#y’shtola x wol

[r04ch]

Umm hey *shows you my polyship*

(photos taken by @mages-ballad :)

[wildstar25]

Y'shtola: Now please, go to your room and rest.

[sarenhale]

Shadowbringers.jpg

[devilmented]

Forehead Tattoo kisses from his favorite scions ❤️

[a-writing-otter]

Zu’zu wrinkles his nose in an effort to make the itch at the end of it go away without smearing the paint. He’d spent a solid hour putting together these theatrics and like hell was a stray tickle of his skin going to ruin it.

“A cat?” A voice comes derisively from his elbow. Zu’zu looks up and over and rolls his eyes at Y’shtola who is hiding a barely amused expression while she carefully sips at a glass of water from Zu’zu’s kitchen.

“Yes, a cat. And not just any cat—“

“Yeah, yeah, from that horrible cat musical you made all of us watch. I didn’t think you’d actually dress up as one of them.”

Zu’zu spins in place, using his hands to fluff the fur of his collar as his fake tail swishes behind him.

“You’re just put out that I look fantastic. Besides, what are you supposed to be?”

Y’shtola is in a long black dress of skirts upon skirts of different lengths and layers. It all comes to an off-the-shoulder spread covered in white fur with a clasp about the neck. The feathers from her ears and the staff in her hand are very mystical and he gets the words half-formed before Y’shtola cuts across him.

“I’m a sorcerer.”

“Yes. Yes, sorcerer. And you call me dramatic.”

“I don’t have cat ears.” She reaches a hand up to pluck at one of them before Zu’zu frowns and takes a great step away from her, batting her hands away.

“Don’t fuck with them, I spent a solid fifteen minutes getting them into place.”

Y’shtola doesn’t bother to hide her laughter this time.

“Did you rope G’raha into this?”

And no sooner does she ask than the man himself comes slinking down the stairs. If the tail could move, Zu’zu would have no doubt it would be between his legs.

“And what are you wearing?” Y’shtola asks, somehow more baffled by G’raha’s display.

“It’s a cat,” G’raha hopes to defend, scrunching his nose to likely fight off a similar itch.

“And not just any cat,” Zu’zu cuts across, darting to G’raha’s side to spread his hands in front of them, wiggling his fingers as he spreads them apart.

“The Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.”

“A magic cat?”

“The one, the only!” Zu’zu links their arms together and beams down at G’raha who seems to warm slightly at Zu’zu’s enthusiasm.

“He insisted that they’re boyfriends—“

“They are!”

“—and yet watching the whole show, I failed to see it.”

“It’s subtext,” Zu’zu dismisses. “Sure Rum Tum Tugger is a cad and a flirt, but he always comes home to Mistoffelees.”

“Should I worry about you running around like an unfixed tom cat?” G’raha teases, putting a hand over Zu’zu’s.

“As if I’d have eyes for anyone else.”

“Well,” Y’shtola begins, pulling them out of their moment before it gets too sappy sweet, “you two are certainly going to be over-dressed.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Zu’zu releases G’raha so he can fuss with his makeup in the hall mirror once more. “You don’t even know what Urianger is going as and what he dragged Thancred into.”

“Urianger convinced Thancred to dress up?” Y’shtola can hardly believe the words she says. “I thought only Rhyne could do that.”

Zu’zu shrugs.

“He seemed pretty content to go along with Urianger’s schemes and god knows that he’s more into Halloween than anyone would believe.”

“Almost gives you a run for your money,” G’raha notes, pulling slightly on Zu’zu’s tail and earning a hiss as he swats his hand away too.

“No one performs Halloween like I perform Halloween.” He gestures to himself and turns yet again like either Y’shtola or G’raha could miss what he’s wearing.

“See, you’re so certain, but you’ve never spent a Halloween with Krile.”

Zu’zu pauses for a second and raises an eyebrow at his boyfriend.

“What do you mean?”

G’raha lets out a wistful sigh, arms across his chest as he leans into the wall.

“She used to go all out for Halloween when we were in college together. The whole student floor would be covered in spiders and cobwebs and skeletons. She instituted a yearly trick-or-treat for the building, convinced the other floors to get into competitions to decorate doors and halls, not to mention the first Halloween party she threw when she had her own apartment…”

Zu’zu knew that there was a lot to expect from Krile, they were going to her Halloween party after all, but he’d expected low lights and some kitschy decor, but the way G’raha goes on…

“What is she going as? A witch?”

G’raha shakes his head. “Likely something complicated and only she understands from a book she’s read. She went as a necromancer from a series she read last year—black wig, bone corset, bone rosary, the whole macabre experience.”

Zu’zu’s frown deepens and he folds his arms across his chest.

“You should have said something! I would have picked something better!”

“Better than musical theatre cats?” Y’shtola asks only to be ignored.

