#I have a headcanon about the Fortemps boys

[uncanon-xiv]

They call him Ironbone.

[morganali-art]

I decided to sit down and sketch out all my WoLs (not including like, six other joke characters that I have) and I have come to the conclusion that someone should take the character creator away from me.

I got too many lil guys 😵‍

From left to right...

J'rhota Tia is just a silly orange lad - PGL/ROG main, a scrappy little fight boy. Means well, but very head empty. Constantly getting locked out of the Waking Sands, but unfortunately is the only one who can take down Ifrit without getting tempered.

Amelot Greywoode Lost an eye on one of her adventures - couldn't afford a glass eye to match her good eye at the time, so the one she wears under her eyepatch is slightly off colour. (Highlander, GLD)

Parasha Pasha - Tiniest gorl. Min height lala. My god, she's so small. 🥺💕 Ostensibly mains WAR/DRG, but really is a FSH main.

Sami'ra (Sameth/Bunny) Lavellan - ARC/ROG main, previously a Dragon Age Inquisitor. Yearns to keep the stories of his people as a historian, but in the harsh economic times post-calamity, adventuring better pays the bills and provides for his large extended family. Per his name, he is the youngest son in a Keeper family with an oddly large number of sons. Truth be told, not all are family by blood, though are loved just as well. Sam has quite the crush on a certain Lord Commander.

Cessalie Sombreterre was an orphan of Ishgardian birth, and made her way to Ul'dah at a young age to try and make her way in the world, eventually taking up adventuring. Ostensibly a BLM main, though dabbles in roguery and swordplay. Min height elezen. Amongst her people, she's so leetle 🥺💕 Marries into the Fortemps house.

Hazel Rah is my main lad, first boy I ever made. He was born in the Golmore Jungle. Though he misses his childhood home dearly, he was forever restless, and eventually left - spending some time in Dalamasca and other occupied territories, before travelling to Eorzea in the wake of the calamity. Young for a travelling viera, he's about 70ish years old. Before he came to Eorzea, his forest name was Rjel Fith. He loves to garden.

Clover Frith is Hazel's much older sister - she's around 200, though she's not one to keep count. She left the forest when Hazel was quite young, in his 20s or thereabouts. When they met up again decades later, she was taking work as a gleaner in Sharlayan. Though her forest name is long left behind, her last name was Fith.

Blackavar Rehw-Dvre was Hazel's childhood sweetheart. In my headcanons, he does not leave the forest at all until well after the calamity - the general upheaval and unrest making its way even unto the forest, prompting the Rava people to make the choice to send scouts far from home to investigate. As such, though he is confident in the ways of his home, he is very out of place in the wider world and is often mystified by the ways of outsiders. As far as appearances go, Blackavar actually has quite curly hair - so I imagine his hair is more like the catboy hair both J'rhota and Sam have. Alas, there's no perfect bun options 😞

Holly Huorlwesfv is a veena bunny who I created as a retainer and went "aw fuck, I did it again," and had to turn him into a real boy because I liked him so much. He doesn't yet have a lot of a backstory yet, but I named him after Captain Holly from Watership Downs, and so in my mind he looks quite a bit scrappier than he is. Ears are scratched up and tattered. A few more scars. He's a stoic bun, a former guard most like. Definitely a fighter. PLD main iirc.

Bitter Snow is my beautiful, purple, goth Roe. I did not mean to give her the same name as Yellow Moon's paramour, it happened completely accidentally. 👀💦 She's so pretty, I ought to play her more. Pretty sure she's a DRG main, I cannot recall.

[memoriesofgelmorra]

If my blog is going to be a ffxiv geeky blog, then I have to introduce my main! This is Chantelle Shirerort, my Duskwight Bard! In the game proper, she's my Warrior of Light. In my FC (We're the Northern Wolves of Othard, Northern Wolves for short) on Cactuar's roleplay canon, we're all in the WoL's Free Company, but none of us are the actual WoL. Most of my headcanons feature around my FC's canon, because thinking how a non-WoL would adapt to the plot is quite fun!

