance between them. Even for a little bit. Even if the distance between two hands spanned malms, past the rivers and lakes that he wished to travel over with her. That he wished to adventure across, despite being tied to that stupid tower. That stupid tower.
She had half a mind to break it into pieces.
“What will you do after this?”
His mouth opened in surprise, despite himself. What an expressive mouth. She never tired of watching it, or listening to him talk, even when he sounded sad and upset with himself about something. It was revealing, all the same. He hadn’t expected that question, for whatever reason, and though his answer did not please her, it was nice to listen to his lies of omission all the same.
It was also why, when she was dying and she heard his voice, she calmed. Why despite herself, throwing up stark white bile, the contents of her stomach mixed with poisonous and imbalanced aether, she paused. Her vision was blighted, her body broiling from the inside out, and all she could think in that single, dismal moment was that she was glad he came.
You came.
“At journey’s end, a thief makes off with the hero’s prize. A bit anticlimactic, I’d wager, but I digress.”
A villain. What he wanted was to make himself a villain. But he was just too heroic to pull it off. He always had been. For what can a righteous man do but what is right? Can a just judge not abide by what is true? What is good?
(“You’re shit at this.”)
Words never left her still-dry mouth. Splinters through her face, her hands, her horns, heat at the back of her neck, closing up her throat, she could not say anything at all so she reached out her hand, to close the distance. To try.
She reached out.
And the wind, hearing her plea, took his hood with it.
-----
The Echo was a convenient tool at best, and magical eavesdropping at worst, but for Aran at this particular time, with her key from Lyna and her view of the Exarch’s study, it was enlightening. Maddening, yes, but enlightening. There were at least three people who earned her ire, and not one of them would be spared that wrath, despite the bleary edges at her vision and the clarifying Light that burned her already sensitive eyes at the best of times.
“It is only a temporary fix,” Ryne told her, but Aran didn’t mind. It was enough for now. “Please, don’t overexert yourself.”
What a funny thing to ask of her. When was she not overexerting herself? No, in this case, something hotter than Light burned in her veins, something far more potent and spiriting than even her outing with the Crystal Exarch in Tomra.
“So, what will you do?” The ghost of a Warrior of Light past, the angel on her shoulder with a bloodied axe on his back, paced around the room behind her, seeing what she saw.
I’ll kill him. Contemplating. Thinking. Judging. The spanning knowledge of his decisions- for this world and its salvation and her own almost made her sour. Almost.
That jerk didn't kiss me because he was going to die.
Silence. Trembling at her shoulders was more than silence, but she did not give into it. Not yet.
THAT JERK WOULDN'T KISS ME BECAUSE HE PLANNED ON DYING!!!
AGAIN
AGAIN
AGAIN
Oh, but he had indulged her. He let her flirt with him, hungrily ate up the attention she gave him, and even returned it on several occasions. But he always pulled back. Always pulled away. Like he was taking just enough. Just enough to sate him for a while, as he staved off the inevitable. As he bided his time for certain doom.
You are too strong for your own good.
She wanted to break something. Well. Now that it was all out in the open, she'd find something to break.
"If the Scions find out, they will try to save one person to save none. You must keep this secret for me, Urianger."
("Would that I could lay it all bare- but I cannot. Not even for her.")
"I'm afraid we must pick this up at another time, my friend."
She sucked in air through her nose. Then she clasped her hands once she reached her decision. “I’m going to have some words…with Emet-Selch and the Exarch both.”
The fury building in her scalp made her head itch. “But first,” a smile pulled at her lips, sharp teeth throbbing in her mouth as she yearned for bloodshed, “I’m going to get my hair done. ✨”
#ffxiv#aran#aran utar#crystal exarch#shadowbringers spoiler#shadowbringers#wolexarch#aranraha#fic#she is gonna hogtie him and take him home. teehee ✨️
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1, 6, 12, 15, and 16! for the WOL ask meme!
👀 this is long so. Its under a readmore. Also ffxiv spoilers through endwalker below
1. Why did he become an adventurer? Glory? Money? ...?
The way Khalja grew up, his adoptive father made sure to instill in him a deep respect for the sacrifice his birth parents made to keep him out of the crossfire during the empire's expansion into doma. This was intended to convince him to stay safe and look out for himself, but it backfired into "im going to set out and do something about the empire. Personally", so his initial reason was really. To get stronger and find a group that he could join to combat imperial expansion. He'd heard about how the eorzean city-states drove the empire out of the continent from traders in kugane, so he figured hed start there
6. What did they think of Hydaelyn in the beginning? Did they change their mind about her since then?
He was actually initially pretty mistrustful of "giant crystal that talks to you", and couldnt shake the feeling that he was being used and intentionally kept in the dark. The mistrust turned into annoyance when he found out that she was the reason he had the echo (has considered it a curse ever since he awoke to it as a teenager), but through arr he found no reason to directly oppose her because she granted him the strength he needed to meet his own goals. When midgardsormr more or less broke her blessing, he found himself 1. Very fucking scared and 2. Missing her presence, at which point he realized that he had come to lean on her much more than hed ever intended to. He was kind of pissed about what happened with minfilia also lol. He just very much doesnt like feeling like he and every other person with the echo is a pawn in some cosmic game of chess. By the time shadowbringers wrapped up he'd become more comfortable with (or more accurately, resigned to) the idea that he would probably always be her champion, and that was fine as long as their goals were still aligned. Brief moment of panic where he learned that shes a primal, in the "does that make me. Tempered. Am i tempered" before realizing that thats stupid and the fact that hes Able to question that means he probably isnt. And then of course the events of endwalker completely tossed his idea of her on its head. He only wished that he got to spend more time with venat in elpis, but what little time they did have together made him far more comfortable with championing her cause. Khalja voice "venat my best friend venat"
12. What do they think about redemption and forgiveness? Would they forgive an enemy? Would they forgive themselves?
I think, prior to shadowbringers, he wasnt. Super into forgiveness and redemption. Like as far as he was concerned any crime needed to be answered for, and post-shadowbringers he definitely doesnt believe in like. Letting go of past offenses, but he sees a lot more nuance in these kinds of situations. [Standing in a room together with gaius post-stormblood] [gritting his teeth] This Is. Fine.
Ultimately he just wants to understand people's reasons, i guess? And he'll judge for himself whether those reasons justify their actions. Additionally, if someone proves that they're interested in doing better, or somehow making up for their past transgressions, he's going to try and look at them in the here and now, rather than as who they were before (with varying degrees of success)
As for himself... he's become acutely aware of the ridiculous amount of power he weilds, which means he's also Acutely aware of how devastating the consequences could be if he made a misstep. In an unhealthy way hes fashioned himself as the sole protector of his friends and loved ones, and so if any harm comes to them, he'll probably. Never forgive himself lol [flashes back to the vault]. Additionally, the body-snatching incident with zenos put a new fear of "what could other people do if they got their hands on my strength" into him. He's started to feel guilty for simply Being, on account of the danger it potentially puts other people in. But Its Fine Hes Fine Guys Dont Worry About It
15. How do they feel about the Ascians?
He has a very hard time hating the ascians after seeing them for who they really are. I mean that didnt stop him from stomping them into the ground whenever they posed a large enough threat, and nothing justifies the havoc theyve wrought in the millennia since, but he cant help but feel sympathy for them. After all, if all of the people HE loved and looked out for were killed, shattered, and transformed beyond recognition, he cant guarantee that he wouldnt also make some. Extremely terrible selfish decisions. [Throwing pebbles at emet-selch] Youre still an asshole [feels bad anyway].
He feels the most sympathy for elidibus, on account of. Teenager Thrust Into Govt Position And Turned Into A Primal For The Survival Of The Star. He doesnt really see him as responsible for the events that have followed since, even though he definitely. Still is. He sees a lot of alphinaud in elidibus gwjegdjd
He Does Not like lahabrea, but as of meeting him in pandæmonium hes weighing the pros and cons of attempting to Get Some gwjsgdjgdjd. Cons: hes actually one of the worst people he knows, thancred would kill him, thancred would kill him, he'll probably be rejected out of hand, etc etc. Pros: god lahabrea can GET it
16. Tell us about two major events from MSQ that left the deepest emotional scars on your WOL.
I MEAN. several gwjwgjdgd but the deepest scars......
the first would probably be the vault. Khalja felt that he owed a lot to haurchefant and he was kind of charmed by his extremely earnest nature, so losing him would have hurt enough on its own. Worse than that though was that haurchefant died protecting khalja specifically, which is something that he'd never had to. Deal with before. Up until then hed thought that the only person he'd hurt with his reckless behavior would be himself, but [watches haurchefant bleed out from a wound meant to be inflicted upon him] [has to go home and tell his family that hes only alive because their son/brother died] Oh. Oh This Sucks So Much Worse. Hes partly healed from that experience, but the guilt he feels has never left him (and likely never will), and it influences the way he handles situations where his loved ones are involved. Hes not willing to let anyone else take a bullet for him lol
The next would actually be the body-snatching experience with zenos. He'd never felt more helpless and terrified; the image of his own body about to strike down alisae and raha haunts him constantly, and while he understands that it wasnt him who did that, it definitely made him start to view himself as. A monster of sorts. Lol. When he woke up back in his own body and saw that none of his friends had come to harm he broke down sobbing in relief [he has not cried in front of. Most of them]. Post-endwalker, hes still afraid of his strength someday being used to hurt the people he loves. He would genuinely sooner die than let something like that happen again
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6: how they deal with grief
And 25(I think it was 25?) why you enjoy them!
