#ffxiv has a lot on that n it really touches n comforts me so much

[windup-dragoon]

Mind Games

|| FFXIV write - 2020

|| Prompt #20 - Free Day! - Mind Games

|| Modern AU 

|| Featuring @whitherliliesbloom​, @ancientechos​, @heirsofdiscord​;; Illya, Alphinaud, Laurelis, Haurchefant, Arianna, Emet-Selch, Moth’ir, Thancred, Hien, and Kirishimi

|| 928 words

|| What’s a little game among friends?

|| Now with art by @rosepinkwol​ found here!

“Okay, enough squabbling! We need to get to the bottom of this!” Alphinaud demands the attention of the room. The lights begin to flicker but it deters him none. “We’ve already lost some of our dearest friends to these fiends... We cannot allow ourselves to blame aimlessly!” 

“To be fair,” Hien interjects, standing close to Kirishimi. “Thancred wasn’t keeping his story straight. We had evidence against him and he has been known for being shady.” 

Kirishimi nodded in agreement, although the action had still left her feeling sad. He was full of too many inconsistencies. One moment he had mentioned tailing Moth’ir while doing their rounds, then five seconds later he was at the reactor. Nothing of his added up and their friends paid the price. He simply couldn’t be left alone. 

“You are all still incredibly wrong.” Moth’ir stated, arms crossed and exchanging a look around the room. 

“It was put to a vote, Moth’ir.” Alphinaud lowered his head, shuffling an ilm closer to Illya. “I am deeply sorry-” 

“Save it.” Moth’ir dismissed the young elezen with a wave of his hand. 

This time Laurelis, standing off to the side as she was, leaned forward and offered a tiny smile. “We’re running out of time. Let’s get back to our rounds and go from there, okay?” 

Illya nodded. “We’ve still a lot to accomplish but we can make it.” 

“Optimistic as always.” Alphinaud smiled to the lalafellin woman with a touch of warmth in his voice. 

- - - 

The meeting was dismissed and all in attendance departed. Hien and Kiri took to working on electrical panels, finding safety in groups was the best decision. But the whole ordeal had left her feeling shaken. Among them, one of their friends, was intentionally sabotaging their chances of survival. Blood laced the hands of someone she once laughed with and it unnerved her. 

Had Thancred truly been one of them? A part of her had hoped it was, then at least his removal would not have been for nothing. But it still left her stomach sour as she connected colored cables. Hien busied himself with his own devices, glancing up and giving her comforting smile beneath fading lights. 

Emet-Selch had been removed at the very first sign of trouble. His words were like eels; he couldn’t be trusted as he laughed at them for thinking too much. The majority ruled him guilty and that had been that. Yet Arianna was left alone because of this, treading the shadows in silence as she worked without company. 

Kiri treaded the space between Hien and herself, drawing close enough to lean against the table he was working at. “What if-” She began softly, a hushed whisper so no one would over hear her. “What if I were the killer? Would you kick me?” 

To this inquiry, green eyes lift from his panel, his eyebrows shooting up. “Oh? Are you confessing to me?” He mused and pulled her close. “Any other confessions? Spill them all.” 

She hummed with a giggle but shook her head. “Certainly not! But could you do it?” 

“I would be heartbroken.” 

“So you would?” 

“You wouldn’t be the woman I love if you were murdering people, now would you?” 

“Fair.” 

Briefly they shared a kiss. There was something urgent about it this time. The drive to survive and live and thrive. Hien’s hands at her waist were tightly knotted against her red outfit, lifting her onto the table for a more advantageous angle. 

His lips parted from hers reluctantly, both breathless as they shared a silent moment. 

“And what if it were me?” Hien questioned now, brushing back silver hair from Kiri’s cheek. 

She laughed and drew her arms around his neck to pull him back for more attention. “Somethin’ kinda spicy ‘bout it. Not murderin’ people but... ya’know. Evil Hien.” 

They both laughed, helpless against the need to share another desperate kiss. 

And then the door to their secluded room opened. Both tore away from one another in a flurry of motion, Kiri smothering out wrinkles in her attire while Hien cleared his throat. 

In the doorway stood Illya, lilac bambi eyes wide. “Am I interrupting?” 

“N-Not at all!” Hien stammered with flushed cheeks. “Have you seen the others?” 

Illya smiled and walked into the room further with no real direction in mind. “Yes. I believe we’ve won.” She announced with a softness in her voice and eyes bright. 