She's vivacious, opiniated and loves to travel and explore the star! She's a member of the Twin Adders, but she'd never live in Gridania, and she has a mixed relationship with it and it's inhabitants. (But she'll always make time for her fave Bard boys and her Adventurer Sqaudron, the Dusk Keepers). And if you ever wonder why her moniker is The Dragonsong, ask her about the treatment of Duskwight and Keepers in the Shroud.

She used to travel around helping her fellow Scions with this and that, but nowadays you'll find her in either Ishgard, or Radz-at-Han. She missed out on travelling to the First, no way she's going to miss travelling a little to the 13th and help Vrtra at the same time! Even peacetime (and the prospect of relaxing with Artoirel at Fortemps Manor) hasn't completely gotten rid of her wanderlust.

Feel free to ask questions about her canon! And please ignore my goofy butt who forgot to take the settings off my gpose screenshot XD

[dragons-bones]

Am I going to be that person? I am going to be that person. Aymeric for the character ask meme. :)

(Blessings on your house, Tina. :3)

First Impression:

Before I ever played FFXIV, I saw a screenshot of him (I don’t remember where or how) and went, “That one. That one right there. I want that one.” Fast forward to Patch 2.4 with That Face Plus That Voice and it was all, “THIS ONE. THIS ONE THIS ONE THISONETHISONETHISONEIPICKTHISONE.”

Impression Now:

*touches his face* hubband

No, but seriously, he’s loyal, determined, firmly believes in guiding Ishgard to a better future, works his ass off, is comfortable and talented with command both militarily and politically (though it’s clear he’d really rather not deal with the latter), and is not shy at all with how starry-eyed he is over the Warrior of Light. He is A Good Boy. He is also hot and has a voice of liquid chocolate. 10/10 would marry.

Favorite Moment:

Oh goddamnit, I don’t want to pick just one… Fine. The date dinner at the beginning of Patch 3.4. I’ve never seen him so relaxed. He giggled, for fuck’s sake, he giggled and I died. And the way he just lights up when the Warrior of Light suggests taking him on an adventure. Just. That face. That voice.

Idea for a Story:

Aymeric de Borel TAKES A GODDAMN BLOODY VACATION. It’s in fact in my WIP pile, and it involves locking him out of his office, yanking his ceremonial armor off him, and throwing him onto the next airship to Limsa Lominsa. It also involves bodily hauling Synnove “Sleep Is For The Weak And I Must Science” Greywolfe out of her office, food porn (duh, it’s me), and a cabin on the beach.

Unpopular Opinion:

…I think it’s more an unpopular opinion of a fandom trend, but I don’t actually like the (mostly lovingly said from all that I’ve seen, admittedly) trend of referring to him as a himbo. Aymeric is in no way dumb as a brick, he’s just naive about some things and thinks the best of people! :(

Favorite Relationship:

With Synnove. *coughs* Sorry, couldn’t help myself. But on a more serious note… the one he has with Count Edmont. Obviously Aymeric had no personal relationship with the Archbishop, and the implications about the Borels seems to be that they passed while he was still a very young man (at least, that’s my interpretation of what little info we have, I might need to go re-read the lore book), and it’s rough not having a parental figure to go even when you’re an adult. And. Just. Edmont outright says, “I could not bear to mourn the passing of another son” at the end of 3.1. Like. OH MY GOD. ELF DAD OUT HERE ADOPTING EVERYONE. I would really, truly love to see Aymeric be more fully folded into the Fortemps family (which means: suddenly, brothers.)

Favorite Headcanon:

That he prefers the bow to the sword. This is based off A) That Scene in Patch 3.2 and B) the short story “Through Fire and Blood” from Tales of the Dragonsong War. It’s something I play with a bit in my fics (see “Grenades and Dragonkillers” especially, but it gets a nod in a couple of my other fills from last year’s FFXIV Writes). Naegling we know was a gift from his foster father, and it’s probably considered much more appropriate for the Lord Commander of the Temple Knights to be wielding a sword, but for whatever reason, I really like the idea that Aymeric is much more comfortable with a bow in hand and a quiver on his back.

[ishgard]

For the character ask, might I ask about Edmont or Emmanellain? These are very fun to read!

Oh, thank you so very much! I’ll do both, actually!