((I know you have multiple ocs! I actually do wanna ask these for all but if it’s too overwhelming and want me to narrow it down, just ask me and I’ll pick which oc I’d like to hear more of! But I do like hearing on them all if it’s okay!))
I'll organize this by character rather than by question!
Gwynedd
6: Gwynedd tends to bottle up her feelings and push them down. She feels like she has to be the strongest person in any room, to be the pillar of calm confidence that befits her image as a hero. In private, after spending far too long keeping her emotions inside, she will let her tears out quietly. With the grief of losing someone close to her, one of her preferred methods of memorializing them is as part of a tattoo on her back. So far, it features an anchor, forget-me-nots and pink morning-glories (for Minfilia), red roses (for Haurchefant), yellow daisies (for Papalymo), and a banner that says "for those we have lost, for those we can yet save".
25: I like Gwynedd as a character because she's very caring and a big sister type. She's confident and strong, but has moments where she can be soft. Also big buff woman hot.
Isolde
6: Isolde does not handle grief well. Waking up to your entire civilization having crumbled some 5000 years prior has a pretty negative effect on one's emotional regulation. (Not to mention that Isolde wasn't exactly stable before either.) Her response to grief is to do just about anything to keep herself at a high. Adrenaline is her preferred high, from fighting or fucking, it doesn't matter. This is what draws her to Zenos when she's at the lowest point of her downward spiral following the Crystal Tower.
Following the events of Shadowbringers, Isolde is trying to be a little less self-destructive in her tendencies, and she's slowly getting better about communicating her feelings.
25: I enjoy Isolde as a character because she's quite unhinged. Sometimes it's fun to have a character who is just fucked up.
Llewellyn
6: Unlike his older sister, Llewellyn is more emotional. He feels grief very acutely, although he is lucky enough to have not truly experienced the loss of someone close to him (yet?). Having a shoulder to cry on helps him a lot.
25: Llewellyn is my little awkward alt gay baby. He wants to help people, follow in his sister's footsteps for a while, and then be the best househusband ever. He helps me further my "Alphinaud is the gifted kid who ends up burnt-out and queer" agenda.
Syden
6: Syden will pretend like he's fine, nothing is wrong, he's processing his feelings in a healthy way, and then someone finds him laying face-down on the floor in a puddle of his own tears. He's kind of gotten used to dealing with things by himself as the middle child in a family of five boys.
25: I really wanted to make a bnnuy boy of my own and Syden simply popped into my head. He knows more about plants than half of the botanists guild. His family a cultural and statistical outlier. He would teach the lopporits to grow """medicinal herbs""" if given the chance. I just think he's neat.
Riveaux
6: Look, this lanky twink has more issues than a magazine subscription. He's scared of being too much of a burden on his loved ones because he thinks that his mother left due to his neediness. (He was two, so obviously he was needy. His mother is just a selfish bitch.) Because of that, he often will not, under any circumstances, admit it when he's upset about something. Syden is the only one who can coax Riveaux's true feelings out of him.
25: Riveaux is my leather-clad disaster child. His bravado and charisma hide an easily-bruised ego and deep-seated issues. I use him to express my personal distaste for religious institutions! (I won't get into his whole thing with Ishgard atm and how aristocratic societies somehow taking people away from him plays into why he dislikes Alphinaud initially.)
A'mina
6: A'mina has a lot of lingering grief surrounding the trauma she and her mother suffered when she was very young at the hands of her tribe's nuhn. It makes her standoffish at times to the point where she lashes out to push people away before they can hurt her. Without meaning to, she ends up taking her grief out on others. This can be quite jarring for everyone since she's normally quite sweet. It's something she's working through. Being a teenager is hard.
25: My darling goth catgirl. Bisexual hooligan teen. She will knock things off of your desk for attention.
Dire
6: Dire is generally a pretty go-with-the-flow kind of person. They haven't experienced much by way of grief in terms of losing someone, but they have dealt with a lot of bullying. They're a duskwight living in Gridania, they're genderqueer, and one of their mothers is Garlean (and Dire speaks Garlean to her), so the kids at school had a lot to pick on them about. Dire has their friends, but sometimes the best cure for bad times is to go walking in the woods. The buzz of the Black Shroud helps melt all of their pain away like a warm shower.
25: I love Dire because they're skrunkly. If Dire had a tumblr they would post weird taxidermy and bones they found and rabiescore moodboards but like, kind of ironically. (They understand the danger of rabies.)
#ffxiv oc stuff#answered stuff#thank you so much for the ask!#Im sorry if you reblogged something where these questions are from and I didnt send you one back thesemester just started an I lost the pos#but my wols are on top and the rest are under the cut!
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i think a lot about how koharu's first reaction to meeting minfilia and learning that she (and many others at the waking sands) had the echo was just this colossal wave of relief. minfilia really had no idea just what that did for koharu who, for the last five years had lived with echo visions and had no idea what they were or why she had them. she was deliberately recruited for this ability that drove her from her hom and family and was given answers about it that she would never have otherwise gotten.
... and how that first impression and those feelings of relief and gratitude for minfilia were briefly tainted.
having been part of the doman liberation front for the last ten years, koharu already understood what it meant to sacrifice and the weight such a thing carries and was already all too familiar with doing what is necessary. though she wasn't familiar with the concept of primals or tempering (stormblood explicitly states that's not an issue in the far east), that minfilia wouldn't (or couldn't) tell koharu herself painted minfilia, in koharu's eyes, as a poor leader. someone who can't be honest about what's at stake simply wasn't fit to be at the head of an organization championing the realm's woes.
of course, ARR koharu was much more closed off. the scions aren't aware of much more than her first name and that she has the echo, so minfilia being unsure of how koharu would react is understandable, but it was still the wrong call in terms of earning her trust and respect.
over the course of ARR, that trust and respect is earned, however, as minfilia not only proves herself to be more than capable of her role, but also proves herself to be a dear friend. there are a number of times during msq where she takes time to check in and make sure the wol is well, to apologize for constantly being the one to send them into danger, and in turn allows herself to show her more vulnerable side to the wol, and this support is absolutely crucial to koharu through ARR when she's at one of her lowest points.
it's also a little personal headcanon that minfilia would make up reasons (think silly fetch quests) to send koharu to coerthas whenever she'd notice koharu was feeling particularly down. she'd say it's simply to continue the efforts in solidifying relations with ishgard, but they both know the unspoken reason is because koharu always seems a little Better™ after paying a visit to camp dragonhead. minfilia is an excellent wingman.
she felt minfilia's loss after the banquet very keenly. having to leave her behind in the caverns was one of the hardest things koharu has ever had to do. minfilia's soft heart, her boundless love for the world and its people, and hardened determination to shepherd them to a brighter future would become a large source of inspiration for her moving forward.
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im having so many urianger thoughts after 3.5 but my usual victims for rambling arent online so i have to talk to the void (make a text post) or the thoughts will not leave me
im at like. close to the end. thinking about urianger at the meeting of the scions purposely having his hood and glasses back and standing at a marked distance from the group until thancred verbally pulls him in. (thinking about how he stands off as an expression of guilt because he is firmly convinced they shouldnt have him here, and probably thinks thancred specifically would be the one most opposed to his presence, because urianger ‘offered payment with coin that was not his to use’ i.e. took away the chance for minfilia’s return as minfilia) (tfw you do something that manages to be commitment to your ideals and action to protect what you care about but at the same time you’re now pretty sure you’ve lost both everyone you know and like and your best surviving friend.)
on one hand hes talked himself into a corner in his own head, ‘this is the only path but my steps upon it are unforgivable’. he gets to commit to action and his beliefs, but still firmly believes he will not be allowed to have friends any more. despite the fact that most reactions he saw after are... not entirely leading toward that belief [urianger voice] i have to overthink literally everything and never say anything about it. clearly i am a criminal. obviously.
matters to me its thancred who drags him back into the group, their friendship matters to me. two guys. this is in its own way a verbalized gripe and verbalized forgiveness (if that’s even the word). clown 2 clown communication. has to be clown to clown communication bc both of them would rather die than say a normal straightforward sentence but i get them im perceiving.
its just!!!! hes doing so much out of care for both his friends and these lets-be-real strangers, but he is also so convinced that what he’s doing, the actions of protecting as many people as possible, will make him alone again!! and he cares so much about people! augh!!! urianger vc well its fine to sacrifice myself (metaphoircally :) ) such is all i can do. i would pay with my own coin if i could.
which i cannot stress enough, none of these problems in his brain would exist if he just talked to a person about his plans, but he absolutely the fuck will not learn from this experience.
I Grab A Man. I Give Him Complexes.
also i know he goes back to his default outfit but look at me. look at me, look into my eyes. his bullshit hypocrisy in warring triad matters to me and i think about it a lot but i also think about him telling unukalhai it’s fine to show one’s face more among friends and urianger having his full face showing when he talks with hydaelyn. he’s back in the cowl for obvious reasons when he thinks hes not supposed to be among the scions any more but look into my eyes urianger going around with his hood down and goggles as a headband instead of covering his face when he’s at the sands now. look at me this matters to me. it is about seeing/being seen. he’s allowed to have this development as a physicalization. im allowed to say he simply does this. it is a matter of comfort/discomfort around others. and ‘it’s fine to show one’s face among friends’ now.
#'dez are you okay' NO I WROTE 5 PAAGRAPHS ABOUT *NOTHING*#I JUST HAVE THOUGHTS IM CHEWING ON URI#headcanon : urianger
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The morning sun was peaking over horizon line, as F’lhaminn poured out her heart to Warburton and Minfilia... or what remained of them. Skies turning a pinkish color over camp Drybone, a falcon cried overhead with wings spread wide soaring into unknown territories. The crystalized aether from shard of Dalamud also began gleaming in the distance, like fire being ignited. How ironic, that the atmosphere would display as such a tranquil scene befitting the one two women were honoring. Truly, it was as if Hydaelyn herself had gone out of her way to ensure this moment’s absolute serenity. Au ra was certain the former leader of Scions would have very much enjoyed it.