Kiri leaned forward, hands to her knees, excitement riddled on her face. “Really? So Thancred must’a really been one of ‘em? And Emet-Selch too! That’s perfect! I bet he was so irritated when we got him in the first round-” 

Both Hien and Illya simply stared at Kiri however while she spoke. They wore smiles on their faces, but after a second look, Kiri’s brows drew together. They weren’t quite normal. Not the familiar grin Hien would often wear. Or the sunshine bright smile from Illya she had grown so accustomed to seeing. 

“Wait-” 

“I’m sorry, Kiri.” Hien moved closer, snatching at her wrist. 

“Wait-!!” 

“No one suspected a thing.” Illya commented and laughed musically. 

Hien chuckled in return as he drew Kiri once more to his chest. “Kind of spicy, isn’t it?”  

- - - 

Dead Chat 

Emet-Selch: What a bunch of idiots. 

Thancred: THEY KICKED ME?! I’M STILL???? 

Moth’ir: Thanny, you were stumbling a lot on your story... 

Ari: I’m sorry, Emet... 

Laurelis: ILLYA AND HIEN BETRAYED US ALL

Alphinaud: She intentionally saved me for last! How very clever... 

Haurchefant: Sorry for being the first to die, everyone. :’c 

[faelune-home]

FFXIV Write 2020 #25: Wish

(A/N: I miss Minfilia ;3; I wanted to properly feature her in one of these since its turned to a heavy focus on Fufu’s relationships with the Scions.

A bit of backstory for Fufu featured here. Set after Ifrit’s defeat in early ARR.

Word Count: 1785

@ffxiv-writers)

“All the way from Thavnair?” Minfilia gawped, intrigue shining in her eyes. Fufu nodded, taking a sip from the glass of water the highlander had brought for her. 

“Yup. Just a small tribe waaay away from the city though.” The candle set on the table flickered, making the shadows dance on the walls of the Sands’ common room.

It was almost certainly a late hour, but sleep had eluded the keeper woman after the mission against Ifrit. Looking for a way to calm her racing mind, she’d left her assigned room, only to run into the Antecedent, also up late herself. ‘Catching up on neglected paperwork’, she’d said with a chagrined scowled, fallen to the wayside in the flurry after the primal summoning.

The little chat they were having was suggested by the hyur to take their minds off their troubles. To get to know each other better as comrades.

“Still, you’ve come from quite far. I do hope Eorzea has treated you well in your time here,” the woman smiled. Fufu’s ears flattened against her head and she shrugged.

“It’s been fine. I went to Gridania to focus on training my bow skills--”

“Ah, I can see why; their archer’s guild is one of the finest around,” Minfilia interrupted, though she had a sympathetic look on her face, adding, “But I can tell they haven’t been all too kind, have they? Old prejudices against Keeper kind.”

Fufu winced, but tried to shrug it off with a nonchalant, “Well, one of my guildmates is a bit stuffy and all ‘Only native Wildwoods can be any good at the bow, your art is a pale imitation’, but the guildmaster tries to keep him in line. Sometimes.” Another sip. “I could do without the Wood Wailers though. They’re awful.”

Minfilia couldn’t help but snicker at the miqo’te’s imitation and her brutal frankness. She sobered quickly though, offering a sincere smile as she said, “My condolences, friend. Would that we could be without such animosity. Especially during these times.” Her expression darkened and she sighed.

A tail brushed her arm, and her companion said, “It is what it is. I can handle it.” The hyruan nodded, then perked up, saying, “But let us not dwell on things out of our control. What of your family? What are they like?”

“Oh, well, it's just my aunt really,” Fufu hummed, looking a touch guilty as she continued, “I know you wanted to shift away from a sad topic, but my parents died years ago. But I was only a baby, I didn’t even know them, just what my aunt’s told me.” Minfilia flinched, but before she could apologise, Fufu swiftly went on, “It’s not something I feel bad about to be honest. It was so long ago and like I said, I didn't even get to know them. It’s hard to miss someone you don’t even recall.”

“I see...That is an understandable feeling to have. I’m still sorry to hear that.”

A brief pause hung in the air between them, until after another sip of water, Fufu kept talking. “Aunt always told me it was a wild animal attack that did it. That destroyed our home village in Ilsabard where I was born, and that killed them and so many others. And growing up with the tribe on Thavnair and spending a lot of time with the hunters, I could see the impact beasts could have. Made it easier to believe. It wasn’t till years later I learned from one of the elders that escaped with us that it was Garleans instead.”