First impression

...I’mma level with you, it’s almost impossible for me to recall quite what it was cuz all I can really think with any certainty is just “DAD!” probably something a little along the lines of “oh he a dilf” though.

Impression now

DAD!!!! The Ultimate Dad. The WoL has accumulated a few father-figures but he’s without a doubt (imo) the dad to stand above all others. Ahru didn’t have anyone like him in her life for a long, long time, and really she just wholly embraces it. That B99 meme? “Did you just call Count Edmont dad?” would end short cuz she’d just be like “Yeah, obviously.”

Favorite moment

His break-down after the Vault was absolutely heart-breaking, but that’s not really a favorite. Knowing that he was the one who penned this book chronicling our adventures in Ishgard was also such a nice touch. Then just about any time he’s come and reassured us that we have a home to go back to - that’s really where it’s at for me. That’s so, so important to Ahru it makes her heart grow ten times, every time (someone help her).

Idea for a story

Just nice family dinners? Ahru used to stop in at Dragonhead to relay tales of her latest journeys to Haurchefant quite often, and I imagine since he passed, she now returns to Fortemps Manor and does the same with Edmont instead. It warms me so much knowing this is part of what Haurchefant left her; a warm hearth, a family, a home.

Unpopular opinion

I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion but it’d be nice if he could find himself a nice... companion. :3c Someone to take nice little strolls about the Crozier with hand-in-hand... ah.

Favorite relationship

WoL, definitely! But I really, really love his relationship with Aymeric a lot too, and I hope one day we’ll get to see a bit more of it in some capacity or another. He likened Aymeric to another son, despairing that he didn’t want to lose another, and to a man whose real father was... well... Thordan, that must have meant so much and... SE, please. 

Favorite headcanon

Now I’m thinking about this companion of his. A widower, perhaps, who lost their husband some years back to Dravanians... Hm-hm-hmmmm...

First impression

“who’s this lil shit?” not quite but, essentially. He was cute and more interested in you than Artoirel, but of the two, Art was an instant hit with me so Emma, while endearing in his way, didn’t catch my attention quite as much. 

Impression now

He’s such a silly, bumbling lil son-boy and he’s come through some hard lessons. I love and support him and want to see him grow. I had actually predicted that he would be the one to take over at Camp Dragonhead and I was just... SO so happy they actually did that with him. 

Favorite moment

When Thancred decked him? Nah, again him taking over at Dragonhead was really nice and I’m so proud of him.

Idea for a story

Hm. Him and Ahru go out drinking and she proceeds to soundly drink him under the table, some shenanigans ensue, but end ultimately with her having to carry him back home over her shoulder.

Unpopular opinion

Less a character flaw but I’m just not a fan of that particular elezen face. I’ve seen a few people who’ve used it well! but for the most part it’s just. Not a fav (true of a lot of the ‘young’ faces honestly).

Favorite relationship

His and Honoroit’s back-and-forths are priceless every time, that boy needs a serious raise. 

Favorite headcanon

Kinda fits with the above, too. I like the idea that him and Haurchefant were on good terms especially when Emma was younger and more or less looked up to and idolized him in a way. Or was that actually canon?

[blackestnight]

4. a house divided, fallen

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast

Prompt: Shifting blame

Word count: 1016

Featuring spoilers for the lv 60 DRK quest “Absolution,” some random headcanons about Auri physiology in cold weather, and very, very mild gore.

Though the original plan for their journey to Zenith had been to fly into the Forelands, the winds over Coerthas picked up once they had passed the Convictors’ camp. As urgently as they needed to plead their case before Hraesvelgr, Aymeric conceded the need to land once Alphinaud was nearly thrown from his mount by a sudden gust. Though the weather at ground level was less immediately threatening, the snow was piling into great drifts that came up well over Aymeric’s knees; Hanami and Alphinaud were wading through mounds that came past their waists. Aymeric wound up taking the lead, acting as something of a walking windbreak and a shovel in equal measure, after he’d been forced to pick up both Hanami and Alphinaud and carry them over one drift that had come up to their underarms. At the very least he didn’t need to fret over getting lost; Alphinaud carried a compass and a map with landmarks from their journey with Estinien, and all three of their mounts seemed to constantly be turning their heads to the northwest, towards sweeter, warmer air blowing through the pass into the Chocobo Forest. Hanami trudged along in the middle of their little pack, bundled in a heavy coat with the Fortemps sigil with her head bowed low--she’d muttered something about faring poorly in cold weather, at the start of their journey, and she did truly seem exhausted. 

