#ardbert and friends make me so so sad

[astrxealis]

wow i get all like this over ffxiv but imagine when i finish nier

[warriorofyapping]

The bond that develops between Ardbert and the WoL makes me so emotional. After everything that happened in Post-HW, him becoming one of our closest confidants feels...poetic, kind of. Despite everything, the WoL and Ardbert learn to rely on one another in a way that's different from how the WoL relies on the Scions. He understands them on a level that the others struggle with because at one point, he was in their shoes. He was also a Warrior of Light, no matter how long ago it was, he was a hero of his own world.

Watching as they open up with one another more is so good in my opinion. And yet seeing them become friends despite knowing it won't last forever also makes me sad. They tease him, he teases back. They have heart to hearts with him, he lets himself be vulnerable with them and the WoL does the same. It's sweet and yet they both know that eventually, he will be gone and they won't have him at their side anymore. The shade who's become a dear friend to them will be gone and it'll just be them again. Yes, they still have the Scions, but it's different.

It's sad.

[berryzawati]

Rambling about wolnpc....

One of the reasons why I'm so deep into multishipping hell with my wol is that I love genuinely love exploring dynamics with different npcs. FFXIV throws so many awesome npcs at me, how can I just stick with one or two?

Ok, there's also the fact that she fell in love twice and the first time her lover died and the second time, the guy was already dead BUT...

As far as canon goes Layla had a whirlwind romance with Haurchefant. They fell in love fast and the romance ended just as fast at the Vault. It was a very cliched romance, Haurchefant swept Layla off her feet. Often literally. He was very affectionate with her and often times Layla was a bit shy, especially when they are in public. But she loved him just as much.

Her love for Ardbert was doomed due to the fact that he was already dead and not from the Source. Ardbert fell in love with Layla during Shadowbringers too but denied his feelings for her until the very end.

Layla felt like Ardbert was truly her soulmate and often wonders if she would feel similar about the other Azem shards. By then, Layla overcame her timidly and often persued Ardbert romantically and Ardbert was often unsure how to react to her advances - all the while he slowly fell for her. Also I constantly think of newlywed AUs for them lmfao

Layla and Leofard are friends with benefits but on a non-sexual level, they enjoy each other's company a lot. Leofard understands that Layla comes from a very different background and starts to banter with her accordingly. I call their dynamics charming rogue x graceful, courtly fighter.

Layla may act as if Leofard's teasing bothered her a little but deep down she appreciates him as a dear, dear companion. Someone who understands that the world is vast and that there is still so much for them to discover...

When it comes to non-canon ships, I'm afraid this is where my brainrot truly shines. I ship my wol with so many npcs, I sometimes even forget which minor msq/general npc I ship my wol with. It do be like that. Though these days I often think of job/role quest npcs.

As someone who ADORES job quest npcs, I was extremely sad that the stopped doing them in Shadowbringers.

Some of my favorites include:

Gransonwol. They're both tanks and they both lost a loved one. In my mind, Layla and Granson lick each other's wounds and get closer in the progress. Their personalities don't clash at all and they go well together.

But Granson is from the First and Layla is from the Source. Not only are they griefing but it is hard to deal with physical distance. This often leads to conflicts between them. Will they be able to overcome this? Who knows...

Oborowol. The first thing I think when I think of Layla and Oboro was how when she became a ninja, Oboro asked her to teach him about the culture of Eorzea. But Layla is not a native of Eorzea either! I think this may have lead to funny moments to them, Layla loves helping people, so she often answered all the question.

The second thing is:

Oboro's Zadnor field note gave me a lot inspiration. Layla may be experienced in all things romance but she can get pretty bashful and lets her partner lead. Oboro however is not really experienced, so she waits a long time for him to make a move on her. So, here's a rare case of Layla often taking charge in the relationship. Oboro is often thankful but eventually overcomes his own shyness, methinks.

Widargeltwol. Probably the ship that is connected to Layla's lore the most, even more than her canonical ships. Layla is half Ala Mhigan and her Ala Mhigan mother is one of the last surviving monks. This had a huge impact on Layla growing up. Growing up her mother strictly trained her to become a monk but Layla could not open a chakra despite her apititude for fighting and her strong body.

It wasn't until she met Widargelt during the first monk job quest that she opened her first chakra. Widargelt realized her potential and made plans to use her for his revenge against the Garleans (as shown during the ARR MNK job quests). I love this because during A Realm Reborn, Layla felt connected to the Ala Mhigans and started to see herself as an Ala Mhigan more and more.

So, queue in the angst when during the level 50 quest, Widargelt tried to kill her. Layla quickly became fond of Widargelt, so her heart broke after this but during the Heavensward quests they've mended their relationship fast. Even in the canonical timeline in which they don't end up together, Layla sees Widargelt as one of the most precious person she has met during her journey.

It is worth noting that Layla has kept her mother's identity hidden but after the events of the last ARR MNK quests, Layla confessed to Widargelt and Erik that her mother was a monk as well. They were the first people, Layla has told about her mother.

I think out of all my ships, this one is the one I'd label a slowburn. They saw each other as siblings in monkhood first but I also think that their romance is also a very smooth one once they realize their feelings. No need for big words, both know very well that the other has nothing but love in their heart. But first steps are hard...

[sjofn-lofnsdottr]

6. Who was their Azem? What were they like, and were they different from your WoL? Who were their family, friends? Or, if you don't care for the Azem angle or went in your own direction for their past self, how so? How does your WoL feel about their Ancient identity?

Boy, is Azem something I haven't really ... firmed up much about, as you could probably tell, given I've been sitting on this ask for longer than I normally would. It's a great big space to fill in, which is fun, but as a result, I change my mind about it all the time. But! I can answer for this moment in time, with the understanding it's not carved in stone!

I change my mind on Dusk!Azem's name all the time, but I come back to Apollo a lot. He's got stuff vaguely in common with the Apollo, enough to give him the name maybe. He has an artist's soul, he has a twin sister (yes I know about canon Artemis, shush), and Themis sort of implies Azem has some sort of prophetic nonsense going on. There's also the actual sun connection the game itself makes, and even before we found any of that out, I associated Dusk with the sun.

Personality-wise I think they're pretty close. Extremely powerful busybodies who have a lot of love for everyone they meet and the world around them, who are very stubborn in their belief they can Fix Everything. I like to think Azem sleeps better than Dusk ever has, though.

I haven't really fleshed out Azem's family at all, save for thinking he had a twin too. I haven't decided if his twin was Dawn's Ancient, or someone else. Both ideas kind of appeal to me. I don't think his twin was Artemis, though. That doesn't ... feel correct, to me.

I think Azem, friend-wise, was similar to Dusk: loads of people who consider him a friend, and he is happy to consider them friends right back, but close friends, there are only a handful.