While Odtsetseg could not boast of knowing the hyur on a level other Scions did, when miqo’te approached her regarding letter which involved group’s former leader she was compelled to escort retired songstress. This was not completely for her sake, but so they both could receive some closure regarding their now long departed friend and kin. Minfilia... or rather Ascilia was a good woman, whose munificence and compassion towards her fellow man inspired or spurred others forward. Xaela would know, for she was one of them. Yet despite all the good that she accomplished, warrior of light’s fellow Echo user never got a proper burial, for there was no body to be found. It was a shame, that none of them had gotten around to doing so until now. She was a light in the darkness, who ignited the flame others may shoulder after all.
Odtsetseg hoped she would be one day worthy of such steadfast faith.
F’lhaminn’s query of what she would say, snapped xaela out from her thoughts. Blinking, typically laconic adventurer briefly found herself at a loss for words. In truth, a part of Odtsetseg half expected miqo’te to simply say her piece, thank au ra then leave. That is what sometimes occurred, amidst circumstances such as this one. Besides what could she, someone who was only a brief part of Minfilia’s life possibly have to say which was not uttered already? But auri had to say her piece, didn’t she? Even if their time together was short, she worked in close liaison with the blond-haired woman. It would be wrong, to maintain her silence now. Additionally, there was a lot left unsaid.
Turning to the grave fully after a moment, Odtsetseg breathed in, placed one knee on ground and spoke.
“Hello, Minfilia... or should I call you Ascilia now? Whatever the case, I think I will go with the former, if you do not mind.” There came a pause, as eyes closed and head lowered in a shamed fashion. “I never got the chance to tell you this, but when I came to you and the Scions... I had nothing. I had lost my home- my tribe. All the traditions I grew up with were squashed, then scatted to the four winds and every member of my family was either gone or lost touch with me long ago. Needless to say, it would be no exaggeration that I was lost, bitter and... broken. I helped people yes, but I cannot claim that it was from a pure desire such as yours. To be frank, I cared very little for people- I was terrified to. It lead to attachment, I surmised and attachment would only lead towards heartache.” A sigh escaped lungs, as she lifted hues to look upon the grave again; soft smile returning.
“Yet, in spite of my stubbornness you and the others still kept me by your sides. You treated me as one of your own, despite our very different backgrounds and the fact that our cultures often clashed with one another. Though I did not see it at first, I now am aware that you and the others became like family to me, through our journey. ... Apologies for trying to start our friendship out with a blood pact, by the way. I realize now that was plausibly quite intense to witness.” A noise which hinted at surprise was heard behind her (likely from F’lhaminn), but Odtsetseg paid no mind to it and continued.
“Either way, I can assure you that your legacy will live on. I may not be the warrior of light you were acquainted with all those years ago, but... let there be no doubt that I will make strides to be the person you believed me to be. Thancred and the others will do their best too, I am certain. With that being said, I hope this gives both you and your father reassurance that you can finally rest.”
When all the Scions returned safely to the source, Odtsetseg would ensure that this place be made known towards them. It would not be fair of her to keep such information for herself. Besides, if they all were made aware entire group could visit her to honor the generous woman’s memory.
#COME! I SHALL DANCE AND SING TO THE TRAGEDY OF FATE (ic)#FROM ACROSS STARS SHADE FOLLOWS MY STEP (shadowbringers)#Death mention//#Game commentary//#((thank you aires for showing me this side quest))#((now Odtsetseg can visit Minfilia's grave in the source somewhat ;w;))#((I had to make a little drabble out of this))#((there was just... a lot Odtsetseg had to say ;3;))
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Side Quest Chapter 16: Do You Remember, the 1552 Year of the Sixth Astral Era?
https://archiveofourown.org/works/44147433/chapters/116844337
With Hypnos bored, perhaps now they know who Himi is. Maybe? What other explanation could there possibly be?
“While our friend is otherwise engaged at the Hall of Flames, I’ve some news.” Thancred sat adjacent from Minfilia, sliding her a glass of water across the table. She raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue. “Right, well. While you and the other Echo wielders were investigating Ul’dah, I was sent word regarding Himi’s claims about that secret lab.”
“Oh?” Minfilia leaned closer, eager to hear the report. Thancred could only sigh as he shook his head.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t end up being the lead we’d hoped for. As far as they’re concerned, no one has been there in at least five years.”
“Five years! But that’s-”
“Roughly how long it has been since the Calamity, aye.” he hummed.
“Pray, I must inform you of a curious thing she asked me; she doesn’t remember it.” Minfilia frowned.
“Truly? Not at all?” He beggared to believe it.
“Not at all.” Minfilia confirmed, shaking her head. “Many have mentioned it around her the past couple of weeks, but she confessed that she does not know what they spoke of. And even when I described the events to her, she was just as lost. Not a single memory stirred, and not even her Echo pried into my memories.” She frowned. Thancred crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.
“That’s a hell of a thing to forget; even if she remembers little from prior to us dredging her out of the water, that’s… not the slightest inkling? Gods, does she even know what year it is?”
“I didn’t think to ask, but I would not have been shocked if she had said no or gave an incorrect date.” She sighed, holding her arms close to her body. “I feel so terrible for her. Her whole life, just gone! As if it never happened. I must confess, I keep praying the Echo will give me hints to her past. But there’s never anything, as if she’s simply empty!”
“I’m sure there’s a logical reason for it all. There has to be. Even if she was wrapped up in Carteneau, but then again… perhaps such an event would be enough to wipe one’s memories completely if even those not present can’t remember the faces of the Warriors of Light. I’m becoming even more and more convinced that she’s one of those faces we can’t remember. Ah!” He sat up suddenly. “Hang on, I’m a fool! I recall a remark she made offhandedly the other day. She’d asked if we’d met before, because someone had apparently implied we had. That conversation changed so abruptly, I’d completely forgotten until now.” He snapped his fingers, feeling foolish for forgetting.
“Truly!?” Minfilia sat up in excitement. “But that would also mean...!”
“She ran into someone who recognized her. Someone who lacked the decency to stick around to explain, or perhaps was killed.” He rested his chin in his palm, pondering the situation. “But she did not say who had implied it; so I wonder if perhaps she doesn’t remember who, or simply had become distracted by us. Ah. Teasing each other.” His face turned a tad pink.
“Teasing?” Minfilia blinked, tilting her head to the side. “Well, I’m happy to see how easily you two get along!” She flashed a coy smile. “Perhaps further evidence that you two knew each other, and she is indeed one of the Warriors of Light whose faces we’ve all forgotten.”
“Sorry to pry, but I couldn’t help but overhear that last bit. Who are you thinkin’ might be one of those Warriors of Light?” Momodi slid over, eyeing the two.
“Keep it on the down low. I’d hate to get anyone’s hopes up only to dash them later; but we think it might be Himi.” Thancred quietly explained.
“Seven hells!” Momodi raised her arms in surprise. “Really? Honestly though, it’d make a lot of sense… now I hadn’t said anythin’ on account I didn’t know what was goin’ on with her and I didn’t want to pry or upset her. But when she first showed up here with Van, Resin and Tamru and gave me her name? She was already in the ledger. At least, I’m fairly certain it’s her.” Momodi hummed. “First name, Claire, with a nickname of Himi. Now, there was a few extra letters that were smudged out, I’m thinkin that whole name was Himitsu? But I’m not too sure. But bugger all, there wasn’t a last name.”
“Isn’t Claire the last name she’s currently going by?” Minfilia turned to Thancred for confirmation.
“Aye. So Claire is perhaps her real first name, and the other is a nickname she picked up somewhere. Himitsu? Hmn. Sounds like a Doman word, though I’m unsure what it means.” Thancred mused. “Momodi, I don’t suppose records are kept regarding comings and goings?”
“I was about to get to that; now, I didn’t think much of it at the time, but the last time she was here was about five years ago. Well before the date of the Calamity, mind you.”
“That has to be it!” Minfilia stood up. “Thancred, she and that Ascian, Hypnos, clearly have a history! He’s implied as much, but she doesn’t recognize him. Though I cannot say where she’s been or what she’s been doing for the past five years, I’m almost certain now that she’s one of our lost and forgotten friends from Carteneau. Perhaps she was dealing with him prior to the Calamity; and put him on the back burner until everything was sorted out. Consider how strong she is already; and she’s said she has six job stones.”
“Six? FWOO. That’s an experienced adventurer if there ever was one. Even Van only has, what, three now?” Momodi whistled.
“When we return to the Waking Sands, we must show her the mask shard and ask her a few hard questions. I suspect the memory loss and the reasons she tumbled into Limsa may be the fault of Hypnos.” Thancred allowed himself to feel a little bit excited at the possibility.
“Oh Thancred...” Minfilia’s eyes watered. “It seems so likely, and yet, I am afraid to hope...”
“Regardless of whether or not she is,” Thancred smiled, “She’s our friend now. And if we aren’t her past, I daresay we’re certainly her future.”
“Yes, of course! I do not mean to sound as though who she was to us in the past is more important than the present; though I do still wish to find the answers, for her sake.”
“As do I.” He smiled, reaching over to give her shoulder a squeeze. No one noticed Tamru lingering in the stairwell that lead to the Inn rooms, twitching his ears and scrunching his nose in disgust.