Though it would force them through slightly deeper snows at the bottom of the hills, if they cut away from the road they would almost certainly reach the Forelands before nightfall, and they weren’t equipped to survive a night in the cold like this. Aymeric had his doubts about how much longer he could hold out, and Hanami would almost certainly succumb to the chill before either himself or Alphinaud at this rate. And so, following the insistent tug of his steed, Aymeric led the way through the rocky terrain of Twinpools, calling a “This way!” to Alphinaud, who nodded and continued to trace his finger over his map, and to Hanami, who grunted and kept her eyes lowered to the ground. 

So it was that Aymeric was the first to see the glint of metal, half-buried under a pile of snow in their new path. And when he bent to brush the ice away, wary of tripping over old weapons or debris from a fallen Vigil, he found the armor of a Temple Knight, a corpse nearly perfectly preserved in the cold.

“By the Fury,” he whispered, and took a half step back. The body seemed mangled. The chain of the knight’s haubergeon--and Elezen man, he must have been--was splintered, revealing a deep gouge in what remained of the knight’s skin, clear across his ribcage. A merciless wound, the kind Aymeric knew to send knights to Halone’s halls choking on their own agony. And there, by the knight’s hand, a boot.

Another body. 

Alphinaud looked up from his map, and though Aymeric tried to stand between the boy and the carnage, he was not quick enough to keep the blood from draining out of Alphinaud’s face. “Seven hells, what happened here?”

The worst part was that Aymeric had no ready answer. The highlands were treacherous, and the armor was beginning to rust, which meant the bodies were not fresh. “Heretics, perhaps. Though I cannot imagine what would have drawn any of my knights this far from the city in the first place,” he said, grasping at the remains of his composure. And there were more knights, he could see now; more dead, marked only by the gleam of their chain beneath the snow as it blew in the wind, a dozen at least, and in the center of the massacre--

Hesitant as he was, Aymeric moved forward, stepping cautiously over the fallen as a dull horror chilled him from the inside. “Stay back,” he warned Alphinaud, who was already reaching for Hanami’s coat. The blue under the snow, not the blue of the Templars but of the Vault, the blue of a priest, and as the snows shifted again he saw--gods. A woman’s body, relieved of her head, still clutching a staff etched with the heraldry of a noble House.

Aymeric turned away, shameful as it was. Whether the woman’s head had been severed before or after her death--gods--it had not been a clean cut. There were still faint red stains around the collar of her vestments, and bits of gore embedded in the fibers. Hideous, horrifying, and he knew that sigil, knew it from somewhere, a report set aside in the wake of the disastrous conference in Falcon’s Nest, a minor house collapsed after the disappearance of its Countess…

“Hanami?”

Aymeric forced himself out of his reverie. Alphinaud, too, had turned away from the carnage, one gloved hand pressed against his own mouth, but Hanami was clutching her coat close to her body, and Alphinaud’s free hand was resting on her shoulder. She was unnaturally pale, her skin sallow under the red of the windburn on her cheeks, and she was looking at the bodies with a hollow gaze, a hundred-yalm stare.

“W-wyverns,” she said, and her voice was clipped, her jaw locked with cold. “Maybe.” She flicked one hand, her fingers curled. “Claws.”

Wyverns--the Horde, ever battering the walls of Ishgard. Their plea to Hraesvelgr. And his companions, already half-frozen, clearly losing what little body head they had with their march halted.

“Whatever happened here,” Aymeric promised, “I will have to open an investigation as soon as we can spare the resources. For now, though, we should move.”

Alphinaud visibly swallowed. “As you say, Ser Aymeric,” he whispered, and nudged Hanami, who lurched forward a step to lean against her bird. Aymeric waited long enough for her to draw even with himself; as pale as she was he feared losing her if she fell behind, even as he lifted her up to sit astride her bird, side-saddle, so as not to risk cutting her leg on the claymore she kept strapped to the saddle.