“Zu’zu,” G’raha coos, coming close with his hands on top of Zu’zu’s and a cajoling smile. “She’s over the top, but this is the kind of thing people will recognize and fawn over. No one knows what it is. Everyone know Cats, even if only because you’re the one who showed it to them. They’re going to love us.”

And Zu’zu huffs, the spectacle made even more amusing by the way his tail swishes in the whole kitty getup.

“You’re saying that to placate me.”

“Is it working?” G’raha asks as he reaches up, holding the back of Zu’zu’s neck as he pulls slightly at the few hairs that are escaping the wig cap.

Zu’zu’s lips crack into a smile and he rolls his eyes even as he leans into G’raha’s touch.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Zu’zu’s heart skips a beat when he’s treated to the full force of G’raha’s smile, barely resisting the urge to lean in and kiss him (the makeup at least had to last until they got to the party).

“Are you two finished?” Y’shtola looks up from her phone.

Zu’zu huffs and goes for his keys and wallet on the hook before turning off the lights to the hall.

“You’re just anxious to go and see if Zero is there.”

“Perchance I’d like to see our friends and not listen to you two moon over one another the whole night,” Y’shtola shoots back, completely ignoring Zu’zu’s bait.

“It’s the risk you run coming to the apartment and catching a ride with us.”

Zu’zu grins and even G’raha shrugs as he steps out into the cool night air and to Zu’zu’s beat up four-door.

“Duly noted,” Y’shtola remarks as Zu’zu locks the door. “Next time I’ll just walk.”

[starlight-brainrot]

FFXIV - Academic Rival AU (x reader)

Characters: Aymeric, Alphinaud, Urianger, G'raha Tia, Y'shtola

Tags: fluff, high school AU, academic rival AU, gn reader, miscommunication (g'raha's)

Warnings: since it's a high school AU, it's assumed that wol/reader is the same age as Alphinaud.

Word Count: 1336

-

Aymeric

Mr. class president

Chess club leader as well?

You, meanwhile, are the captain of various sports teams

As well as boasting a more than stellar gpa

It ends up being a competition of who will have the better college application - him, or you?

Whenever the two of you meet, it feels as though sparks are flying

The two of you will share pleasantries, but make no mistake - the tension is thick.

For every competition he wins, you make sure to win a couple more. For every academic ribbon you earn, he’s right there behind you.

Haurchefant and Thancred secretly have an ongoing bet to see when the two of you will finally get together.

And as time goes on, more and more of your friends join in on this bet

It seems that the feelings between the two of you are obvious to everyone… but you.

Every stolen glance, every blush, every rant about the other - it was maddening to have to watch two idiots clearly in love avoid their feelings over an inconsequential rivalry.

It’s only after the two of you graduate and receive acceptance letters into the same college, both with full ride scholarships, that Aymeric nervously asks you out.

“I know that we were at odds in high school… but seeing as we’re both here and our rivalry has ended in a tie…”

“Would you like to grab coffee with me?”

Congrats to Alisaie, who won $20 from everyone in your friend group.

-

Alphinaud

The two of you are fellow debate team members

…however, the two of you are constantly trying to one up each other.

Who will capture the attention of the audience?

Who will have a more airtight argument?

You were known for your iron logic. It was tough, if at all possible for others to oppose your arguments

Alphinaud was meanwhile known for capturing the hearts of his audience

Surely a formidable duo, if only the two of you could get along…

As the semester drags on, the big competition for your debate team inched nearer and nearer

With all your mock debates with Alphinaud, you felt like you had done all that you could for tomorrow’s event

But it felt like something was missing…

It was Alphinaud who approached you, wanting to go over strategies

Begrudgingly, the two of you recognized that the other could provide helpful tips

Alisaie gives her brother a knowing look as the two of you settle in with your laptops and coffee. He avoids her look with red cheeks.

He feels sick the morning of the competition. He’s so nervous!

But when he hears you say that he better not lose to anyone but you, he feels some semblance of peace, followed by determination for the day ahead of him.

To no one’s surprise, the two of you crush your competition, leaving your opponents floundering for words as you leave them behind in the dust

No, the real surprise is how loudly the two of you cheer for each other upon victory - how proud you are for Alphinaud and how proud he is of you.

-

Urianger

You’re unsure of when or how the two of you started competing to see who could read more books in the library.

Perhaps it was that the two of you saw each other there everyday

Or the fact that Moenbryda and Y’shtola seem to constantly egg the two of you on

Little did the two of you know, the roegadyn and miqote were trying to get the two of you together, as they had been trying to do for the past four years.

Maybe this will be the year…

Urianger found himself exploring sections of the library he wouldn’t usually frequent in hopes of being in your presence just a little longer.

His puppy love felt silly to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop, especially if you kept looking at him with that soft smile of yours

If given the chance, he’d make a whole new library for you filled with poems and flower words detailing his feelings for you.