Dusk thinks of Azem as his own separate person, just like he thinks of Ardbert as his own person. Hell, he thinks of Fray as a separate person from him. As a result, he occasionally wonders what he was like, but it doesn't usually give him any sort of identity crisis. It's more a piece of interesting trivia to him. The only time it bothers him is when he thinks back to how furious Emet-Selch seemed that Dusk couldn't handle all the light on the First ... it makes sense to him in retrospect. Emet-Selch was hoping Dusk was Azem, and he just ... wasn't. And could never be. He doesn't think that's a failing on his part, but he does think it's sad.

[brineffxiv]

We gather in Limsa Lominsa, awaiting the boat that will take us to Sharlayan, where we will reunite with Krile and set about attempting to solve the many problems that face us.

Hoary Boulder and Coultenet stop by to see us off and to make sure we've got everyone's well wishes and assurances that they'll take care of things while we're gone. And so, with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation, we set off!

Be still my heart! Is that the voice of Emet-Selch!?

It is him, isn't it?? Oh, I have missed you terribly. Are you narrating this expansion? How? You're dead. Oh, I might cry.

Oh no, now I'm definitely going to cry. Why is the sad music playing!?

Goodness, Tataru couldn't spring for a cabin? Even a bunk? We've just got to sleep here on the floor? Maybe I will go for that walk.

Uh...

Oh, my God.

Hydaelyn. I... have some questions. I feel. Somewhat betrayed. More so on behalf of my friends, than myself. For while it is true you have never - that I know of - done wrong by me, I have complaint over how you have treated my fellow warriors of light and your oracles.

A hard choice, to be sure, but I wanted to know more than I wanted to rage.

And now I wish I had chosen the other answer. No, it is not clear to me why now. Why not before, any of the times before? Why not tell us yourself? Why did you not reveal the truth about yourself and the "servants of darkness" ? Why did we have to find out from Emet-Selch what was really going on here? Don't you think that was a little bit important? If you wanted me to trust in you, why have you never been forthcoming with me?

No thanks to you.

And that's another thing. I realize, as a primal, you are bound by the desires of those who brought you forth, from that moment in time. But. What would be so bad about the restoration of the old world? The way we are supposed to be? Why fight so hard to preserve the broken remnants of an accident?

Now, certainly, in the present, we are peoples worthy of living on. But why initially? In the immediate aftermath of the sundering, before we had rebuilt, why not help put the world back together? Was your drive to subdue Zodiark so strong that you could not consider anything that would bring him power?

It seems to me, that as the fight went on, the Ascians became increasingly more in the wrong. But at the start. From where I stand. You were the villain.

Why do you value me so highly. That you would expend the effort to say these words to me when you left Ardbert to languish in perpetual solitary confinement for over a century? When you allowed a succession of Minfilias to fight and die without a word? When your neglect forced the champions of the First to turn to the Ascians for help to save their world? They gave their lives and you wouldn't even speak to them!

I am so mad. I am so very angry with you. I do not understand, and I am furious that you would expend the effort to speak with me just to tell me we're in danger. No duh. We've got a rogue Ascian determined to reenact the Final Days. A problem we wouldn't have if I hadn't gone and killed off the people who were keeping him in line.

If that's supposed to make sense to me I have to tell you it doesn't. How in the world am I supposed to find out what you promised in another age.

I can tell you care about me. You maybe even love me, as a mother should love a child. And I think there is a part of me that reciprocates. That Rhesh'a loves you too. But we cannot see past the injustice of it all. A mother should not pick favorites among her children.

Ahh and now we arrive at Sharlayan. Endwalker is shaping up to be a doozy; I'm already emotionally exhausted.

I am. Unprepared.

Eeee! New city! And Emet-Selch is introducing it to me! Happy happy day!

What happens if we get refused entry? Do we have to get back on the boat?

Right, got it. No talking about the Scions. My lips are zipped.

Ah, yes, I should get around to playing Eureka at some point...

Haha omg. That was... SO long ago. Even longer for G'raha. He went away and lived an entire life and more in the meantime.

I've always wondered what was behind the placements of Archon marks? Clearly the neck is standard, but Urianger chose to put his on his face for some reason? And the pictures I've seen of Louisoix show him with his on his forehead. Hmm... Things to think about.

Trust Fourchenault to have made things difficult. At least Alisaie and Alphinaud aren't precluded from entering. Thankfully it seems that being disowned didn't revoke their citizenship.

I am an Artisan, thank you very much. I didn't level all my DoH/DoL skills to 90 by Stormblood for nothing now.

AHAHAHA! Poor Estinien. He can't think of a job.

Thankfully, Krile arrives to the rescue. Estinien is officially a mercenary. And we are now free to explore Sharlayan, myself with G'raha and Krile in tow!

And here is where I must stop the post, as I have hit my max image allotment, lol. Welcome to Endwalker.

[windupaidoneus]

just, rahhh. post shb shit that makes me get so sad. in my mind after the fight w hades hildegarde just gets a lot of nightmares, every night, where he ends up turning into a sin eater, right. & in every single one of them emet is there to taunt him. except. the intensity of his nightmares is such that it somehow forces emet to pull himself from the aethereal sea & into said nightmares so he can act his part in them. because if he lets hildegarde's version of him play the part hildegarde is very likely to hurt himself fatally in his sleep. They're Violent Nightmares, he wakes up clawing at his skin & just. hurting himself a lot. but it would be worse if emet wasnt there to be in control of his actions, playing along for a bit then forcing him to wake up because. i mean. he doesnt want him to get hurt. but breaking the immersion entirely would probably make things worse.

over time though the nightmares become less & less excruciating. & they can spend more "normal" time together, though of course hildegarde thinks it's just his dreams haunting him with thoughts of someone he wishes he could've saved & feels such a deep connection to he can't seem to understand. & the last night he gets to sleep before seat of sacrifice i think he ends up talking to emet very earnestly. about how he wishes things were different. about how he doesn't understand why but he misses him so much it feels like a hole is being torn in his chest at the mere thought of him. & he thinks, again, that it's just a dream, so it's completely safe to say all this without repercussions. but it really reaches emet. in the end this "incomplete" human who he claimed to have such disdain for, to have been so disappointed by, it's still his old friend. his old lover. one of the people he'd lost who were dearest to him. & he can't really pretend he doesn't care any longer, especially when he's been saving hildegarde from his nightmares this whole time.

& i think. when hildegarde gets his hands on the azem crystal again while freeing g'raha from the tower. emet has imparted his soul unto the crystal, as a means for him to more easily communicate with him & just Be with him. what this translates into in practice is emet is now one of hildegarde's headmates & hildegarde cries real big tears about it while ardbert looks on quizzically (though realistically ardbert also has to have complex feelings about emet. Due to also being a lachesis fragment. You understand)

[goon-mage]

VANNI’S PALDEAN ADVENTURE: CONCLUSION 💖

After many months of toil (and procrastinating and distractions) I’ve made it through the main story of Pokemon Violet and I wanna show how my babies have grown. (long post warning sorry)

Here’s Isla Dawn, my sort of wild card spot. I picked her up pretty late in my journey which is why she has the 6th spot. She was my compromise of between something defensive and something I thought was cute… and honestly she struggled and still does now in post game. Most she does is set up a screen then get two shot by super effective moves. But she’s pretty and took me a week to get.