Her ear flicked. “It’s funny. When I asked her about it after learning about it, she said she never wanted me to grow bitter, or seek revenge. And I guess she had a point, ‘cos even after that, I didn’t want to.” She smirked. “And yet here I am, in a land where the Empire is right on the doorstep, and I suppose there’s always the risk I’ll have to fight them, won’t I?”

“Possibly. But you won’t be alone, I promise you that,” Minfilia insisted, giving her friend’s shoulder a gentle squeeze with her hand. The miqo’te smiled at the gesture, then asked, “What about you and your family?”

The highlander stared deeper into her glass, as though contemplating it. “I suppose I’m much the same as yourself; my birth mother passed away many many years ago. So for a while it was just myself and my father.” A deep frown passed her features. “He...he perished in an accident in Ul’dah. It was awful. And for a while I feared it was a purposeful attack, retribution for double crossing the Empire and selling their secrets to others. Truthfully I still don’t know if that outcome would’ve reassured me over it just being a terrifying mistake.”

To her surprise, Fufu pulled the woman into a one armed hug, her arm snaking over her shoulder, and nudging their foreheads together. Minfilia blinked, caught off at the sudden moment, causing the other to wince and pull back, “Sorry. I just thought-”

“No, no, it’s fine,” the hyuran sniffed, not realising she’d been near to tears until she was wiping away at her wavering eyelids, “Pray, forgive me, I didn’t think I’d be so weepy at the memories.” She shifted into a sad smile, as she mumbled, “As much as I miss him, I had people with me then to pick me up and look after me after it all. Thancred and my adopted mother, Lhaminn. I will always be grateful to them.”

“I’m grateful to so many who have stood with me over the years,” the woman murmured into the dark, “Some of my oldest friends like Tataru and Krile” - she saw the miqo’te’s ear flick at the new name, but she didn’t press, letting Minfilia talk on - “and I’ll ever appreciate the support Louisoix gave me before the Calamity struck. And to his Archons, for staying with me into the Scions’ creation. Even if it has never been an easy job.”

She sniffed again, the only sound in the common room, broken only by the gentle tap of an empty glass on wood. Fufu hummed.

“You’ve done a lot of work it sounds like. And the Archons and all the other Scions here must have a lot of faith in you to keep at this.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I deserve it,” Minfilia wavered, “When all we can do is follow empty leads, be ever one step behind having to chase after our problems, ever unable to fully solve them. How long can people follow someone that can only promise that peace will come eventually from our efforts? That we strive for hope where there is hopelessness?”

Fufu didn’t answer immediately, but she flicked her tail at the woman’s knee, catching her attention, and asked, “What is your goal here? And not just the whole ‘preserving the dawn of a new era’ stuff.”

She hesitated, but only briefly. With a determined look, Minfilia declared, “I would strive for Eorzea’s stability. That her people would know peace, that we can free them from the shadow of the Empire, and that we can bring an end to the Ascians’ machinations, for their every move would undermine our work.” 

Her mask slipped only slightly, allowing her apprehension to slip through as she continued, “I would hope that we can bridge the gaps between the people of the city states and the beast tribes, who have been cast out and in their anger and sorrow listen to the whispers of the dark and perpetuate a cycle that locks Eorzea in conflict. For every time the city states silence the beast tribes, they grow more frustrated. With their frustration, they summon their gods. And their gods draw the ire of the Empire, whom the city state leaders fear in turn.”

She shook her head, scowling. “If only we could but break the chain. But to do that, we must needs make progress in our search for the Ascians, and further still in ways to defeat them.” Minfilia slumped, the weight of her conviction heavy on her shoulders.

Fufu placed a hand on her arm, and the hyuran looked up into a warm smile. “I’d fight for that.”

The reassurement raised the woman’s spirits, allowing her a smile once more. “I thank you, friend. And my apologies as well. I suggested this talk so that we could forget about what ails us, and I brought it back to the fore myself.” 

The miqo’te shook her head, giggling lightly, “I don’t mind. I knew it was gonna be a lot of work here in the Scions. But hearing you sound so certain about what we have to do makes me feel better about it. Even if I know it's not gonna be easy.”

Minfilia chuckled alongside the other. “It is a lot to handle. But I have faith we can do it.”