Himi entered the Quicksand some minutes later, patched up and cleared by a healer. She joined Thancred and Minfilia at the table; but before she had much of a chance to update them on the crates, Hypnos appeared in the center of the tavern in an elaborate flourish.
“Are all the important people here? Good! I’d hate to repeat myself; congratulations! You’ve won. Yaaay!” He clapped his hands. “I wasn’t expecting a pickaxe to the core, but it was an enjoyable solution. Granted, I could keep playing and normally I would, but the powers at be are demanding my efforts elsewhere. So this is goodbye, for now! Though, a parting gift!” He held up a job stone; one for a white mage. “This, my dear, is yours.” He grinned as she jumped to her feet. “Now, now, I’m not just going to hand it over. No, I’m going to hide it somewhere. And you’ll have to find it!” He flashed a cheeky grin before vanishing.
“That fucking douc-”
“Don’t worry, Himi.” Thancred gripped her shoulder. “We’ll help you look for it.”
“Hello, Lord Gaius! I know you don’t know me but I need a favor, though bonus incentive for you, could be leverage later!” Hypnos slapped the white mage stone into Gaius’s hand. “Hold on to that, hmn? Belongs to a missing Garlean child who most certainly will become a problem sooner rather than later. Don’t tell anyone you’ve got it though, hush-hush! She’s desperate to get it back, so I’m sure you can use it to manipulate her whenever she becomes too much of a thorn in your side, toodles!” He wiggled his fingers before vanishing.
“... Ascians.” Gaius mumbled, eyeballing the stone before tucking it away. He’d rather just destroy the thing; but Hypnos had a point. Could be excellent leverage. He paused again. “Wait… how could she possibly have the ability to…”
The stone being with Gaius meant, of course, that it was nowhere to be found in the city. The realization that Hypnos did not specify where he’d hidden it, dawned on them around nightfall. As disappointing as it was; they concluded that the search would certainly take some time as it could be anywhere in Eorzea, at best. Himi bemoaned her luck as they returned to the Waking Sands with Van, Resin and Tamru, rejoining the Non-Echo Scions in the solar where they eagerly awaited a first hand recounting of the day’s events. Thancred and Minfilia left out their suspicions regarding Himi’s identity out, opting to wait till she’d shuffled out of the room to get some food before saying anything.
“Pray, everyone, wait a moment.” Minfilia called to the others, and so they remained.
“What is it, Minfilia?” Yda wiggled.
“Thancred and I spoke much regarding a certain matter. Though we dare not get anyone’s hopes up, lest of all Himi’s, so I say this to you all now, as a means to help solve the issue once and for all, and that it does not leave this room.”
“I assume this has to do with the mystery of who she truly is.” Y’shtola’s ears bent back as she peered curiously.
“Indeed.” Minfilia nodded, taking in a deep breath before she continued. “We have reason to believe that she may be one of our forgotten allies and friends; one of the aptly named Warriors of Light presumed lost at Carteneau.” She exhaled. Jaws dropped and silence fell at the theory. Urianger quietly tapped his temple, not entirely convinced, but he kept his own theories to himself. For now. Yda wiggled in excitement as Papalymo sputtered.
“Now that is indeed quite the claim!” Papalymo blinked. “Pray, enlighten us as to how you came by such a theory.”
“Yes, I too, am curious how you came about that idea!” Y’shtola rapped her knuckles against her cheek. Thancred and Minfilia exchanged glances and nods, before jumping into the lengthy path that led them to believe she was indeed one of the forgotten. They all listened intensely, Urianger especially, and once the information exposition was over, Yda wiggled again.
“Well, I’M convinced!”
“I dare say you’d be convinced if they gave no other explanation than ‘just a feeling’.” Papalymo snorted. “Mind you, I can’t think of any other possibility. Despite the missing information, like say, where she’s been the past five years, everything points to her having been one of them.”
“I agree.” Y’shtola hummed. “T’would be strange indeed if she were anything, anyone else.”
“We must reveal and bequeath unto her the mask shard Thancred retrieved.” Urianger proclaimed. “She did not list it as a missing possession, but she had it on her person, regardless. Perhaps how she reacts upon seeing it, or doesn’t, will illuminate certain truths.” He paused. “The date she believeth to be, we should inquire that as well.
“I agree.” Y’shtola nodded. “Pray, I can go collect her while you fetch the shard, Urianger.”
“Yes, you two do just that. We will be here.” Minfilia nodded, heart racing.
“I’m going to smell nothing but that gross sludge for weeks, I swear!” Himi overheard Arenvale proclaim as she picked at the last of her food. Miserable still, over her unfound stone and in desperate need of a distraction. So she was grateful when Y’shtola came to collect her and eagerly followed her back to the Solar. Though she couldn’t help but feel a little worried when they entered and everyone was staring at her with eagerness. Had they found her stone?
“Pray, forgive us the alarm, friend, but can we ask you a few things?” Minfilia clutched her chest.
“Suuurre?”
“What’s the date? Well, the year at least.” Y’shtola tilted her head to the side, studying Himi’s perplexed reaction.
“It’s uhm…Year 1552 of the Sixth astral era.”
“Seven hells!” Thancred sputtered, taking a step back.
“By the twelve!” Minfilia clutched her chest. “My...my friend, oh no!”
“What? What?” Himi looked around at the concerned room; regardless of whether or not she was one of the Warriors of Light, that was one hell of a gap. Even Tamru flicked an ear in sympathy.
“Tis year five of the Seventh Umbral era. You haven’t just lost your memories, you are five years off!”
“B-but! That doesn’t make any sense! I....” Something itched at the back of her mind as the panic made a home in her chest. Thancred calmly approached her.
“Maybe this can help? This was on your person when we found you in Limsa. You’d dropped it, but never asked for it back, so admittedly, I had completely forgotten about it.” Thancred told a little white lie. “But do you recognize it?” He handed her the shard, and she eyeballed it curiously, focusing on it to distract from her internalized fear.
“Looks like a shard from a black mask?” She held it up to inspect it, and, with the way it caught the light, she saw a glimpse of her reflection, and it was all over. Her Echo went wild, and she clutched her head with one hand as her other gripped the shard. She was so bombarded with visions, sounds, smells, that she couldn’t sort any of it out. As if the memories had to be rearranged to be completely out of context, then looped on fast forward. Only one memory was clear enough for her to hold on to; her staring down an Ascian in the laboratory; there were others with her, but she couldn’t see who.
“Should you still be here, as the moon falls?” The Ascian challenged her. Someone reassured her she could leave, and thus, she ran. Or was she the one who had said…? Either way, next she realized was that her head was in Thancred’s lap, as he sat on the floor. Y’shtola was tending to her, and the others had crowded around. Van flicked an ear curiously as he tried, and failed, to not look as worried as everyone else.
“Fuck ow.” she mumbled groggily.
“Language, young lady!” Papalymo scolded her. Y’shtola scooted to the side as Yda sunk to her knees next to Himi, grabbing her robes for a moment before plopping her head onto her shoulder. And well, started crying.
“Oh gosh, some context, please.” Himi glanced up at Thancred, bewildered.
“You’re alive! You’re alive!” Yda grabbed Himi’s collar in excitement and shook her gently.
“Yda, please! Control yourself!” Papalymo wagged a finger. “I’m just as happy as you are, but we need not rattle her brain so much!”
“Did... did I die?” Himi glanced around, still completely confused. Thancred beamed from ear to ear.
“Remember how I said we’d figure out who you were, and where you came from?” He brushed her hair out of her face. “Well, happy to report that you were one of us. And all these years, we thought you lost at Carteneau.”
“Whhaaaat?”
“Truly, my friend!” Minfilia wiped a tear from her eye. “Although there’s much we’ve forgotten, all evidence points to such; you are one of the Warriors of Light who fought for the realm, five years ago! One of our dear friends, we feared we’d never see again.”
“Even if we don’t remember your face;” Y’shtola piped up, “Now that we are certain of your identity, especially with what you were spouting just now, I assume the memories may slowly trickle in. Either way, tis a relief to see you alive.”
“Oh, that’s exciting! Even if confusing. But mostly exciting!” Himi tried to sit up, but her head spun. “And. Dizzying.”
“It’s been a long day. Let’s get you to bed.” Thancred scooped her into his arms. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m sure you will.” Yda giggled.
“... Alright then, you can carry her to bed.” Thancred flattened his expression, plopping Himi into Yda’s arms.
“Me and my big mouth.” Yda mewed, but shifted to get a better grip on Himi, regardless. “Oh well! Come along then, Himi! I’ll even read you my favorite bed-time story!”
“Oh fuck yeah, I love bedtime stories.”
“Language!” Papalymo wheezed, watching Yda as she scurried out of the Solar with Himi.
“Papalymo is right, I think. Those two are going to be quite the handful.” Thancred crossed his arms, quirking a brow.
“No more than you two are, when you’re together.” Y’shtola flashed a cheeky grin as Minfilia giggled.
“What? Himi and I always behave ourselves when we’re alone!” he protested.
“When you’re alone? I didn’t say when you’re alone, I was referring to the constant jabs you two make at each other when in the same room. Pray, clarify,” Y’shtola rapped her knuckles against her cheek. “Do you two spend much time alone?”
“Yes, we’ve spent a bit of time to- No! No, wait, no! Not like that! Definitely not like that. Why I barely know her!” He sputtered.
