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And here are the answers/explanations!

Why did Lehon'a leave home for Gridania?

A: Her tribe's traditions forced her to leave at a certain age

Since she grew up being raised as a boy, Lehon'a was subject to the traditions for male Keepers of the Moon, which say that boys who come of age are sent off into the world to wander, staying away from the established communities for more than a handful of days at a time. After her transition and return, she's now free to come and go as she pleases, though in a twist of fate, she now finds she enjoys the open road even more than when she first left (doubly so because she knows she is welcome to return). I wrote about the day she left home in this fic here!

Why did Lehon'a join a Grand Company?

A: To get a mount license

Lehon'a is kind of the chocobo equivalent of a "horse girl" and spent a lot of her childhood at Bentbranch Stables, helping care for the chocobos there. As a kid, she bonded with a particular bird whom she took to calling Felicitias, or Felix for short. She had to leave Felix behind when her White Mage training and duties as a Scion took her elsewhere, but it ended up being the thing to get her to sit through all of the line winded presentations and paperwork. Alphinaud was starting to get on her nerves at that point a bit, and she does have a desire to help the people of the land, but the primary motivator to actually get her to do it was the prospect of getting to be with Felix again. I wrote about their reunion here!

How many hairstyles has Lehon'a had?

A: 5

This is admittedly very tricky, and 4 (which had a lot of guesses) was the closest in spirit.

The 5 hairstyles:

- ARR (very beginning) - kinda shaggy catboy hair

- ARR - ShB - long hair with twin buns

- ShB (after coming out) - long hair pulled into a simple ponytail - this was the tricky one, but it's in a GPose here and mentioned in an older fic of mine here!

- ShB (after fantasia)-EW - short hair with the red streak in it

- DT-present - long hair pulled back into a braid

Who was the first person she talked to about gender feelings?

A: Y'shtola

This comes from one of my oldest fics, Mirror! Y'shtola ends up being the first person she opens up to, but she does tell all of these other people about it at various points after that over the course of Shadowbringers MSQ.

Which of these instruments is Lehon'a most skilled at playing?

A: Drums

She's had an innate sense of rhythm since she was a child, and often drummed on any surface she could get her hands on until her mother eventually got her proper drums to play on. She loves jamming with other musicians, and her musical abilities were the bridge between her and the rest of her tribe when they viewed her as an outsider.

Where did she get the earring she wears to honor Menphina?

A: It was a gift from her mother

Her mother gave it to her on the day she came of age and was made to leave home as a parting gift; something that might protect Lehon'a on her travels. I wrote about it in the same fic mentioned above about her leaving home!

Which of these people does Lehon'a actively dislike?

A: Estinien

This was answered in an old ask here, but effectively she still holds him responsible for the deaths of Haurchefant and Ysayle, along with nearly losing her co-Warrior of Light. They tolerate each other for professionalism's sake, but Lehon'a would avoid being around him one on one unless absolutely necessary.

Of the trio, who technically confessed their feelings first?

A: G'raha

This is truly a close one, and even within the fic this is referring to you could maybe make an argument for Lehon'a making the first move, but in the excerpts from here, G'raha says his piece first, followed by Y'shtola, with Lehon'a responding in a very sober and tactful manner after that.

What stage name does Lehon'a take while battling in the Arcadion?

A: The Neon Shadow

Mentioned in this little story, it's the best, most generic "cool name" she (and I) could think of. Does it make sense if you think about it? Not really, but that's okay!

Which of these jobs can Lehon'a technically perform without a job stone?

A: Red Mage

Lehon'a was a white mage originally (and still possesses the abilities), and dabbled a tiny bit in red magic when she taught Beau a bit of conjury after Heavensward, which Beau took along with her thaumaturgy experience to become a full fledged Red Mage under X'rhun's tutelage. For Lehon'a though, she gets Y'shtola to teach her enough black magic during downtime between Story Moments™ that she can act as a Red Mage in a pinch, going based off feel and what she remembers of watching Beau use the rapier. Is she a master? Absolutely not, but she can technically do it!

I hopped on this trend recently among my friends, so when I saw it here too, figured I'd add mine to the pile, so!

Lehon'a Quiz Be Upon Ye!

I have changed the questions a tad from the original version, and there shouldn't be any secret lore involved; everything is in a fic or a post on here, I believe!

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I hopped on this trend recently among my friends, so when I saw it here too, figured I'd add mine to the pile, so!

Lehon'a Quiz Be Upon Ye!

I have changed the questions a tad from the original version, and there shouldn't be any secret lore involved; everything is in a fic or a post on here, I believe!

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A Neon-Drenched Nameday

"Arsay!" Lehon'a exclaimed as she caught up to the other Miqo'te, stopping her on the streets of True Vue. "A little chocobo told me it's your nameday today, is that right?"