“Then have faith in yourself as well,” Fufu insisted, looking serious, only to break the illusion with a pouty, “Please” at the end. Minfilia sighed, yet she still smiled.

“Very well then.”

A comfortable silence fell between them both, neither fussed about breaking it. Breaking through the walls of the base, the waves lapped at the docks of Vesper Bay.

“To achieve one's hopes and dreams, it is not always enough to wish on the stars or pray to the gods,” Minfilia suddenly mumbled, making the other’s ear flick, curiosity on her face, “We must put in the effort as well, that we know that we truly earned that which we worked for.”

Fufu was uncertain of how to respond, though any attempt she could’ve made was broken by the creaking of the door to the room, a sleepy Tataru peeking in.

The Lalafell yawned, “Minfilia, I got an emergency linkshell call for you. Someone named Red Cedar or Geyser...I’m sorry. But they said it was something you asked about last week and they’ve finally picked up on what you were looking for.”

Minfilia nodded, getting to her feet and taking both empty glasses with her as she said, “My thanks Tataru. I will get in touch with him myself. You can return to bed.” As the door shuddered closed again, Minfilia turned to her companion and smiled. “Yourself as well, friend. Twelve knows how busy our days will be now, especially after your grand victory.”

Fufu giggled. “I’d be more surprised if nothing happened. Oh,” Minfilia stopped at the door at the girl’s gasp.

“Thank you for the chat. It helped.”

The bright beam on the miqo’te face was mirrored on Minfilia’s own. “Anytime, my friend. Truly, I mean it.”

[lefayexplores]

Ultimate Ship Meme: Lefay & Mahji

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - Until we want to reroll, if that ever happens.

How quickly did they fall in love? - Way too fast but it worked for them.

How was their first kiss? - Amazing, Lefay still daydreams about it. Also see above picture.

Wedding: N/A, Lefay don’t do weddings.

Who proposed? -

Who is the best man/men? -

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? -

Who did the most planning? -

Who stressed the most? -

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? -

Sex:

Who is on top? - Even mix of both of them.

Who is the one to instigate things? - I think Lefay slightly more than Mahji but only slightly.

How healthy is their sex life? Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - Probably average, I didn’t actually think about this until now.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Lefay tries her best but she usually ends up with a bit more.

How rough are they in bed? - This really varies...  Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - As many as Lefay can get out of him if she has her way. Realistically probably like 6 tops.

How many children will they adopt? - Zero unless you count Mahji adopting any other kits Lefay has with other men but I don’t really count that.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Lefay, she’s dealt with a lot of bodily fluids as a healer and Mahji is a bit squeamish. 

Who is the stricter parent? - Mahji, Lefay will cave and spoil way too easily.

Who stops the kids from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Lefay, though chances are she won’t stop it either.

Who remembers to pack the lunches? - Lefay will insist on making the food for them as much as possible.

Who is the more loved parent? - Equal!

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - N/A

Who cried the most at graduation their coming of age ceremonies? - Lefay cried the most, though Mahji’s eyes weren’t completely dry either.

Who is more likely to bail the children out of trouble with the law? - Lefay would, by asking Saheena to do it.d

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Lefay without a doubt, she loves cooking.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Lefay, she won’t eat meat or any kind of animal flesh at all.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Lefay buys it and Mahji carries it.

How often do they bake desserts? - Way too often.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Meat for Mahji, salad for Lefay.

Who is more likely to surprise the others with an anniversary dinner? - I’m not sure aniversaries are on either of their radars but more likely Mahji than Lefay since Lefay doesn’t even really know what an aniversary is in a romantic context.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - I think this is an equal split.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? - Mahji but they both have such good control over flames that this isn’t likely for either of them.w

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Lefay but Mahji helps out of course. She’s just the one to actually start doing it.

Who is really against chores? - Neither.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Lefay but Mahji helps.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Neither.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Lefay unquestionably.

Who found a dollar handful of gil between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Mahji, and it was left there by Lefay.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - About equal, in part because they bathe together more often than not.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They walk together!

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Never.

What are their goals for the relationship? - So. Many. Babs.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Mahji, though Lefay’s much more likely to nap.

Who plays the most pranks? - Lefay doesn’t really know what pranks are and would be terrible at them so Mahji.

No one sent me the ask, I just wanted to do it. 

@wmahji-tia-ffxiv