“Oh, when has that ever stopped you before?” Papalymo flattened his expression. “And I dare say you probably know her better than a stranger, since we know now that she’s-”
“One o’them Warriors o”Light from Carteneau?” Jacke was taken aback. “Guess it ain’t too far-fetched, but I’m feelin’ like he’s ignorin’ half o’the intel I gave him.” he snorted, crossing his arms. “Naw, sha, it ain’t sittin’ right by me. Ain’t sayin’ she couldn’t’ve been there… it just… somethin’s missin an I mean t’find out just what sort o’ taradiddle is bein spun here.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, thanks fer lettin me know, and thanks for agreein’ to help with this whole contest mess with the Yellow Jackets.”
“I couldn’t stand another night in the desert. Really needed some fresh air as it were.” Van flicked an ear. “So tell me what ye got so far.”
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As Hydaelyn's Chosen, she had accepted her role and duty to the people without much of a protest. Had it been another Scion and Minfilia instead took on their role, what would Minfilia's like be like?
ALWAYS ACCEPTING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUSES!!
I think, if minfilia didn’t have the echo and had no direct connection to hydaelyn, she’d still have found a way to act for similar causes to the ones she holds canonically. the echo definitely has a very important role in her story, given it is the reason she ends up in a leadership role at all (because she starts going after other people with the same skill to learn more and put it to use, before the scions are formed). more than the echo, though, her father’s influence on her is very important on why she chooses to act in the first place.
if she wasn’t one of hydaelyn’s chosen, she would still have been greatly influenced by warburton to do what is right and stand for what she believes is a worthy cause, even at great personal risk. her dad was a spy who stood up against the empire, and he made enough enemies that he had to flee with minfilia (then ascilia) to ul’dah. it’s the reason why, even after he died, she adopted a new name, and f’lhammin started to pass minfilia as her adopted daughter. but harder as it might make things, not once does she seem to resent him and those choices (she shows much more resentment towards lhammin, for her part in the accident that took her father’s life, and even to thancred, for being there and not there as he is, than she ever shows towards her father, even if his role as a spy put her in danger).
but I think going towards a path more influenced by warburton would have led her to place different importance on what causes she chose to take on? like, as hydaelyn’s chosen, she shows concern towards the world at large, how primals affect the planet, how the empire threatens eorzea, the beast tribes that she’s always defended should be seen as people. in this other scenario, her goals may have been originally more limited, and leaned more towards ala mhigan liberation (which isn’t something her canonical story touches on at all, despite her roots) and going against the empire when it threatens eorzea than the primals and beast tribes part.
I also think things may have been very different in regards to her being in the front lines as a result? because we know she isn’t in game, as her role has always been more of a leader/administrator than a fighter in any way, but without having the echo and founding the path of twelve, she wouldn’t have ended exactly the same way. personally, I think even in game it’s an oversight that she wouldn’t at least have picked something up to defend herself, considering she’s always been in danger pretty much. but regardless, not starting as the leader of a hidden organization would definitely lead her towards a different path, imo, and I can see minfilia being more capable of doing what she expresses the desire to do in canon: act directly rather than to send people to do things in her stead.
ultimately, I think her goals and who she’d end up being would still be very much aligned with the scions, so I can totally see her having a place with them, even if the road to get there and her role in the organization would be very very different (without the echo, she wouldn’t have been in touch with louisoix for years, but her being close to thancred doesn’t depend on that, and it’s fairly easy to imagine he’d still have a part on why she ends up with the scions, much like he has a part canonically, considering he’s the one who introduces her and louisoix). echo or not, minfilia is deeply caring and compassionate, as well as ready to stand up for what she believes in and defend what she thinks is important, no matter what. she would want to act for eorzea and the world at large, even if her heritage would also factor more consistently when it comes to causes she cares about. and I think she might have done that more directly, had she not assumed the position she does canonically as hydaelyn’s chosen.
#thanks for the ask!!!#this was so interesting to consider....#her connection to hydaelyn is obviously deeply important to her character#but I think? a lot of it is also simply who minfilia is.#she is good and kind and compassionate. she cares for people no matter who they are.#she's willing to act and stand up for what she believes in no matter what the personal cost will be for her to do so#without the echo and hydaelyn I just think the greatest influence on her would be indisputably warburton#which in turn would lead her to be less of a leader in the administrator sense probably#but I can see her still ending up as a leader of sorts when it comes to inspiring people towards a certain cause bc that's who she is too#I think she'd still fit in with the scions though. like with what they're up to when we meet them#keeping an eye on things and the big cities and the garleans and the primals#I do also think she'd be more of a fighter (not to go the ry.ne route but. maybe as a rogue even considering her dad was a spy#and the other big influences she has are thancred and lhammin. or maybe a bard because of the later 🤔)#anyways I'm ranting in the tags ignore me 😌#‣ muse { minfilia warde } — ❝ ANTECEDENT. ❞#‣ character study { minfilia warde } — ❝ A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT. ❞#‣ out of character { the mun } — ❝ THAT GLOOMY GIRL WHO SIGHS A LOT. ❞
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i don’t usually post my writing on here but i was sent a few asks about my WoL and shadowbringers has officially ended and it kicked my ass, so i chose to inflict this upon you (～￣▽￣)～ set right before 5.0 ends
『♢』『♢』『♢』
It was Minfilia who had first called you the Warrior of Light.
Well, maybe. You’re not certain if that’s true if you’re at all honest with yourself. You think, if you stop and ponder hard enough, that some other soul named you before she even met you, someone in one of your myriad quests helping strangers across Eorzea. That was back then, when tomorrow meant little and the learned motions of every new day, repeated heroic acts of slaying primals, helping city-states, bringing a small modicum of order to faces you didn’t know and would never meet again, was all that mattered.
All that was, in all fairness.
You still help strangers now, that much hasn’t changed, but it’s different. You’re not fresh-faced, for one. Minfilia is gone, for another.
But it matters little because it was she who first uttered it like she believed it in her very soul and it was she who allowed you to finally feel at ease that maybe, just maybe, people weren’t wrong to call you that. That they didn’t see what they longed for in a feeble attempt to bring hope and order and a speckle of safety in their lives no matter the truth of your own limits. Maybe, you had started thinking after one of your first few meetings with the Archon, you were a Warrior of Light. She believed it so vehemently and, to your untold relief, left no room for doubt.
Looking at Norvrandt’s night sky speckled with stars more welcoming that you ever thought a sight to be, you think of her. You often think of Minfillia, the loss a low constant thrum always present in your body ever since that night in Ul’dah, after she urged you to leave, after she stayed and died, but you’ve been thinking of her more often lately, more actively ever since you arrived in the First.
Undoubtedly, Ryne’s presence has a lot to do with it. Even so before, when she was still called Minfilia and the anxiety was clear as day in her features, wanting something more but never daring to admit it to herself, both the Oracle and someone else, both to save and help, but to also simply… be. It’s the reason you took to her so easily, why you began keeping an eye on her during your adventures—sometimes even more so than Thancred, of all people, when he was lost in thought, too trapped in his own silent agony.
Ever since your friend’s final departure, ever since Ryne woke up with bright red hair and lighter shoulders, you stopped hurting as much. The dull ache dulled even more and even though you’d always miss her, always long for her guidance, at least you could sense her peace. Minfilia could rest now.
One day you might too.
“One can only hope, no?” you mutter to yourself with a mocking smile, eyes still upwards.
Your room in the Pendants, you decide, is too spacious. Too big for one person, even if they’re a hero, a savior, Hydaelyn’s beloved child and warrior. You do appreciate the view, however, so you spend many nights by the big window, staring up at a Lightless sky you gifted to all instead of resting as you should.
You don’t want to rest. You want to keep going, one foot in front of the other, until exhaustion overtakes you and forces you to stop. Doing so before that point would only bring you unneeded guilt; you’re alive and breathing so you should be fighting and helping and saving. You’re not good for anything else.
You don’t want to rest but nobody has to know that.
The Warrior of Light, then. The Warrior of Darkness too, now, and you’ve started getting used to that as well. You don’t feel that much like a warrior at all is what you should have told her back then, in the Waking Sands, when things where slightly less perilous, slightly less all-consuming and terrible and bad. It’s not you they should be placing their hopes on. You’ve made a mistake and it’s someone else who should be here. Someone else’s Echo burning bright with power and potential. Given time, you will let them down and it’ll be too late by then, the consequences too great to rein in.
It’s only because of Ardbert’s ghostly aether making its presence known some paces behind you that you make the effort to turn away from the starlit heavens. Even then, he too will join by your side to look at the First beginning to slowly heal, one Lightwarden at a time. One darker sky at a time.
He says something and you almost miss it amidst the cacophony of your thoughts but you manage to quiet it down before you begin one of your many night-long conversations.
#ffxiv#final fantasy xiv#shadowbringers#shadowbringers spoilers#writing#ffxiv writing#ardbert#xau#i have.....thots about this game. many thots#much to think#minfilia
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would you be willing to make a masterpost of all your sharlayan research and headcanons? please please please and THANK YOU if you do
I can certainly try! A lot of my info is from what little we have so far, and my own fics are where a lot of my headcanons go to live, with little snippets about various characters here and there in my scattered lore posts, as well as stuff I’ve collected from other players.
Other Resources
In Louisoix’s Wake - The twins’ official Calamity short story on the Lodestone.
One Name, One Promise - Thancred’s backstory, from Limsa to Sharlayan training to his early assignment in Ul’dah and then early Shadowbringers.
Mirke’s Menagerie - A compilation of lore info from in game, lorebooks, panels, interviews, short stories, etc. There are about 4 or 5 Sharlayan-specific posts @mirkemenagerie has made.
Encyclopaedia Eorzea - If you can get your hands on copies (physical officially; digitally is Unofficial so far as I know), I recommend it! They’re both good reads, though EE 1 is the one with a blurb on Sharlayan as a nation.