ScalieArthur (Arthur for short) is my baby, hatched from an egg. Raising him from lvl 1 while also trying to EV train him in HP (because I was desperate for some bulk on anyone) was genuinely worth it, but changing his terra type to normal was not. Genuinely don’t remember my reasoning, I just like the big ass gem head. But he was a late game powerhouse I really liked using (mainly from the ice typing)

Miss Roberta, one of many name changes. And a special place in my heart as my first shiny in Violet. She never disappointed me in battle, but of all of my team, I gave her the least amount of battle time out of fear she would just get bulldozed.. but she never actually did. Every battle she came out, she dominated. Didn’t give her enough credit, really.

Jellyway… an interesting case. Youll see the OT is Jeff. Jellyway was a surprise gift from my boyfriend, but came at a sad time when I had already had a Clodsire leveled up pretty high (Puddingway, for those who remember.) Jellyway was always the highest leveled on the team and was definitely one of the more frequently used on the team (Ground types are just sadly very useful despite me not liking them much.) But Jellyway was a pleasure to have and you cannot go wrong with toxic spikes!

My sleepy buddy Ardbert, I would die for him. I put in so much work making his terratype fairy and all that work just made me love him even more. I really got in my head when I would terraform him like “oh my opponent definitely thinks this is just a fire tera… but they’re WRONG!” It was also a makeshift way to get a fairy type because theyre just so good, ugh.

And finally, we have the star- Sylvando! Another victim of a name change (once named Riqardo, Sylvando was just way better with how much I like DQXI) he still was my true powerhouse. But unlike Roberta, I put Sylvando through the ringer and he paid the price. He was absolutely the team member who got taken down the most. But he was also the one who dominated the hardest. He was the one who took down Nemona all those times, defeated Geeta's ace, and finished off the true final boss- all in one fell swoop. But he was defeated by Clavell's Meowscarada and Arven's Mabosstiff. Using Sylvando was like a dance, when things go right and all we hit all our moves, it feels like the best feeling in the world, but even one misstep can send us tumbling off the stage like fools.

can't wait to see what's in store for me and my babies in the post game and DLC! And what new friends we'll make along the way.

[symphcnii]

What made you pick up this character? For each canon character you portray.

*cracks knuckles* Starting with the more story-relevant muses...

I decided to try writing Lucia because I adore her devotion to Aymeric and how, like Cid, she was able to cut ties with Garlemald and overcome any bias against her for being Garlean. She's also just really cool. My muse for her has admittedly been lacking lately because I feel like I don't really do her character justice, but I still think she's really neat.

With Hilda, her personality is very similar to a character I write in another fandom with how snarky she is and I loved her from the moment she first appeared, so I had to give her a shot. The Brume accent is also very similar to the accent people have where I live so I found it amusing lmao. Again though, muse has been lacking lately because I feel like others have way better portrayals of her.

Yugiri was one of the more recent canon additions to the blog. I always adored her, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to write her and I had to play through Stormblood again to get a feel for her. In the end I decided 'why not?' and here I am.

Lyna. My sweet bby Lyna. Again, loved her from the moment she was first introduced so writing her was a given. I think I was actually one of if not the first to make a blog for her (she was previously found at viisguard before I moved her here). Like Lucia, I adore her devotion to the Exarch and the father/daughter grandfather/granddaughter dynamic between them. She's a stoic bunny guard with a soft side and I love that for her.

Zero is the most recent addition. I found her really intriguing and I thought it would be interesting to take her up as a muse and see how her worldview changes depending on who she interacts with. She's admittedly a little difficult for me to write though, trying to take into account the voidsent factor and not knowing a whole lot about who she was before what happened. I'm trying to boost my muse for her as I play through the EW patches again.

Renda-Rae was the main muse here for a while. I used to ship her with a friend's Ardbert and it was just.. *grips heart*. I love the snarky cat bard, even if she did shoot Alisae and threatened to shoot Alphinaud too. Seeing more about her past and who she really was in Shadowbringers made me love her enough to try writing her, and the rest is history.

I didn't even know Heustienne existed for a long time. It's not until I started levelling DRG past 50 that I realised this totally random NPC that showed up in a previous quest actually has a bigger role in the DRG storyline. I thought it was interesting to see Estinien's second in command, and seeing how she practically sacrificed her own happiness to go into a self-imposed exile after being forced to drink dragon blood was heartbreaking. I'm so sad they haven't done more with her now that the Dragonsong War is over and let her go home, or at least given her a character model somewhere out in the wilderness for us to go and talk to.

And finally V'kebbe. I have a soft spot for rogue-like characters - my love of Thancred can attest to that lmao. So rogue cat with a funny way of speaking who'll string people up for eating her food? Free real estate. I adored the ROG questline and I honestly really wish ROG didn't turn into NIN. Don't get me wrong, I like NIN too, but I would have loved to see more stuff about the Rogue's Guild and see more rogue-like gear in the game.

[kootiepatra]

#FFxivWrite2022 - Day 19 Prompt: "Turn a Blind Eye"

I'm not sure this is my strongest entry, but I have to imagine that Keimwyda and Ardbert had some chats that did not make it into cutscenes. This would be one of them.

--------------------------

“You don’t have to let them use you like this, you know,” Ardbert said.

Keimwyda jumped. While she was no longer frightened by his presence, she was far from being able to anticipate when he would suddenly make himself known.

“I’m sorry?” she asked.

“Which is not to say I’m not grateful,” he continued. “I have to admit I find myself hoping that you actually pull this off. It would be of some comfort to see that this world doesn’t entirely perish for our mistakes. But… you do know you don’t have to take up this cause, right?”

A sad smile crossed her lips. “I fear that is not fully an option I am free to take. My own world hangs in the balance as well—as I believe you know.”

The phantom’s face fell, a fresh wave of shame hitting him for his attempted part in the Ardor.

“But even without that…” she continued, “...I think I would go through with it all the same.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to you,” he objected.

“It is not.”

He was startled to hear her say it so frankly. “You see it too, then. I was beginning to wonder.”

“I am not a fool,” she answered quietly. “Well. At least not on this count.”

The two stood in silence for a moment; she, leaning on the dresser where she had paused to gather her breath after a bout of soul-shattering pain, and he standing intangibly by the door, not at all sure what to do with himself.

“You have told me some about the toll this is taking on you, and I can see it for myself in how you cried out a moment ago. It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

Keimwyda nodded.

“I mislike this,” he said. “It isn’t fair. And you still intend to go and deliver Kholousia?” 

“I do.”

Ardbert scowled. “You are quite sure you must deal with all of the wardens in order to stave off the Rejoining?”

She laughed despite herself. “I do not know that, no, but those more learned than me seem to believe it to be true. Besides,” she said, “you have seen the havoc and death those things sow in their wake. You have seen the way they gather strength and spread their influence. If we do not strike now when they are already on the run, we may never have a chance to do it again.”