[dreamangel-ren]

FFXIV April Fools Joke Expanded

I shall call it FFXIV AU: Eorzea Academy

So, after seeing the April Fool’s Day joke about our beloved FFXIV characters attending to high school, I got heavily inspired and add a bit of my magic to this wonderful idea. NOTE: This is all pure headcanon so that means it is NOT to be taken literally! If you don’t like this kind of stuff, then stop reading now!

Still here? Okay here we go:

-Of course, my Warrior of Light is the star of the show! - Ren Kurosaki attends to the school as a new student. The school’s first impression of her is that she’s wild and mysterious. On her first day, she stopped bullies from picking on a fellow student. Many are trying to figure out if she’s even eligible to attend to Eorzea Academy since her documents contained vague information. -Ren lives by herself; she goes from being a bard to going on extravagant quests to maintain financial security. At times, she receives aid from fellow neighbors when times get too hectic. - Appearance: Long wavy brown hair with hair clips on the side of her bangs. She always has her sleeves rolled up to her elbows; she gets lectured by the teachers to have her sleeves worn properly. She wears a bracelet on her left wrist. Her choice for socks is the mid-thigh high ones. -She excels in archery, white and black magic (RDM), and dancing; she wishes to get better with ninjutsu, weaving, and cooking. She’s terrible with tanking and she gets nervous when practicing healing.

- Some teachers don’t approve with Ren’s behavior because she ends up breaking the school’s rules, but for a good cause: to help make Eorzea Academy a more comfortable and fun environment for the students. Some consider her the Warrior of Light because of her good deeds while some consider her the Warrior of Darkness because she only makes things worse. With Eorzea Academy being a very prestigious school, students go there mostly tensed because they don’t want to disappoint their superiors. -Ren does have a harem, but there can only be one! (Yup, it’s a shoujo kind of story fellas). The Remaining Cast: Yotsuyu: The president of the student council and the Queen Bee of Eorzea Academy; many students would do anything for her because of her undeniable beauty. She uses her power to pretty much manipulate the entire school for her amusement and a few students hate her for this reason. With Ren in the picture, Yotsuyu is worried that she will lose her position to the new student so, she’s bound and determined to wreck Ren’s reputation. Aymeric: The vice president of the student council, head of the Heavensward Elite, and one of the wealthiest students of the school. He is also known as the lady’s man because most girls want to date him (he even has his own fanclub). However, some believe that him and Yotsuyu are dating because they are the most attractive duo. Yotsuyu loves Aymeric and already confirms to everyone that they are in a relationship, but the young lord on the other hand doesn’t feel the same way; he doesn’t like how Yotsuyu treats the other students. When Ren arrives to the scene, he takes interest because he admires her free spirit and her endless service to the school. Estinien: Aymeric’s best friend and part of the Heavensward Elite (along with Aymeric, Haurchefant, and Ysayle). The typical strong silent type of the bunch, Estinien always look out for his best friend because he knows that there are sharks out to get Aymeric because of his reputation and some would try to take advantage of his kindness. He has secret feelings for Ysayle. As for Ren, he doesn’t quite get her, but he comes around to help her when he feels like it.

Haurchefant: Another member of the Heavesnward Elite and everyone’s best friend; this boy is very popular among the students because of his big heart. Furthermore, he holds high status since his family, The Fortemps, are one of the founders of the school. He would help any student in need even if they didn’t ask for his help. He meets Ren and instantly develops a huge crush on her which later turns to love. Every chance he gets, he tries let Ren know his feelings; however, she’s oblivious to them. Despite this, he protects her from Yotsuyu’s evil schemes and supports her to the ends of the Earth.