Posts by Other People - that I have collected
Leveva Comment
About Archon Loaf - Keeping in mind Sharlayan’s bad cuisine has been canonical for years per lorebook 1. They care more about ease of eating while studying, also seeing culinary arts as an academic field, not a practical daily exercise.
Lorebook 1 Astrologian Lore - screencaps from the lorebook.
Phaedra’s Teen Scion Sharlayan Antics fic - I am happy to take responsibility for inspiring @phaedra-mero to write this delightful scene.
My Own Posts
Red Mage Research - Includes books from Gubal Library.
Scion Ages - Pointing out the ages of the Scions, particularly the Archons.
My Fics - Sometimes there’s more HC musings in the Notes and Comments. I try to stay close to canon, at least as it is when the fic was written.
Rogue’s Prelude - Multichapter, teen Thancred meets Louisoix, Yda, and Papalymo. Written a year prior to Thancred’s official ShB story above.
Aetherology & Skulking Boots-Beginnings - Y’shtola agrees to tutor Thancred in how to speak properly as teenagers in the colony.
Chin Up - Yda gives Thancred advice as youths in the colony.
Dreams of Home-Lucubration - Yda, Lyse, and Thancred in the colony.
Younger Sister - Thancred’s relationships with the Hext sisters over time.
In Violet’s Wake-Louisoix’s Children - A Master Matoya PoV from StB patches. There’s a brief chapter with her and Y’mhitra in Dreams of Home, too.
Excerpts from other posts - things that ended up as commentary on other threads, with some editing since.
From a thread that started off as about Thancred’s Gear from ARR to HW:
Sharlayan is a nation on an island NW of Eorzea proper; the Sharlayan everyone we know hails from was a colony that became a city-state a few hundred years back and part of the Eorzean Alliance, in the Dravanian Hinterlands, where Idyllshire is now. After the fall of Ala Mhigo and then the Battle of Silvertear Skies, the Forum (their ruling body) decided to abandon the city and return to the motherland, a process that took 5 years before they all just teleported out in a day. Except Matoya, and those archons that worked for Louisoix and that he asked to stay and go to the remaining 3 Alliance cities. This would have been 15 years before ARR/Heavensward.
The Students of Baldesion are also Sharlayan; the Isle of Val, their headquarters, being under that nation’s banner. Sons of St Coinach are another offshoot; Rammbroes (Crystal Tower raid story) was originally part of Louisoix’s Circle of Knowing (who eventually became the Scions), and Y’shtola’s sister Y’mhitra is one of the Sons and part of the Summoner storyline.
Thancred got involved as a youth–by trying to pick Louisoix’s pocket, and impressing the old man with his skills, and so Louisoix brought Thancred back with him to give the kid an opportunity for study. Yda and Lyse escaped Ala Mhigo, and with help from Papalymo, who was part of an effort to help refugees seeking shelter in Sharlayan, they ended up there, and Yda is the one who actually became an archon.
Most of the other senior Scions, so far as I know, are native to Sharlayan, either the motherland or the colony. The Leveilleur twins were born in the Hinterlands Sharlayan, but raised in the motherland, as they were less than a year old when the exodus happened. The university they and Krile attended is the Studium. Becoming an Archon seems to be a separate process not everyone goes through, and is a demonstration of mastery in chosen field(s) of study. That’s the significance of the tattoos some of the Scions have on their necks or faces.
Sharlayan is basically a nation particularly focused on academia; the trouble is, for the last couple decades, it’s been controlled by a faction of isolationists who would rather hoard knowledge and sit in the proverbial ivory tower looking down on non-Sharlayans, claiming others would abuse their knowledge, and that they should simply observe history and not try to affect it. Louisoix, Matoya, and the organizations they associate with (the Circle of Knowing/Scions; Sons of St Coinach, the Students of Baldesion, etc), think that viewpoint is stupid and go against it. A big part of the Astrologian storyline is dealing with Sharlayans who dislike Leveva’s family sharing Sharlayan astrology with outsiders, for example.
What sort of relationship Sharlayan and Ishgard had before the exodus isn’t really detailed much; both were pretty insular and focused on their own issues (like many of Eorzea’s city-states outside of crises), and the Dravanian threat at the time might have kept them pretty separated by land. Sharlayan was responsible for Eorzea’s aetherytes and keeping the aethernets working, though, and it’s suggested they still handle that post-Calamity to some degree. We pay fees for teleports because reconstruction and upkeep is pricey for all of the city-states.
Next post:
The Isle of Val was the headquarters of the Students of Baldesion, Krile’s family and order, and was a Sharlayan institution. It’s destruction/missing status happened during the ARR patches, and Krile was saved by Hydaelyn as she has the Echo (as an aside: you can hear Minfilia talking to Krile via linkpearl in the background on the Enterprise after rescuing the Scions from Castrum Centri before Ultima, and she constantly refers to and worries about Krile after the Isle of Val goes missing, but then plot happened to Minfilia so we never see them together as friends). The Ascians seemed to have a hand in the Isle’s disappearance…but there’s story about the fate of the Isle of Val and the Students of Baldesion in Stormblood’s Eureka plotline.
As for the Archon Marks, if they do confer social benefits, aside from being an easily seen status symbol for some highly skilled & educated folks, it hasn’t been mentioned yet in concrete terms, though we know the rank has benefits (like access to forbidden lore). Mostly they are a way to tell at a glance who has obtained the rank. It’s like if people with doctorates had a tattoo of their degree symbol on them so you knew just by looking.
As of Shadowbringers 5.4, we know that to become an Archon a thesis is required, and it’s a great deal more work than a Studium graduate’s final thesis. It strikes me that Studium (which some of the Scion Archons also attended) is like undergrad or Masters studies, while Archon is a Doctorate level.
I personally headcanon that the arcane marks confer some minor, slowed visible aging and other vague magical benefits befitting their rank in Sharlayan society. Really, that’s a way for the devs to avoid new models and add to the confusion in 1.0′s intros and the running joke about Y’shtola’s age, BUT let’s come up with an in-world thing, too. There has to be some explanation for Thancred’s perpetual baby face when he’s not RPing a Mountain Hobo ;) Also we really don’t know for sure how old Matoya is. Just old.
Lorebook 2 Notes:
Mikoto Jinba (Return to Ivalice, Save the Queen storylines) worked on aetheric siphon research with Moenbryda, and at 29 is the youngest Raen with the rank of Archon in recent history. It was Jessie’s connections that brought her to Cid’s attention and got her involved in the Return to Ivalice story.
Ejika Tsunjika (Eureka storyline) went to school at the same time as Krile and Leveilleur twins, endorsed by Galuf Baldesion, who Ejika later chose to work under. He’s resentful of Krile and the twins as Ejika himself is of humble origins and had to struggle to get to where he is, yet hides his Archon brands with high collars as he refuses to believe himself unique or exceptional.
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2, 7 and 18 [holding back from asking every single question]
my god. Hi adr
2. Does your WoL have a recurring nightmare (or more)? What is it?
He honestly doesn't have many nightmares if at all but post-garlemald arc he does get vague creepy crawly elements about the whole bodysnatching thing where he's afraid if he falls asleep he'll wake up in someone else's desecrated corpse again & also see himself having a weird guy in him
7. How have they dealt with losing people?
He simply did not deal with it (the first time he lost loved ones aka most of the spires he just pretended they didn't all die at cartenau and the thing that sets him off on his journey in the first place is the fact that it was easier to pretend they were still alive and were waiting for him or searching for him somewhere if he was wandering around LMFAOOOO. during which he refused to really "belong" anywhere else and to anyone else which um killed the first relationship he had. EXCEPT to the nebulous concept of at that point hydaelyn and later fray. wol moment)
I think him refusing to be closer to both haurchefant and minfilia despite them both mutually liking each other a lot (minfy platonically) and their subsequent deaths and the regret he feels about that did compel him to start coming to terms with that kind of thing though. by the end of shb and through endwalker he's very healthy and hale about it and just quietly cherishes their will and memory
18. What is something they would never tell anyone? (a memory, a wish, anything)
By God [adjudicator guy voice] you are gripping the secrets from his skull UHH pre-post sb it was pretty much anything about the spires like he would NOTTT mention it out of fear that someone would be like Oh hey those guys sorry to hear about all of them DYING and being DEAD and then he'd probably 404. honestly though the guy does not talk much and a lot goes unsaid not exactly on purpose, but also on purpose in the sense that he doesn't like to use words to express.
other little secrets is that he DOES like fighting and theeee thrill of combat but it's less of a secret than something he stubbornly feels like Is Not Relevant Most Of The Time. in a similar vein I guess he avoids telling people about the fact that he doesn't ever feel bad about killing people mentally and emotionally & only ever cares about the actual effect it may have. it's something he's neither proud of nor ashamed of but he knows it may hurt others. and then as we slide further down the slope a bunch of nsfw shit that he keeps between himself and his partners. LMOFA IN GENERAL he's just a little big guy who likes to keep stuff to himself...SO a lot but also not much very exciting or abnormal for a wol. he's simultaneously surprisingly frank about stuff if you just asked like if you were like do you love me <3 he'd just be like yeah (if he does)
He's also good about keeping people's secrets and generally doesnt tell other people personal things about other people if there isn't like an explicit serious need/right to know...so...cheating but: other people's secrets
#THANK YOU you should reblog the post too so I can see zhatia lore.#ffxiv#honestly in spite of everything gourd does not have a very like scarring kind of sad past so his darkest depths are. the regular man
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Day 12: Extra Credit.