“But Eulmore, of all places. Those cankers would happily fling you from the nearest balcony should they think you a threat to their comfortable retirement. Surely you cannot believe that they would endure even half as much pain for you.”

She lowered her eyes, blinking away the white at the edges of her vision. “As I said, I am no fool.”

He folded his arms and regarded her seriously. “One would not guess it to look at what you are choosing to do.”

“Good.”

Ardbert took to pacing about the room. He had been in her shoes, more or less. He knew how it had ended for him. He wanted it to end better for her. “So tell me then,” he ordered. A deep wound in his heart wanted to hear it for himself, but he suspected she might need to hear it again, too. “What could possibly justify what you’re doing? Why is it reasonable for you to be brought over from another world against your wishes, thrust into chaos that you are not responsible for, to then risk your very existence for people who live only for themselves? You said there were reasons beyond saving your own world. I want to hear them.”

She was silent for a long moment. “Reasonableness does not come into it,” she said at last. “But… I must do what I can. It is true that full many people in this world think of naught but themselves. As is also true in mine. But… I have seen what these creatures can do. I witnessed the transformation firsthand—and of a good woman, at that. The agony on her face—the monster she was made to become—the others who would now suffer at her unwilling existence—no one deserves that.

“If I can do anything to prevent it, I must. As a dear friend once put it: ‘For those we have lost. For those we can yet save’. How could I live with myself if I had a chance to put a stop to this, and simply chose to look the other way?

“So instead I will look the other way at the slights and the failures of the people I fight for. Gods know I have enough failures of my own. Let the wheels of justice turn for such people in their own time. That part is neither my purview nor my strength. I can but strive to extend the mercy that they would live another day, long enough to perhaps make things right. All I can do is choose to believe there may yet be hope for them all.”

Ardbert took her words in silently. They reverberated with him. They reminded him of things he had once held dear, but had begun to lose sight of by the end.

He had heard what he needed, and what he hoped she needed. “Of course you must. And you will. Go crush that accursed lightwarden like only a Warrior of Darkness can.”

She smiled weakly. “I shall try, my friend. I shall try.” Tears began to form in her eyes. “Would that I were not so frightened.”

“But you are resolved. This will not be your first tangle with fear, I imagine.”

“Oh, most certainly not.”

“Then you shall do it again.” He smiled for the first time this evening. “It is what heroes do.”

[autumnslance]

I had a fun and interesting idea, what if Azem had come to Elpis and had run into our character and the others as we were about to reveal all? The reason we don't remember is Azem stayed with back with Hythlodaeus and Emet and the reason Venat reaches out to us is that she knew we were Azem from the very start of the game? How do you think Aeryn would act in that situation?

The reason they don't have Azem show up is for various gameplay reasons, so we can imagine our Azem however we need to, but if the story had allowed for it and Azem (especially our own Azem) was there too?

Aeryn would feel very awkward. And likely get a flare up of her imposter syndrome again, meeting the person Ascian!Emet-Selch was comparing her as a "broken copy" to. Pandora would seem like a smarter, cooler, funnier, more powerful, just better version of herself (and Ardbert), and how can Aeryn possibly compare?

Pandora would also feel a bit weird about it; this person is her incomplete reincarnation? OK that's really weird, to think of herself dying and reborn in pieces across realities--due to her own mentor! And what that future holds for her two best friends as well; the thought would leave her in tears, and she'd understand entirely why Hades lashes out at the preposterousness of the whole story. It can't possibly be real. Can it?

Venat would likely have to give the ladies a moment somewhere in there to work or hang out together and have time to chat. They would see the ways they're the same, and ways they differ. Not quite enough time to reconcile all their feelings on the matter, but a start, and Aeryn is sad Azem forgets--at least until Azem returned to the lifestream, and perhaps remembered then, before being reborn. Or perhaps the Sundering kept the memories fractured, too.

In the end, it'd shift Aeryn's imposter syndrome/tendency to compare herself to others, having met her past life, rather than the clear realization she gets in canon that "Oh, Hydaelyn didn't choose me cuz I am part of Azem--but because of meeting me in the past and promising to stop the Final Days." Azem would muddle the heck out of everything just by her presence.

Basically, the MSQ as written for Elpis worked really well for my WoL and her particular hang ups concerning her role as Warrior of Light, and adding in Azem or changing other elements wouldn't make it work so well, I think, going into Ultima Thule and then after into the new future for Etheirys.

And frankly, I really like the fact that being a reincarnation of Azem is incidental; sometimes helpful, like against Hades in ShB or in Elpis in EW, but overall, doesn't actually matter. What matters is Venat believed the WoL and promised to help do her part and give WoL the chances needed to save their world. It's always been about who WoL IS, not who they happened to used to be.

[yuri-cocaine]

6.2 msq thoughts under the cut!

WIFE CITY WIFE CITY WIFE CITY

ZEROOOOOOO AND IIIIIIII WILL AAAAALLLWAYYYYSS LOVE YOUUUUUUUUU

idk anything abt ff4 so i did some research: zeromus/zemus is actually manipulating golbez in that game. zero...zeromus......whats goin on.......

i also got to thinking about pashtarot, one of the MIA ascians that’s still supposedly alive after ew. in ff12, pashtarot is the scion of light in opposition to the esper zeromus, named after the ff4 zeromus

pashtarot’s title is also knight-star, and the golbez of the 13th is referred to as a knight. idk if there’s any connection here 

completely unrelated trivia, but knight-star is the name of a kind of lily, and the flower that grows out of zero’s eye in drakengard 3 looks like a lily 

primals in the 13th are called eidolons bc summons in ff13 are eidolons!!!!!!! yeahyeaheyah ff13 refrances my beloved

the voidsent are all so endearing and cute ;w; the sin eaters are way scarier bc they’ve become 100% feral, but the voidsent still retain a bit of humanity and the low-rung voidsent act like cartoon minions hehe

is scarmiglione’s mortal form a catboy bc he hisses??? also he’s cowardly, which makes him a.....scaredy cat!! :3

also LMAO at the debuff scarmiglione gives us being called “brain rot”

the blobby quests show the backstory for scarmiglione and barbariccia and it looks like scarg comes from somewhere that looks like lakeland and barbariccia def comes from the 13th’s version of the black shroud. there’s even the same heavenspillar trees!

barbariccia is hot af wlw stay winning this patch

im so enamored with zero i hope she’s not an azem shard bc then wol might absorb her and we will never see her again like ardbert

speaking of azem, the azem crystal entry in unending codex says emet-selch made the crystal out of “lingering affection” ;w;

who is the ancient golbez was killing in the flashback???? i can’t think of any significant ancients in plain weenwoon robes that aren’t already accounted for. there’s some theories floating around that it might be versions of the watcher on the moons of other shards, but if golbez was killing the watcher to free zodiark, why is he making big moves now AFTER zodiark is already dead? 

he mentions a “prison of passivity” which sounds like the moon? is there something else worth getting at on the moon other than zodiark?

he also says “how ironic that the blessed damned should set us free” during the still image of him about to kill a weenwoon so blessed damned could refer to A) memoriates B) echo bearers C) ascians/ancients???

this patch left me with more questions than answers tbh but!! im so glad we met zero i got lonely thinking that the wol doesnt have scions with her all the time and also new old friends hyth and hades are still in the aetherial sea

also re: hades, zero’s meditation so she doesnt forget herself reminds me of how emet rarely took over bodies and if he does he has to mold them to look like how he looked in the ancient world so he doesn’t forget himself. 