"Sure, that's true. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." A grin grew across Lehon'a's face as she pulled a couple slips of paper from her jacket pocket. "A friend of mine is playing this new music made using Alexandrian tech at a club just down the way, and I thought maybe we might celebrate with a night of dancing and drinks!" She pointed to the establishment as she spoke, not even remotely hiding her enthusiasm for the idea. "They gave me two tickets, so this one's got your name on it."

"Sounds like fun, so let's do it!" Arsay replied, plucking one of the tickets from Lehon'a's grip with a smile.

The club's lighting echoed the same neon pink and blue color scheme present all across the city, though the contrast was intensified by the lack of ambient light inside. The DJ booth stood to one side of the space, elevating its occupant above the dancefloor, and a few scattered tables sat opposite. There was a small crowd gathered already, most likely the die-hard fans and true party animals.

A hrothgar in reflective glasses climbed up in front of the DJ equipment, and nearly everyone in the club turned their attention to her.

"Come on, we made it just in time!" Lehon'a said in a hushed tone, waving Arsay to the front of the crowd. "The sound right here is the best, and we should have enough room to let loose."

Her train of thought was cut off as the voice of an announcer came over the sound system: "Solution Nine, make some noise! For one night only: the sensational, the electric, the queen of bumpin' beats herself: DJ Stardust!"

Lehon'a and Arsay shared a look that grew into a pair of wicked grins as the first song began to play, and it wasn't long before the whole crowd was swept up into the futuristic melodies and driving rhythms of the music, and all but the most stubborn of wallflowers were on their feet and on the dancefloor.

As the night eventually wound to a close many hours and dance moves later, Lehon'a closed her eyes, drinking in the last outro of DJ Stardust's final song. Try hard as she might, she just couldn't imagine a better time than sharing the dancefloor with a friend. Happy nameday, Arsay! Hope we can do this again sometime, she thought to herself, opening her eyes to see Arsay offering one last round of applause to the DJ before the party's end.

(a few alternate angles and some notes below the cut!)

Gosh, I went like so unbelievably overboard with this! I originally just had the initial invitation shots, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I had the itch to do more. I figured why not take advantage of the Neon Stein's existing setup and do an action shot... which quickly involved adding some S9 NPCs to fill in the crowd. and then adding Wuk Lamat and Koana and Gulool Ja as little easter eggs. and then @a-pink-beau because Gulool Ja shouldn't be unaccompanied. and then @reversalsun and @godspeedwagon and another mutual friend. and then G'raha and Y'shtola because I had to. and then my other wol as the DJ cause I couldn't find the DJing loporrit in Brio.

Before I knew it this scene had like twenty actors and it's by far the most involved thing I've done (thought tbh it didn't feel like it took that long), and it was all just thanks to a little nameday request! All of this bluster to say: happy nameday Arsay ( @wildstar25 )! I look forward to seeing many more of her adventures in the future and the amazing poses you come up with, they really are inspiring.

Anyway. With that, I return to my cosplay cave for the next month, cause con is only a few weeks away, and I've got a Pitou to finish! I leave you with these alternate angles to show off a bit more of the background :3

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These also took me a while to settle on, but I think it's got the blend of energy, intensity and playfulness that Lehon'a would bring to the ring!

Phase 1:

Phase 2:

Bonus secret third phase ultimate mode (this song is a banger and would make a killer soundtrack for a fight, but doesn't really fit her vibe exactly)

Here, a WoL QotD that I've been thinking about today.

Under the cut for Dawntrail raid spoilers (not specific to 7.2)

I've seen plenty of people talking about what their WoL's feral soul would be if they were an Arcadion fighter who used one, but I want to know:

What kind of music would your WoL's Arcadion fight be set to?

(Genre, vibes, specific bands and/or songs, whatever goes just any sort of example to describe it)

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What age is your WoL, if they know it? Will they outlive their loved ones?

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Please, tell me about your WOL or character's gravesite, eventual or seen. Their headstone, their epitaph, the location, do people visit? Are they even buried? If so, with anything important? With anyone important? Were they laid to rest some other way? At sea? Sky burials? Pyre? Encased in amber?

I asked this a while ago on twitter, but I'm curious what the tumblr answers. Also, deeply inspired by the FFXIVWrite word today and @whitherwanderer's beautiful response to it!

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Miqo March Day #31 - Dawn

"Even when the night weighs heavy and it seems the road to happiness may be lost, we must take heart and blaze a trail to a new dawn. How else will we see all of the wonders our world and its people have to share with us?"

- Lehon'a Nhavareh, quoted in the middle of packing for another journey to the wilds of Shaaloani

Another month long challenge (barely) finished! Definitely some prompts I struggled with (and the sudden deadline of patch day didn't help) but as with previous challenges, I'm just happy I got it done! It's been lovely to see everyone's posts about their wonderful kitty cats, and I greatly appreciate all of the interaction I've gotten on mine.