Wait, what it that noise? Oh look, it's canon falling off the rails, whoops!
Kaito's extra bits of the Echo is fantasy synesthesia, with a dash of empathy. When someone talks or makes noise he sees that as colors that best represent their soul. Much less intense is the flavors he tastes that he asociates with each person he meets and change sligthly with strong feelings.
~.~.~
Prompt: Adversary.
n. one that contends with, opposes, or resists: an enemy or opponent.
He isn’t sure what he's seeing and tasting at first, in those first weeks after being dropped off in Limsa Lominsa by Hana, who was deep blue and pink with bursts of yellow and whose words tasted like that green tea from her homeland. He still remembers the bitter tang her parting words left in his tongue, the same he tasted each and every time she checked on him while pretending she was doing other, more important, things and he was a pit-stop.
Hana had been terribly confusing.
It takes him a while to figure out the basics beyond see and taste words and sounds. He realizes that people are palettes and no two persons have the same color combination or hue, it is as good as having a personal ID on everyone he meets. He doesn't figure out the taste for the longest time, not until Ifrit, when those tempered went… wrong. Their colors smothered under the same hue as the primal and all their individual flavors taking on the same sweet/rotten tang. It had been incredibly disturbing and disconcerting at the time, but be had put together a theory afterwards.
Even so, he hadn't realized this strange ability of his was anything to write home about. So he can see sounds, what of it? It's not very useful, now is it? In identifying those tempered, sure, but unless someone pulls a switcheroo, why would it matter?
'Why indeed', he thinks wryly as he enters the Solar in the Walking Sands and stops dead in his tracks, eyes immediately zeroing on the anomaly in their midst.
“My friend, welcome…” Minfilia greets him with her customary warm smile, which falters when she sees his expression. “Is aught amiss?”
“Yes, yes there is,” Kaito says calmly, far more calm than he feels. He prowls forwards, eyes fixed unerringly on Thancred, who raises an eyebrow in a wordless question. “Let’s start easy with the easy question. Who the fuck are you?”
Around this strange stand-off the other scions, already worried at his uncharacteristically hostile actions, all tense in alarm. They are uncertain and he can't really blame them. Fond of him as they are, Thancred has been one of them for much, much longer. However, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear to him, they trust him a lot more than he would have dared believe, newcomer that he is. It’s for this reason that they don’t immediately jump on him, choosing instead a watch and see approach.
For his part, Thancred's eyes widen at the accusation, the shock in his expression completely genuine. He has caught the interloper by surprise it seems, but instead of the worry and alarm that Kaito would expect Thancred to betray in the face of an accusation such as this, all he sees behind the façade is an icy cold and shrewd intelligence that is now entirely focused on him. He can practically feel those eyes dissecting him and rapidly reassessing the situation. It’s unnerving on the extreme.
Not that the real Thancred isn’t smart and sharp as a tack, he's definitely one of the smartest people Kaito knows, and he can be ruthless, certainly, but Thancred isn’t cold like this. If the minute shuffling and the taste of stale dark chocolate on his tongue is anything to go by, then Y'shtola has also noticed the discrepancy.
“Now, why would you think that?” ‘Thancred’ asks with a worried air about him and a shake of his head. “Did you perchance have some peculiar encounter on your travels? I wouldn’t put it past our robed foes to concoct something while you were on your own.”
The words confirm it. Like will-o'-wisps, they paint the air around 'Thancred' with colors… a fiery red crossed with bright orange and stabbed everywhere with a deep virulent purple. It is utterly unlike the warm pink, orange and soft yellow threaded with cool blue that Kaito has come to associate with Thancred, either a sunrise or a sunset, constant all the same. Everything about the stranger's colors is more, somehow, deeper and richer. Saturated to the point of provoking a headache.
As the wisps fade away, they leave behind a strong aftertaste of burnt sugar. Kaito clicks his tongue, as if that would serve to dislodge the sensation.
This… ability or whatever, it isn’t something Kaito has thought too deeply about, not when other matters had been so pressing at the time. He should have given the matter more consideration. At the very least he should have given his allies a heads up, because he probably is coming off as addled if not deranged to everyone minus the imposter who is probably laughing at him.
"Aye, but unlike Thancred I was never on my own, was I? I was surrounded by people all the time and then I hitched a ride with the aetherytes in between. Unless you're suggesting our foes can pluck people from the aether currents, then I don’t see how I could've had a tête-à-tête with them." He glares at the other man who has the gall to look disturbed. Everyone else is still on edge and Kaito knows, knows, they’ll run out of patience soon. He can only hope the intruder is as short-sighted as the other robed fool they met. "The difference is like day and night; you look nothing like Thancred."
Finally, for some reason, it is this what makes the stranger drop the charade. His alert but not-quite-tense posture changes and the bewildered air around him immediately morphs into one of utter menace. It's like seeing a housecat shed its skin and turn into a chimera while sitting on your lap.
The scions, who had remained guarded but made no move for or against the proceedings, immediately ready their weapons, the sounds exploding in a rainbow of colors that is strangely calming in their familiarity. It's Urianger, ever watchful and cautious Urianger, that gently tugs a shocked and vulnerable Minfilia closer to him, a topaz carbuncle bursting into existence in front of them both at his silent command.
Kaito's axe, always close at hand, is now drawn and pointed at the enemy wearing a friend's face.
“Well, well, well, color me impressed.” This time the wisps don’t just float around, they practically lash out, glowing so violently that for a moment Kaito is afraid they will gain tangibility and wreck everything. He gags as the taste of burnt sugar turns into sweet charcoal. “That one of you broken creatures could have such an unusual Echo in this pitiful age. Hydaelyn’s chosen, no less!” With liquid grace, not-Thancred stalks closer until his chest is touching Kaito’s axe, seemingly unconcerned about the threat. “Tell me, adventurer, do you really think you can stop me?”
Kaito grits his teeth against the sensory overload and the headache that pounds away inside his skull, a retort full of bravado already on his tongue. Before he can answer, however, a fireball whizzes past his ear, forcing not-Thancred to retreat.
“It’s not just him you have to contend with, fiend,” Papalimo warns, coffee cookies washing away the rage and death that choked him before. Aether gathers and swirls around the thaumaturge as he prepares another spell. A spell that never comes as Yda takes the opening her partner gave her and uses it to land an impressive combo full of punches and kicks that would have broken bones on any normal man.
Unfortunately, whoever this impostor is, normal he is not.
Disappearing and then reappearing closer to the door, he looks at each of the scions until his gaze zeroes once more on Kaito.
“So it seems,” he acknowledges with a bored air that is simply galling and has all of them bristling without meaning to. “Enjoy your futile resistance while you can then.”
“Wait!” Minfilia cries out from behind the protection the combatants provided. She’s pale and her knuckles are white from clutching the edge of her desk. “Is Thancred… What did you do to him?!”
Not-Thancred smirks. It’s an expression that has always been at home in Thancred’s face, fond and mischievous and always a bit flirty, but right now is full of malice. “Who knows.”
And then he is gone.
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I think one thing that I do genuinely wish was different about Venat, was I wish she didn’t know us at all -- because to me, it would make a lot more sense with some of the things that came up in FF14.
Apparently she has been shotgun blasting The Echo openly into space for a long time, but with the reveal of Elpis in Endwalker, the WoL was always going to be us, based on the self-fulfilling prophecy that Elidibus put us into with both Venat and my WoL knowing/learning the truth.
If that’s the case wouldn’t it have made more sense to just save the energy that those shotgun blasts must have taken, into energy she could use to seek out this (1) individual?
But it’s also the symptom of a much bigger problem I have with that Elpis reveal.
The reveal that nobody was the Warrior of Light, except Me.
I have many criticisms of ShB, but Elidibus seemed to genuinely care about what it meant to be a Warrior of Light and was a huge Warrior of Light fanboy. The game STARTS with the fact that those who have been forgotten despite their brave acts of heroism, will always go down as the Warrior of Light...
And to me, that tells me, that if Venat DIDNT remember us, and us exactly, that would set the stage that she hoped that anyone could be the Warrior of Light, instead of just waiting for us in particular for several thousand years, to be born and show up again.
It actually takes away from the Warrior of Light I’m playing as, I think.
No matter what happens, it’s only ME that can stop everything, and I just think, I don’t know, wouldn’t it be better if ANYONE could have been the Warrior of Light?
It could have been Louisoix, Ysayle, Fordola, Arenvald, Ardbert, even Minfilia! All these people who got the Echo and were essentially granted a power of the Warrior of Light, it could be fascinating to think that we were not the Chosen One, Destined For Greatness... but we were just some guy, just like all the others, just like the beginning of the game made us believe. We just walked into town one day, like anyone else, and became an Adventurer, just like anyone else could have.
That our efforts made us the Warrior of Light, not Elidibus sending us back in space time for a self-fulfilling timeloop in Elpis, where we are always the one who ends up knowing what happened back then, and are the only one who can put an end to it.
If anyone could have been the Warrior of Light, doesn’t it make it that much more special that despite everything, we made it to the end? We found Venat, we showed her our resolve, and we travelled to save the Universe, because we simply wanted to, because we simply knew if we could do it, then we WOULD do it!
Instead of the alternative -- which is that NOBODY but Me can do it, therefore, I have to do it.
I think it opens up not only an issue I have with that story, but the writing as a whole. I just feel it would be more meaningful if the Warrior of Light did the things they did because they simply chose to, because they believe in themself enough, and while many other’s tried and failed, their attempts were not forgotten, their attempts to make the world a better place, Ysayle’s attempts, Arenvald’s attempts, even Minfilia’s attempts, all helped us build and build, upon the sacrifices of a lot of people’s backs -- not because of our destiny, but because of our choice?