Pandaemonium thoughts:

themis is so cute and cool! “say my name” you’re elidibus!!!! 

oh....but then knowing what his fate is.....it makes me so sad again ;-; 

pandaemonium showing up in the present day lifestream makes me think we’ll see elidibus in the aetherial sea for the last segment of the raids! 

also azem is becoming more and more like their own character and less of an extra oc that we can have. they do a ton of stuff outside of player control, and it’s confirmed that they have tabs on wol the whole time

so what was azem doing during the final days???? there’s no way they’ll simply let it happen in order to preserve the timeline and ensure wol’s existence. they must have tried to find a different way, and i think there’s a definitive answer to what they were up to, bc at this point i don’t think we can simply imagine it for ourselves. azem is like.....a fire emblem MU now lol we can headcanon what they look like but ultimately they are their own character

so athena was the shittier parent all along............boi

both the msq and pandae have a theme of how merging yourself with others makes you lose individuality. the voidsents become influenced by other voidsent souls they devour, and lahabrea was infected by athena’s mad scientist proclivities 

we also finally get to see an ancient child! child erich looks just like every other kid npc in the game but now hopefully we can finally end the themis is a minor discourse. themis is young, but he’s not a child!!!

lahabrea seems very.....okay....with wol being azem’s weird familiar. he just stated that creating souls is nigh impossible and yet here we are lying that we’re azem’s familiar. if i were lahabrea i’d go back to amaurot and shake azem for answers 

themis also mentions a belief in gods, but i thought the ancients only conceive of gods purely for the sake of debate ?_? regardless, this is cool and gives more insight into their culture

claudien looking for the crystal that resonated with the one he found and then going missing in azys lla is worrying D: azys lla is where our lahabrea got killed. he’s going to get possessed isnt her

i still think claudien is an erich shard. erich is the “perfect test subject” so if he got away in pandae, then lahabrea/athena will just have to nab his shard. 

[sebastard69]

5.1-5.4 Thoughts

There's still two hours left until maintenance ends, so let's get some of those feelings out!

- I like the whole arc about Chai-Nuzz becoming the mayor of Eulmore, and I especially liked how in his speech he said he would only be holding office temporarily while Eulmore learned how to stand on its own again. The Chais are so cool and sweet and I very much have a lot of adoration for them.

- Literally fuck Anamnesis Anyder, that dungeon can suck my dick, holy shit. The boss mechanics made no fucking sense and were so hard to react to in a timely manner. Doesn't help that being a caster means I'm slow as fucking shit so even if I DID react at the right time, I might have still gotten fucking murked. That said, it was wonderfully cinematic leading up to the actual building, and that was very cool. Thank god the gear looks like garbo so I'm not of a mind to grind for it.

- Everything with Elidibus had me in tears. His little "test" that he runs you through was so good and so emotional. Every time new friends popped up, I was terrified he was going to ask me to kill them like he did with Thancred, Yda, Papalymo, and Y'shtola, and genuinely if he had made me fight Haurchefant I would have lost my mind. Fighting Nidhogg also fucked me up, because it wasn't just Nidhogg. The whole sequence was absolutely brilliant. I'm angry that he took Ardbert's face, it's unfair and underhanded and infuriating. But knowing that everything he's doing he's doing because he's lost sight of what started him on this path is genuinely kind of heartbreaking? He doesn't remember who he made his promise to, he doesn't remember why he's fighting so hard. He has all these emotions, all this pain and sadness and fear, and he can't fully remember why he's on the path he's on. That's heartbreaking.

- Emet-Selch knew. He knew he wasn't going to win our fight, he knew we would beat him. He set us on the path of Elidibus on purpose because he knew his friend was suffering, and the only way to end it was for us to kill him. Hythlodaeus gave us Azem's crystal because Emet-Selch wanted us to have it, but couldn't give it to us directly, and that crystal is what made it possible to defeat Elidibus. It makes me wonder how much of what he said after Vauthry's fight was true - had he ever been considering taking us on as allies, or had this been his plan to begin with? Varis once said that even when he thought he was moving counter to Emet-Selch's machinations, in the end he would find he had played right into his hands anyway. Did he ever really find us pathetic for our inability to contain the Light, or did he know we would never be able to in the first place? He didn't take G'raha because he wanted all the wisdom the Tower held, he was the reason Allag existed in the first place he didn't need that knowledge. It was a ruse. Offering us a place to transform in peace was also a ruse, a backup in case we didn't come rushing to our friend's aid. The whole thing was a farce, Emet-Selch playing the part of a villain because we needed him to be and because he knew there was no winning were we to clash like that. And that, honestly, has me so fucked up inside. I very seriously love this character with all my heart.

- "Remember we once lived" and "The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it." are going to be lines that even years from now will bring tears to my eyes. They're so... raw, so emotional.

- Why did everyone get a heartfelt goodbye cutscene except Urianger >:(

- I knew it was going to be ok, I knew since he'd imbued his memories into the soul vessel before Elidibus came and fucked everything up that it would be ok in the end, but god fucking damn the post-Seat of Sacrifice cutscene had me blubbering. Oh my god.

- Heroe's Gauntlet was a frustrating dungeon, but really cool narratively and also very cinematic. I hope that becomes like the Norm for dungeons going forward, like trials got really cinematic starting in Stormblood (with Lakshmi, I believe, though I would argue the Shiva fight in 2.2? 2.3? is a bit cinematic as well, or maybe i'm just a slut for that frozen step move) and have just gotten more so, which super cool.

- ok but like, seriously, G'raha is totally in love with the WoL right? Like between the conversation on the hill in Kholusia, and his reactions to the WoL just saying his name, and how eager he is to spend time with the WoL in general, it seems so obvious to me. And the WoL is totally in love with him, too! I mean listen. Bringing back the soul vessels for Thancred and everyone at the Rising Stones, the WoL is even-paced and solemn and all that. The second they're reminded that they can go wake up G'raha, though, they don't even wait for Urianger to finish talking before they're literally sprinting all the way to the Crystal Tower. That's love baybey!

- I'm glad to see the city-states making an effort to make amends with the beast tribes, and the fact Alisaie figured out a cure for tempering is mind boggling. It's refreshing to hear Merlwyb admit that the best option for peace in Eorzea is by making peace with the beast tribes, and admitting that the conflict is Limsa's fault to begin with. In ARR when Y'shtola confronts her about it, her reaction was less than acceptable, in my opinion.

Only 5.5/5.55 left before Endwalker! So hype! Very excited to learn more about Azem and Hythlodaeus and the other Ascians in general. Ready to cry my fucking eyes out!