Ysayle: The only female of the Heavensward Elite and highly respected to all students due to her passion in the school and students. She kinda bumps heads with Ren because Ysayle usually goes by the book and disapproves Ren’s rebellious nature. Many strongly believe that Ysayle should’ve taken the role of president of the student council. While her reasons for not accepting the position are unknown, they come to her for guidance. Yotsuyu can’t stand her because the students adore her; so, she started a rumor about Ysayle tempering other students to follow her which folks gave her the nickname Shiva, the Ice Queen. Zenos: A transfer student who attends to Eorzea Academy and students are afraid of him. With him being a crown prince from a different country, students believe that he would put Yotsuyu to shame, but they don’t want him to take control because he would make everyone’s life a living hell. Noticing the student’s fear towards him, Yotsuyu wants Zenos to join forces with her to bring Ren down. At first, Zenos didn’t agree to the plan because he didn’t care; however, after a few encounters with the student, he slowly changes his mind and he grows an obsession with Ren. Asahi: Zeno’s bodyguard who also attends to the school. He has strong admiration for the crown prince of Garlemald and anyone who challenges his master must deal with him. Upon learning that his step sister, Yotsuyu is the student body president, he’s determined to bring her down so he can give the title to Zenos. However, completing that mission will be difficult after he learns that his master has interest in Ren; the Doman boy refuses to let the new student take his beloved master away from him.

Alphinaud: The boy whom Ren rescues on the first day of school from bullying which later they become close friends (Ren sees him as a little brother that must ALWAYS be protected). He’s one of Eorzea High’s best students (alongside his sister, Alisaie). Although he’s an excellent student, Alphy at times have issues with his self-esteem because he gets bullied for being soft. Estinien becomes his senpai as he teaches him to man up. Alisaie: Alphinaud’s twin sister and one of Eorzea High’s best students (alongside her brother, Alphinaud). She constantly teases her brother about mostly everything; however deep within, she envies Alphy because he has done so much that impacted the school while she is left in the background. She looks up to Ren and wishes someday to be just as strong as her so she can protect her dear brother.

Thancred: Ren’s ex-boyfriend. When Ren made her arrival to Eorzea, she didn’t know her way around until she met him; he helped her get settled into the realm and began her small career as a bard. They were together for awhile until Ren dumped him after discovering that he still had feelings for one of his previous lovers.

Hien: Another transfer student, but from the Far East who happens to be the prince of Doma. Hien gathers a lot of attention from many students due to his charismatic personality. After hearing about Hien’s skillful swordsmanship as a samurai, Ren challenged Hien to a match. Both sides made a bet if one loses, they must tell their darkest secret. Although, the match ended in a draw, they praised each other’s skills and became friends. Lyse: Although she doesn’t have special talents like the many students, her family name is what got her into the prestigious school. When she first attended Eorzea High, people teased her for trying to be like her late sister Yda; eventually Lyse grew tired of it and started training to become one of the best monks in the school. Understanding her struggle to finding her identity, Ren gladly accepted Lyse as a friend. Y’shtola: Friends with Lyse, Y’shtola is the smartest girl in the school. She is super popular among the boys because of her sassy attitude; however, she doesn’t take interest in dating. She has all knowledge about the school and students which Yotsuyu has a hard time dealing with her because Y’shtola is quick to catch on her schemes. Whenever Ren and Lyse get into trouble, she gets them out then scolds them later. She is the big sister of the group.

 Yup, that’s all I thought about from the joke; I do plan to draw pictures based from my headcanon sometime soon hopefully.

[ishgard]

emerald, lapis lazuli, zebra stone

Me, reblogging the meme: I’mma just have fun and keep the answers ~~short and breezy~~.

Also me: VOMITING WORDS IS MY HOBBY. CRYING AS I JUST KEEP TYPING AND CAN’T STOP MYSELF. PUTTING IT ALL UNDER A CUT BECAUSE IT’S UNHOLY LONG.

THANK YOU NILLA I LOVE YOU

emerald: how my muse tells someone they love them without words 

Oh boy, this one’s gonna get long. (Spoiler: They all got long) Ahru is generally pretty openly physically affectionate with loved ones. There are times when she becomes more withdrawn, but she’s usually eager to greet her beloved friends with big hugs. The same holds true with lovers, (once she’s in an established relationship more or less) and she genuinely just enjoys being close to them. 

i absolutely 100% have had delightful visions of ahru running and tackling gaius and just wrapping herself around his upper torso 

Sex is also a pretty big one - admittedly she used to be a bit more flippant and casual in her more intimate relationships, but as she’s gotten older and so, so much more tired, she doesn’t find herself very interested in those kinds of dalliances, barring those more ‘established’ relationships. 