That their sacrifices DID make them Warrior’s of Light, because they will always be remembered for all the things they did?
That even if we were the one that made it to the end, we would always know all the Warrior’s of Light that helped us along the way. And it would be THAT aspect of who we are, as the main character, that makes us a Warrior of Light, too.
#vent#rambling#long post#sorry for the long posts today i just#cant stop thinking about how bummed i was when i got to elpis's reveal#the glimmering shiny fanservice was not enough to distract me from the sudden shift into YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE plot...#i liked it when we WERENT the chosen one#we were just some fucker on a boat with an arcanist spellbook#and some crappy handmedown clothes#ready to make some gil#and that we came this far because of EFFORT and not handwaving destiny stuff#idk#i just wasn't feeling it#shb also bummed me out about that with a lot of reveals that we were the ubermensch#anyway i'll stop now#back to being ambiguously evil#i.e. writing mors#personal#endwalker spoilers#ew spoilers#salt
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Shadowbringers Theory Time
FFXIV 5.2 spoilers below the cut, but like, THE IMPLICATIONS !!!
This is totally just a theory, but I feel like I have a good idea of what caused the end of Amaurot in the first place, the why of Zodiark and Hydaelyn, how the WoL is not in fact tempered as has been implied, why Emet-Selch felt justified in extending his faith to us, what Elidibus is working at with this seemingly empowering angle, and what we can expect to see in the upcoming story arc.
It’s a lot, I know, but hear me out:
So like, first off we know now that “the defector” was not part of summoning Zodiark OR Hydaelyn, and we’re pretty sure we were the defector because in Hythlodeus’s speech about that person, the gender of the 14th changes with your gender–implying he’s likely speaking of us. This means that WE were not necessarily tempered by Hydaelyn, because we were likely not there for her summoning in the first place:
We knew why the original convocation created Zodiark–to stop the world from self-destructing. But they have not yet explained why it was falling apart in the first place.
I’m seriously wondering if somewhere along the way someone realized that the source of the problem was the Amaurotians themselves. After all, we know that magic takes aether, and that the Amaurotians were crazy powerful mages. To not have made this connection themselves is totally unrealistic, given how advanced they were with regard to their knowledge of magic.
My theory is that they realized they were responsible, but no one wanted to admit that they were at fault. Or more than that, no one wanted to, well, stop using magic, so they started grasping at straws for what to do…and Zodiark was one such attempt. By giving the planet a will of its own they hoped that IT would moderate them as necessary, no muss no fuss.
However, to summon Zodiark took a tremendous amount of aether as we know, and after that he basically demanded that the Amaurotians pay the cost of any further large magic expenditures. My feeling is that they gave the star a will, but did so specifically so it would save itself. We know how sensitive creation magic was, so surely someone wrote this intention into it–but they probably didn’t realize what that implied for those who lived on the planet. Accordingly, it willed that people stop using its magic, and die en masse if that’s what it took.
We see only a part of the ancient ones’ conversation, but it seems like they knew this. If Zodiark stayed, eventually he was either going to kill everyone directly or allow them to kill themselves by sacrificing themselves for every expenditure:
Now, as for Emet-Selch–he made it seem like whatever was causing the end of days was a mystery, but he was one of the convocation members and he would have at least heard evidence for why Zodiark would and wouldn’t work.
It could be that the council had other reasons to believe Zodiark wouldn’t fix the problem–but considering Emet’s obvious and understandable adoration for his lost people, I’m wondering if perhaps time changed his perceptions of how the sacrificing of half the population went down in the first place.
It may not have been quite as voluntary as he remembers it–especially considering the populations of the 14 dimensions are made of the same souls as the ones who lived in Amaurot! He said as much himself. But given what we’ve seen in the comparison between us and Aldelbert, souls tend to live out their natural tendencies no matter how many times they’re rejoined. As the WoL we’re nearly half our original strength thanks to all the rejoinings, but Adelbert ran the same endless errand chains and then sacrificed everything just as we would, even though he had only 1/14th of our soul in him. This tells us that souls behave like themselves no matter how strong or weak they are.
By Emet’s estimation, the fragmented incarnations are weak and selfish and scared, but I’d put money on the fact that they were like that to begin with, and here’s why:
This was the theme of this whole expansion: selfless acts may be remembered as selfish. And I’m thinking this is likely a set up for the reverse being true as well (since all of Shadowbringers has been about the importance of understanding the other side of the story): that selfish acts can get mis-remembered as more selfless than they were.
Emet lauded the selflessness of Amaurotians being willing to sacrifice one half their community to save the other half. But if they were somehow to blame for what was happening–due to how much aether they were depleting from the earth itself by using their creation magics so much–their sacrifice may have been necessary just to stem the depletion causing the chaos.
Which is why Hydaelyn may have manifested the way she did. They probably realized that Zodiark got accidentally made to save himself at any cost, so they had to create a will of the planet that cared about its populace as much or more, to keep him in check. But knowing the source of the problem, they had to make her able to kill both birds with the same stone. By splitting everything up as she did, she both stemmed Zodiark’s power and also dramatically reduced everyone else’s power as well, which stopped the hemorrhaging of energy without everyone having to pay for it with their lives.
Note the distinct need for a permanent solution.
It sounds to me like they knew they would be dis-empowering everyone by summoning her. That everyone would be split into pieces and forced into the reincarnation cycle. Yet they seemed to feel like it was the only choice, given the circumstances–circumstances that Emet may have omitted from his 12,000 year old memory bank due to his conflicting desires to both save everyone and serve Zodiark faithfully.
Ultimately, it’s likely that he extended his olive branch to the WoL because he knew we were not involved in summoning Zodiark OR Hydaelyn, and that we genuinely cared about people no matter who they were--like he did. It’s implied that we were on good terms or even close to him before the sundering. But while we didn’t think Zodiark was a good plan, he went with it because he was desperate to save everyone. Just like Adelbert, he was manipulated into making a horrible mistake because his love was so blinding he couldn’t see what he was doing. That’s why he was able to convince you as Adelbert, and why he knew you (”that soul”) were worth trying to win over. He knew we were capable of hearing him (Adelbert already had) and of giving him a chance when no one else could.
Again, we see the idea that because love was the motivating factor for the crime, his selfish acts got mis-remembered by him as more selfless than they were. Instead of recognizing that Zodiark killed half the population, he just blindly believed on some level that they made the sacrifice voluntarily. And I’m sure this will come up in the story again because we already see it happening with all the guards of the Crystarium quitting “to be helpful” when it’s actually the opposite of helpful, because it leaves the city unguarded.
But back on the topic of Emet, he’s incredibly sympathetic to the scions--both eventually eliciting their respect as the story progressed, and subtly supporting them (for example, by bringing Y’shitola back from the life stream). You can tell he genuinely wants to see eye to eye, and not just for the purpose of manipulation. But as a result of his tempering he’s ultimately unable to separate his will from Zodiark’s. This made him the enemy of the Scions and ostensibly the WoL as well, something which has clearly tormented him ever since (after all, he clearly tried to make it work, as “he had children with us, grew old and died with us,” etc.) and has driven him to endlessly try to rejoin everything so we would all be on the same page again.
But in the end we couldn’t go with Zodiark for the same reason we couldn’t go with the idea in the first place–which is probably why he flew into a rage and remembered us as our Amaurotian selves. But despite this, Emet still died having placed his hopes for the future on us…his hopes that we would honor the lives that were lost in the ancients’ misguided attempts to save everyone. And I think this is significant because it tells us that on some level his love for his people overpowered his tempering.
Elidibus remarks that Emet didn’t have the stomach to do what was necessary to follow through on Zodiark’s orders. I suspect that Elidibus is indeed the Oracle of Darkness and equivalent in rank to Oracle Minfilia, and that as a result he agrees unyieldingly with Zodiark that people are the problem and are therefore irrelevant. Emet, on the other hand, did not feel this way. And though he was unable to act in opposition to Zodiark--having been tempered by him--it’s pretty clear that the only reason he supported summoning Zodiark at all was the one implied in his memories--he loved the people of Amaurot and wanted to save them. This is why all his memories of Amaurot are favorable, all the people kind and considerate and lovely...because that’s how he always perceived them. But this created a permanent splintering of his loyalties (which is tragic but cool in the sense that the title of Angel of Truth/Emet-Selch is associated with the sign Gemini).
Sorry, I got off topic there but I just really love Emet-Selch.
Anyway, as for the ancients we saw in the Anamnesis Anyder…I gotta assume we were looking at The Scions 1.0. Particularly with Venat being linked as Minfilia because of this little bit of data:
…and we know who consistently looks the same in all her incarnations on the first: the Oracle of Light. She’s probably talking to Thancred there, since he implores that anyone but her do it, then accepts her will even though he’s sad about it, which is…like, the story of Thancred’s life, the poor dude.
But I mean, what we’re seeing with Elidibus wandering around as Adelbert seems to be a new approach. To put it simply, if everyone awakens to their original power, they’ll all start draining the shards just as they did with the Source. Ultimately, this will bring about the same calamities everyone faced back in Amaurot and once again people will look for a savior…and maybe, just maybe, we’ll get the whole Zodiark thing this time (doubtful, bro, but you do you). After all, blind desire to help is exactly how he got created in the first place.
In the end, we may all find ourselves repeating the forgotten history.
This expansion is so freakin’ elegant. I’m just obsessed!
#ffxiv#5.2 spoilers#meta#theories#emet selch#i'm so in love with him i cannot continue living i'm sorry#ascians
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