[berryzawati]

Dawntrail thoughts

I had time to mull over what has been announced so far about the expansion and I’m very much excited for it!

A bit sad that we’re getting a melee dps instead of a physical ranged dps as I don’t play the role often and I suck so hard at it but Viper does look cool. Really digging the aesthetic of this job. Also shares gear with ninja which is even now my favorite melee dps to play.

I’m planning on doing some high end raids in the future for the very first time. I’ll try my hands on UWU as I’ve been invited to a static by my friends and I’m very much looking forward to progging the fight and possibly clearing.

So I immediately noticed that there’s only one ultimate announced in Dawntrail which is a shame but that’s fine. Patiently waiting for that Shadowbringers Ultimates with glorious Ardbert mechanics…

We are getting some relaxing content a lá Island Sanctuary which is fine. I didn’t like IS at all which shocked me, especially since I’m a huge fan of farming sims, especially Bokumono/Story of Seasons. But the fact that it’s multiplayer this time gives me hope.

New pvp content is the main reason why I’m always subbed at all times, so whatever us coming I will look forward to the most.

On to the MSQ. Now much to say as of now but first of all as a woman of color (albeit an East African woman and not Latinx), I do hope they treat Tural with care. I will await the setting with open arms.

As for the characters… I’m most excited about Erenville. Glad he’s stuck around for this expansion, in my opinion we haven’t seen enough of him. The Scions are okay. Alphinaud is currently my favorite character who’s still alive (lol), so I’m looking forward to see even more of him.

The rest? I think in order to not make the Scions as a whole not stale, a conflict is necessary. For the entirety of the first arc, the Scions had very little friction outside of Urianger. In my opinion it’s perfectly fine for the wol to actually argue with some of them, overcoming conflicts will make them closer as friends after all. The only npc I can recall right now who ever fought with the wol was Lue-Reeq and I absolutely adored him for that.

That said as for my wol Layla, I do hope she fights and make up with some of the Scions. I don’t mind who but G’raha seems to be a great candidate.

I do think the EU keynote was a little barebones, so I’m very much looking forward to the JP keynote in January.

[biot08]

Abstracted

(Shadowbringers spoilers)

The first one hadn’t been so bad.

Its aether had flowed into her, and it had given her skin a bit of a tingly feeling. Rather like being out in the cold too long, or perhaps like hitting that one spot in her elbow.

Not great, but easily manageable.

The second one had been a little worse. Now there was a slight pressure under her skin everywhere, and a weird feeling in her joints that she could only describe as ‘humming’.

And the entire time, Emet-Selch had been nearby, providing his commentary, providing his history, and occasionally even being helpful.

He helped bring Y’shtola back. A minor thing to him, a major thing for her. So he was tolerated, even entertained at points.

Until that fateful moment.

The last Lightbringer had been rather too much, far too much. And when the possibility of relief had been made, Emet-selch had ensured it was stolen away, and that she would be left here, like this.

He had told her, again and again, that she was nothing; less than nothing. That he did not view her as alive. That he viewed her existence as a mockery of life.

She should have kept a closer eye on him, been more wary of the inevitable betrayal. After all, it made sense. He was immortal; she was not. He could afford to play any game he wished, knowing he would always be the one to make the last move.

But now she was here, and the Light aether was threatening to snuff her out, once and for all, and replace her with something else, something worse, a terrible monster that would threaten the First and by extension the Source.

Her skin felt as though it would burst outward like an overfill sausage at any moment. Her nerves were all cold and afire, rather like frostbite. Her vision was full to white.

And now he was monologuing.

Insult and injury.

“You are a mistake. For we who have known perfection, the shattered Source and these shards are ghastly mockeries of the true world. The ephemeral lives you exalt are pale imitations, utterly devoid of meaning.” he’d said.

“Fool. Who are you? No one. Nothing.” he’d said.

“Weary wanderer! You’ve no fight left to fight! No life left to live!” he’d said.

And now she was collapsed on the floor, in a puddle of Light, watching as the world faded to white, motes of it drifting by her vision, a roaring in her ears.

She watched the motes drift upwards, and turn reddish. She heard the roaring die down, to snaps and pops and crackles. The ground beneath her continued to shift to white, but the white seemed to clear from the rest of her vision. She rolled onto her back to gaze up into a sky full of stars, and took a deep breath.

The snaps and pops and crackles continued. A source of fire, and heat. She turned her head, and saw a campfire. Across from her, she saw a hooded figure sitting on a log.

She recognized the form this time.

An ancient.

She propped herself up on one arm, and frowned, looking across at the Ancient. It turned its masked face towards her, and somehow, she could tell, she could just feel, that it was smiling. It was a feeling of genuine warmth. Of kindness. Of a kind of love and care.

She took several deep breaths, coughing a few times, before sitting up.

They were in the middle of a vast white powdery expanse. Above them, the sky was thick with stars. The horizon stretched infinitely in every direction. She saw the edge of a mighty sun slip behind it.

“I’ve been here before,” she said. “I… I remember.”

The hooded figure- the Ancient- simply nodded.

The fire continued to crackle and burn, giving off a pleasant heat. She looked around more, seeing little else in the plain. Some logs for sitting on. The sharp shadows cast by her and the Ancient. Some stars drifted lazily down from the heavens, settling to form vague ghostly impressions just beyond the little campsite, visions that refused to resolve even as she looked at them.

They were growing closer.

She looked to the Ancient.

“…am I… you?” she asked.

“Of a sort,” the Ancient replied in their language. She liked listening to them. They had a musical cadence to their speech. She leaned back on her arms.

“Aren’t you long passed?” she asked.

“Of a sort,” the enigmatic being responded again. She sighed.

She was tired. Surely being dead wasn’t meant to be exhausting.

“I am… sorry,” she said. “I have failed you. I think you’ll need to find a new Warrior of Light.”

“You think so?” the Ancient responded. “I think you have done splendidly. But in any case, the path you walk, we walk together.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she didn’t. Around her, the vague ghostly impressions beyond the campsite continued to get closer, and some of the began to come into focus.

The vague pale haze around each of them reminded her of the flood of ‘heroes’ she had had to fight on her way to get this far, but as each of them resolved a little more clearly, she felt as well as saw them for who they were.

She saw a younger version of herself settle down on one of the logs. Another one of her stood behind that one, dressed in some kind of sharp looking uniform with clean lines; a style she didn’t recognize. Another, dressed in a suit that looked to be some form of magitek.

More and more, some more like her, some less like her, coming forward and taking their seats.

“Are these all… us?” she asked.

“Every one,” the Ancient replied.

“So the vision from earlier… the one who became a dragon kin?”

“And the one who cried at the injustice of the Inquisition.”

She pointed. “Flew a weird machine.”

The Ancient nodded at another one. “Held the line.”

The fire continued to crackle, and more gathered in.

She saw one in particular. “…the one who I saw stand up for that young child.” she said, flatly.

That memory in particular was a sore one for her.