She’s also pretty big on gift-giving, and while she’s not the best cook in the world if she’s having fun and wanting to make something special for you, that’s a pretty big give-away (platonic or otherwise). Honestly, for a bard, she’s really BAD at telling people how she feels so she really just shows it in about any other way imaginable. She’ll take interest in what the other person likes, their home and their history (if such things are ‘on the table’) - Ahru loves to soak up information anyway, so tacking on the bonus factor of that information being attacked to someone important to her makes it extra savory and dear to her. 

lapis lazuli: where ‘home’ is to my muse

“Where the heart is”…? Home is such big thing for Ahru, which stems into the meta kind of behind her family name.

Hiraeth is a Welsh concept of longing for home, which can be loosely translated as ‘nostalgia’, or, more commonly, ‘homesickness’. Many Welsh people claim ’hiraeth’ is a word which cannot be translated, meaning more than solely “missing something” or “missing home.”

Way back during beta when I saw this I thought heck yeah I love it, it sounds awesome, looks awesome, the meaning is awesome. Yanno. Like ya do. I hadn’t really anticipated just how deeply it’d end up rooting itself into Ahru herself or her clan. I could go on and on about this for a long time though, but in brief the whole of the Hiraeth bloodline shares this underlying sense of, well, ‘hiraeth’, and Ahru isn’t an exception to that.  

Furthermore, Hir’asra, the Hiraeth village, was never ‘home’ to Ahru, even though it was where she was born. She was ostracized and looked down upon for not being capable of inheriting her mothers powers, and often sent away to various mentors in the hopes of ‘fixing her’. 

Ahru never really had a sense of home until the Waking Sands, and losing that devastated her. The Rising Stones being her new home, the Scions her ‘found family’, she’s extremely protective of both. 

Likewise, Fortemps Manor and Camp Dragonhead are both very much ‘homes’ to her, places of rest where she’s found solace, though the latter (well, both really, just to different extents) is much more bittersweet these days. Whenever she’s in Ishgard, I headcanon that she usually stays in her own quarters Edmond had prepared for her at the manor. 

But Ahru has always been at home on the road. While she’s never had strong faith, there was once a time she believed she was under the Wanderer’s eye, and for the most part embraced it as an answer to that sense of ‘hiraeth’ - and still does to this day, albeit with even less faith attached to the sentiment. 

As for the gooey gushy ‘people who feel like home’ bits; yeah, if Gaius is there, she’s content in some fashion or another. I have a whole fucking AU about her staying at HIS manor in Garlemald (post-a lot of messy stuff) and that’s a really big ‘home’ for her that she nor I ever expected but wow if that isn’t capital ‘A’ capital ‘U’. Also Alphy. If she’s got that boy with her nothing else matters. 

zebra stone: what gets my muse excited

NEW PLACES! NEW THINGS! NEW BOOKS! Ahru gets pretty tired honestly, and where she is now, well… she’s a pretty bad depressive episode, so the things that usually excite her admittedly are a little dulled at times of late. But she really does love traveling, and seeing new places, learning about new people and cultures and trying new foods! She’s got an adventurers heart through and through, it’s just a little worn and tired right now. 

Oh, good, god, though - can a fight get her blood pumping. I wouldn’t say she’s always scrapping for a fight and she absolutely isn’t the sort to butt heads just to throw fists, but any fight that challenges her, that makes her sweat and bleed? Let’s just say her and Zenos have a VERY strong albeit very twisted bond. When he struck her down at Rhalgr’s Reach, despite every other horrible thing happening around her, for one selfish moment she was elated. She was so close to being decimated, but in that instant she felt such a raw, instinctive urge to live, and it felt so goddamn good. 

“Losing” Zenos had a pretty confusing effect on her, one that is still resounding to present day (MSQ), and she loathes Elidibus all the more for wearing his skin around, as she has a strange sense of “kinship” and “respect” for Zenos himself. BUT THAT’S GETTING PRETTY FAR OFF THE SUBJECT HERE their fucked up ‘relationship’ just gives me life, and I’m so excited to see what happens when we meet Elezenos gosh. 

Anyway, in the deepest of her depressions, a good fight like this is the best way to get her riled up.