Now I will go rest for 1 million years (or until September for XIV write)

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Miqo March #30 - Free Day (aka I ran out of GPose ideas before patch day so I decided to make this a fic advertisement and post an old shadowbringers candid shot)

I've vaguely mentioned it a couple times in these prompts, and I've also posted about it a couple other times, but because I've added a good amount to it since the last proper post I figured I'd take the opportunity to showcase it again!

So! It's called The Pedestal, it's my retelling of Shadowbringers from the Exarch's POV as he deals with his feelings towards Lehon'a, his mission to save the first, and some baggage that makes things a bit complicated. It's currently up through the end of base Shadowbringers (and I intend to write up through 5.3 at some point), so definitely only read if you've played that far!

Here it is on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58182778/chapters/148147405

If you have thoughts, questions, moments you found humorous or affecting, I'd love to hear about them and my ask box/DMs are always open!

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Miqo March Day #29 - Smile

"Oh, do not look at me so. A smile better suits a hero."

No matter how long Lehon'a sat there, no matter how much magic he expended, it dawned on him that there was no way to restore Haurchefant's friendly smile. No way that the kind man who'd taken them in during their darkest hour might live to see the end of the Dragonsong War.

While Lehon'a wept and her comrades gathered around the body, Ar'beunti stood at a distance. Whether she was attempting to track their enemy, keeping vigil against further attacks, or she simply didn't wish to watch someone she'd come to know slip away, only she knew.

There was one thought that unified them, that crossed both their minds.

This war has to end.

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Miqo March Day #28 - Favorite City

In all of her travels, nowhere changed Lehon'a for the better quite like the Crystarium had. And for that reason alone, it held a special place in her heart.

(that, and the incredible crystal & iron-work.)

(totally didn't post tomorrow's by accident already cause I had it backwards on the list I was keeping on my phone don't worry about it)

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Miqo March Day #27 - Hope

Our song of hope, she dances on the wind

Higher, oh higher

E'er our hearts endure and remain forever strong

Standing tall through the dark do we carry on

On wings of hope you rise up through the night

Higher, oh higher

Carrying our song cradled fast within your arms

That its chorus might ring for all

Even with the burden halved, the hopes of Eorzea– nay, the whole of existence– are an impossibly heavy weight on the shoulders of the Warriors of Light.

And yet, one foot in front of another, they press on.

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Miqo March Day #26 - Sky

To the shock of all in Lakeland, the eternal daylight of Norvrandt split in two and parted at their command, leaving nothing visible but the darkness of a true night sky. Lyna gasped. “Is that… what I think it is?” “The night sky, as it should be,” Alphinaud replied, as Lehon’a and Ar’beunti sheathed their weapons and rejoined the group.

This little snippet is partly taken from the actual MSQ dialogue for this bit of Shadowbringers (right after Holminster Switch), but the rest of the writing around it is from my previously-mentioned G'raha POV Shadowbringers fic, The Pedestal!

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Miqo March Day #25 - Fate

Across Eorzea, three very different Miqo'te begin the long journeys that will eventually lead them to cross paths. All of them are far from home and from those who care for them, chasing the things that give their lives a feeling of purpose by venturing down a path uncharted.

The fact the three of them eventually found each other as companions, that alone might seem like quite the coincidence. But for these three to truly find a home in each others' presence and build a life together... The only word fit to describe the cause of such an outcome is fate.

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Miqo March Day #24 - Reason

Though most of Tural knew of him for his technological expertise, Lehon'a found Koana to be as fearsome a fighter on the battlefield as anyone she'd met, using his powers of reason to pinpoint his foes' weak points and exploit them in a single shot.

All she had to do was protect him.

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Miqo March Day #23 - Musical Horizons (Free Day)

"All the way from the streets of the Source, the Neon Stein presents to you: the one and only DJ of Light, Lehon'a Nhavareh!! Solution Nine, are you ready?!"

Lehon'a had her reservations about Solution Nine at first, but as she spent more time wandering its streets in between bouts at the Arcadion, the more she fell in love with its futuristic music and the bustling dance scene surrounding it. It only took a few lessons from a local pro before she was spinning tunes with aplomb, drawing crowds of people looking for a fun night out.

Though the adoring crowds and the bright spotlights had their positives, the one thing that kept her coming back to the DJ booth was watching people give in to the music and lose themselves to the joy of dance. Sharing that feeling was something she could never tire of, and that (plus an energy drink here or there) kept her playing all night long!

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Miqo March Day #22 - Blessing

A lone song of prayer drifts over the silent Coerthan night, a ballad of love and loss.

I hear you, I hear your song. What is it that you require, my daughter?

Lehon'a looks skyward, amazed to see her Patron knelt before her in mid-air.

"I simply wish that all who seek solace might find it in the moon's light, and that I might have your favor as I strike out to places unknown to me."

All are welcome under my glow, as they have ever been. Go forward, Lehon'a, and know that wherever the moon shines upon you, I am watching over you.