The Ancient nodded directly at her. “…and the one who learned something powerful about herself that day.”

She watched them for a bit, taking slow, careful breaths. She saw them bump into each other, greet each other, talk to each other; she could see them, but could not hear them, could not quite interact with them. They were there, but to her, they were not quite real. Abstractions of what it was to be herself.

Abstractions of what it was to be real.

She looked to the Ancient.

“How many of them are there?” she asked.

“Countless. There are many of you, as if stars in the sky. You, and others like you, and others not like you, and others not at all you.”

She saw a particularly odd looking one, short, with longer ears, and a strange flat disc-like hat that seems rather too large. And many of them did not appear to be Elezen at all.

And there was more, always more.

“They’re just… echos. Of you.”

“Perhaps.”

“…Echo. Hah. It seems obvious, in retrospect.”

That feeling from the Ancient again. Of a smile. Of that irrepressible kindness born of love.

She looked at the fire, and felt a deep sadness.

“That’s why he hates us, isn’t it. We really are just pale imitations to him.”

“Are you?”

She looked to the Ancient quizzically.

“Think about it. You may be made of the same stuff as me, but so is everything in existence. Everything is made of aether, is it not? That the same parts are used over and over again do not make the same thing.”

She considered the fire again. “…I think he thought I was you.”

“Of course he would. If you take a board from a house and use it another, can you not see the original marks on the board? The places where nails were before, the staining of age already upon it? That does not make the new house the old.”

“…it also doesn’t make the old house entirely new.”

“Ah, but here the analogy falls apart. The fault is mine. Because houses do not have experiences, and certainly, do not build new houses.”

She swept her gaze around to the other apparitions. They were a veritable crowd, now.

So many possibilities.

She wondered how many of them failed.

“Not as many as you would think,” the Ancient said.

She looked to the Ancient, then back outwards.

“Are they real?” she asked.

“As real as you. As real as anything. Let me pick a better analogy for this next explanation. Each of you… are a voice. A voice in a chorus. A chorus that tells a story. Your voices echo, and resonate with each other. One voice is a quiet sound in a vast room, but all of your voices together form a beautiful song that reaches out to the ends of existence itself. Every voice is needed in the choir. Some will falter, yes. Some of them already have. But so many do not. So many raise their voices, ever stronger. Each is real. Each is necessary.”

“A chorus.”

“Yes.”

She watched the fire for a bit.

“… what about Ardbert? Is he… part of my choir?”

“Not yet. But close. As you have learned about his companions, as you have learned about him, as you have learned about his story - your songs have grown closer. Your song is now part of his, and his now part of yours. You are harmonizing. Keep that in mind.”

“… I will.”

She watched the fire. It seemed to be growing brighter.

“…but wait. If we are a song, a chorus… then what happens… it’s a combination of all of our experiences, isn’t it?”

The Ancient looked directly at her then, and seemed to sit up a little straighter, lean forward a little closer.

“If I fail… someone else might not. If I succeed, then in a way, we all succeed. It’s not just me. It’s… it’s all of us.”

“And all of your friends, and those who are not yet, and others besides.”

“And you say it forms a song. A song… and… it transcends boundaries, doesn’t it? I may not hear it, but I am part of singing it, and all realities know it.”

The Ancient was nodding now, enthusiastically. “Yes, yes!”

“So it’s not just me. That’s what you’re trying to show me. You’re trying to show me… how much bigger you’ve become, how much more you are, how much we - “

She paused. A thought occurred. She looked at the ancient, and blinked a few times.

“I am not an echo of you. You… you’re long gone. But you’re the memories of what it was to be you. You’re... you’re…”

The Ancient nodded, holdings its hand together, leaning so far forward it looked to be about to fall into the fire.

“…you’re an echo of me. Of us. Of our shared experiences!”

The Ancient stood to its feet then, clapping.

Zoissette suddenly understood, and she flopped to the ground on her back, arms spread, laughing, laughing, laughing so it hurt, laughing so she cried.

She looked at the stars, and despite her sudden feeling of smallness, she felt grander than she ever had. And as she looked, the apparitions of all of her possibilities stood around her, and they drifted back up into the sky as stars.

Stars growing ever brighter.

The fire grew louder, and its flames licked higher.

The sky began to turn white with the brilliance of it star-like tapestry.

“I understand now,” she said, quietly.

She rolled over, gently, as the world went white. The weight in her limbs returned. The pressure behind her skin began to press out again. The pain drifted back into her awareness, and she struggled to try to push herself to her feet, and she grinned grimly at a ground she could no longer see.

She might die here.

She might fail here.

This might be the end.

And she thought of her friends, the Scions, behind her, and all they had done.

She thought of her friends on another world.

It would be alright.

This would be a good death.

But she would not go quietly into that night.

And then, she heard a voice.

“If you had the strength, to take another step… could you do it? Could you save our worlds?”

She looked up to see a man who had been her companion nearly since she had stepped foot on this world, and she smiled at him, and accepted his offer to join his voice to hers.

~~~

Emet-Selch watched as the so-called Warrior of Darkness - Warrior of Light, what a joke that was now - writhed on the ground like a worm as the Light overtook her. He had to shield his eyes as a brilliant pillar of light shot up and pierced the heavens, threatening to blind him.

Surely this was it. Surely this was the moment of triumph, the transformation completing, his plans come to fruition.

The end of a burden.

“This is not yours to end…this is our future. Our story,” said a voice that was familiar to him.

Emet-selch looked to the Light, and he saw… an imagine of one of his brethren. A familiar figure, in familiar robes.

“No… it can’t be.” he said, staggering back.

The light faded, and in its place, he saw Zoissette. She was standing tall, strong. Looking straight at him, with an expression of… was that pity?

“Bah, a trick of the light. You are a broken husk, nothing more!” he spat.

She inclined her head at him, with a slight tilt.

“You may be immortal, I have experienced infinity in ways you never can,” she said. “Until you are let go and in turn can let go.”

He clenched his fist, and fair trembled with rage.

“How can you hope to stand against me alone?” he seethed.

“We stand together!” another voice chimed in.

Together, Zoissette thought.

She looked up at the stars, and smiled.

She understood.

[brineffxiv]

Man, this ruined city sure is pretty.

Look, if you know the future - as you seem to be implying - could you maybe be a little more descriptive? "You will give them hope" is a paltry edict to sustain you through, again, the over a century of hellish solitary confinement that poor Ardbert has had to endure. Major dick move, that.

Ahh... We meet again, at last.

Had I known we were going with a "golden-yellow" color scheme I'd have done something different with my hair.

I feel strangely proud of the young woman that Minfilia is becoming. She's finding her own sense of self and purpose, independent of others' expectations of her.

Should I be sad that we are losing our original Minfilia? Perhaps. But that Minfilia has been dead for a long time; since she was taken to be the Oracle of Light. Instead I am relieved that the Minfilia we have grown to know and care for is being allowed to continue living the life that is rightfully hers. I was so very afraid she would opt to die to bring the first Minfilia back.

Of course not. One thing I've felt that Shadowbringers has done fabulously is making my friends and I feel like a true team by allowing them to fight alongside me. I feel significantly less alone, and conversely, I feel buoyed by the love and support of my friends.

Minfilia! Oh! What a good change. You are now free of the shackles of her legacy. You can be who you choose to be.

...

OMG! Holy shit! Thancred! You're alive!

[of-daisies-and-dandelions]

Nat why and how did you just made me fall in love with ur wol in like 1 ask omg I REALLY DO TRUST HIM WITH MY LIFE NOW, WILLINGLY, BUT I WOULDN'T BC HE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT MUCH PRESSURE AFTER GOING THROUGH THAT. Instead, let me offer him a hug and some tea, please. This is so well thought, and seriously you say you have to squint but it really isn't like that, you made up an incredible independent backstory that totally ties up with the MSQ without taking anything away from it. It's insane bc we don't get too much of the personal side of WOL esp before Endwalker so the way ur story just brings so much character to him is insane to me!! I adore it!! I would also like to say that Mia? That girl? She deserves the whole world. It's such sad story but it's somewhat so comforting how it seems like she found peace in someone that knew her struggles just like Ardbert knew hers!! I love how you also grabbed the main point of endwalker and just gave it so Cain! The whole idea of him trying to find his place and I cannot believe how surreal it must have been for him to fight Zenos specifically, after everything Mia has gone through! And you don't need to apologize about anything, don't worry about the wait!! It's so worth it so I wouldn't mind on u going full details lol if u have like anything else to talk abt personality whise or lil hcs you have about him, please do. You really made me so invested in that hard-working bunny!! The whole thing about Cain not fitting vs 'now u have someone's life with you but hey you still have to find ur own purpose dummy' - must've been just too hard. He deserves a rest. Excuse me if I'm asking too much hahah this might be a long ask but I feel like his bond with Ardbert and Mia is just literally soulmates thing, even Hydaelyn, but besides that, is anyone he shares just as important bond with? Any npc or oc you can like trust to give this man a hug every once in a while? I need to know!! And please my thoughts for my bunny is just not as well thought as yours, but if you don't mind that heh I can share some hcs I have for a backstory pre ARR that I have for her!! It's a bit of generic viera bg, but I just love fran a lot hahah again THANK U FOR THE CAIN INFO! He must be protected at all costs even if he can do that himself! Such precious soul, Azem really is just the best source ♡

Your messages are adding years to my lifespan, I think about them every day,,, thank you, honestly, it means so, so much to me.

You are asking a super good question, I was itching to talk about this actually, but didnt want to add three more pages to my previous answer hahaha.

I actually have a little story for you! I usually write for myself and my partner only, I havent really worked up the courage to publish anything so far, but I really wanted to share this one with you and so I posted it on ao3 :D link is right HERE. It is pretty sad, though, so I completely understand if you do not feel like reading, but if you want more context, it is there :)

Rest is under the read more once again.

Mia had a family of her own, her partners being Diabo, a Hrothgar merchant, and Mikh, a miqo'te rascal. I used to joke with my partner about their house basically just being a giant cat nest hahaha. Eventually, Arnaud Durendaire joins in, which is a ghost of an Ishgardian dragoon. Yes, it is pretty silly, but I always loved ghosts and have a tendency to make characters of various levels of cryptid energy and obviously had to continue said tradition in FF as well xD.

Diabo basically takes him for his own and so does the rest of the family, so he is practically their son. Arnie had a shit family to begin with, the only thing his parents cared for was his success to further the family prestige, and he himself knew nothing besides training and study, before dying too young at the claws of Dravanians. In a way, Arnie got a second chance at a somewhat normal life and family and friends that really love and care about him.

From NPCS, all Scions are like an extended family to Mia, closest relationship she had was with Yda and Papalymo, because they met each other first, as well as Minfilia. Y'Shtola was basically a sister to her, until they had a falling out during Shadowbringers, because Mia thought Shtola became too ruthless and didnt agree with how she talked to Ryne especially. They made up eventually, but the strain in the relationship was still there.

G'Raha is another sibling in all but name, their relationship being extremely close.

The twins are practically her kids. They have their own rooms in their house as well. But then again, the twins are every WOL's almost kids or siblings, arent they hahaha.

Zenos is a special case. Mia always felt drawn to him, despite being unable to figure out why. She wanted to understand him, help him, in a way. It was only after he killed himself that she realized the reason was because he and she were the same in a way, two sides of the same coin. All that power, yet Zenos had noone who tempered him. Noone who cared or tried to understand. Mia was fortunate to have so many loved ones around her, that helped guide her. In a way, she saw herself in him, saw a version of herself that never got to be loved. Only after he died did she realize how awfully alone she truly was, deep down. Because noone, no matter how much they tried, could fully understand the burden and inherent loneliness of her position, noone but him, or so she thought, at least.

When Cain comes to the scene, her original family is... well things are complicated, as one would expect. Diabo shut down, not really wanting to even look at Cain because it just reminds him of everything. Mikh takes it better, eventually finding her way back to him, because, in her words, "Cain smells like Mia did."

Scions take it... well, that depends, I guess. Thancred was one of the most suspicious ones, but after realizing it was true, he warmed up to Cain a lot. In a way, he went trough similiar stuff with Ryne and Minfilia, therefore it was easier for him to relate than the rest. Thancred also has the most guilt of not protecting Mia, of failing her. Urianger saw Thancred trust Cain and so he does too, slowly.

Shtola is the hardest to come around, despite being able to see that unmistakable hue of ember in Cain's soul.

Raha tries his damndest to be supportive, but it is extremely hard for him, because after EVERYTHING they went trough, after EVERYTHING he did, he still lost her again.

The twins take it hard, because it's like losing family, but they try their best to be supportive. Alphinaud does, especially.

It is in Garlemald that Cain meets a new character, an escaped Garlean test subject, a female Viera. She has no name, only thing she was called was Project Raziel, so after Cain asks her about it, he inquires if she would want a name and offers that he could think of one for her, because she herself doesnt really care.

He settles on Carrion, the name just coming to his lips. Carrie for short. Carrie is basically Zenos in a viera body, which is hilarious, in a way, because of his already extremely weird relationship with the man. (Having to fight him again with Mia's memories and feelings and feeling the same way about him, despite wanting to punch him in the face so bad).

So, in a way, the only person who gives him hugs is Mikh, for now at least, and we love her for it.

This is Mia before and after Shadowbringers. Her eye got injured in the Shinryu fight, and it completely lost color in SHB, along with her hair. She grew her hair back after she got rid of the light, slowly, but her eye stayed white.

This is Arnaud with his Hawk companion called Talon.

Diabo and Mia

Mikh

Carrie

These characters belong to my partner :)

This is already, once again, too damn long! Thank you so much for these, truly!!! I wuv you!!!

And PLEASE, I would LOVE to read anything you have as well, anything about your bunny, her relationships and such, I am all ears.

I hope you've been keeping healthy and safe and wish you the bestest of days! ♥