If someone were to find one of your names in a library book’s checkout card, it was near guaranteed that the other’s name would be just under it.

Your name became synonymous with his, and vice versa

But a competition that was never meant to be one in the first place will fall apart, have its lines blurred and crossed.

Moenbryda and Y’shtola receive their answer one day when they approach your usual reading spot, only to find the two of you lounging together in one of the library’s bean bags, books long forgotten in favor of sleep wrapped in each other’s embrace.

-

G’raha Tia

Could the two of you really call it a rivalry?

As far as anyone could see, the two of you just had a string of unusual coincidences.

The exact same schedule, lunch spots near each other, both being on the Tennis team - you saw him every hour of every school day.

So then, was it coincidence that his heart eventually began beating faster when you were around?

G’raha felt like he was going to explode, constantly in your presence

So, like any healthy and sane person does, he begins to (try to) avoid you.

Unfortunately for him, it’s almost impossible to avoid someone who shares your whole schedule

Oh, and you definitely noticed what he was doing.

Had you done something to offend the miqote?

Slowly, your friendship morphed into avoiding the other, both of you running from your feelings

When I say that everyone is tired of the two of you making puppy eyes at each other when you think no one is looking

I mean EVERYONE

It’s the twins who eventually get fed up and decide to act on it, forcing the two of you to put the tennis equipment away together, just to get the two of you to talk.

The silence is deafening as the two of you awkwardly clean up

It’s when the two of you brush fingertips and he recoils like he’d been burned that you snap.

“Am I really that disgusting to you?” You question, frowning.

Upon recognition of what he’s done, G’raha scrambles for an explanation, but eventually sighs and gives in, telling you the truth, he’d always had a crush on you, and hoped it’d fade away with time.

News flash, his feelings only got worse

He sincerely apologizes, not expecting any reciprocation or forgiveness

And is shocked when you give a relieved giggle.

“I’ve always liked you too, idiot.”

-

Y’shtola

Y’shtola was going to destroy you.

Well, perhaps that’s a bit too strong.

There was an internship available for fresh graduates under a well known researcher, and both you and Y’shtola were competing for a recommendation for said internship

Anyone who witnessed the two of you would admit that it’s a bit scary to watch the two of you interact.

As they say, an immovable object met an unstoppable force.

Even your teacher is a bit intimidated by whatever’s going on between the two of you, but given that they’re receiving help from the two of you, they’ll keep quiet about the fact that they can give you both the recommendation.

Though the two of you were at odds, it didn’t stop you both from completing your work together swiftly and without complaint.

You couldn’t help but feel as though Y’shtola enjoyed riling you up - but even as you tried to resist the temptation to reply to her, you failed every time

Luckily for Y’shtola, out of everyone she could have this silly competitive streak with, it was you. Oh, how cute you look when you’re upset, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed.

Upon the realization that both of you got the recommendation, an eerie silence entered the room.

All that competition for nothing?

How embarrassing.

And if anyone noticed the two of you walking to a coffee shop, hands entwined after this whole mess?

They’re better off not mentioning it.

-

a/n - I apologize if I wrote anyone ooc hehe... I'm not used to writing for many characters so I just took em and ran (shrug)

[myreia]

Sketches of Times Lost

Day 11: Surrogate

thancred searches for release. if only it was so easy.

thancred x hilda, mentions of thancred x wol (pining for her like a fool). set during heavensward patches. written for ffxivwrite2024. rating: explicit tags: explicit sexual content, dissociation during sex, mildly dubious consent, hair pulling, hand jobs, rough body play, piv sex, fantasizing about someone else. 2306 words ao3 link

notes: hw patches are 2 years after arr on aureia's timeline, so thancred is 34 here. aureia looks a lot like hilda. unexpectedly and unintentionally. i have cursed character design choices. weeeee.

Memory is a fickle thing.

There are good memories and bad memories. Memories that bring joy, that lift one up even from the depths of greatest despair. There are memories that ache, stinging like open wounds, refusing to heal. Memories that haunt, full of regrets that cannot be undone. But memory not just defines a person; it makes them who they are. Who are you, if you cannot remember yourself? Actions past, mistakes made, torments suffered, lessons learned…

The sum of a soul is made of memory.

And yet there are times when he can do without it.

These days he doesn’t know himself. A sad, pathetic shadow of the man he once was. No point on dwelling on all that has come to pass since the Bloody Banquet, but his point still stands—he has changed, and not for the better. Try though he might, any attempt to draw himself out of the dark stupor he is trapped in makes no difference.

The best he can do now is distract himself. Drown out the noise. Numb the pain. Forget the memories.

Which brings him to now, and this small, threadbare room tucked away at the back of the Forgotten Knight, stripped of everything but its essentials. The place he goes to drink and fuck when the Scions of the Seventh Dawn don’t require his skills. More of the first these days, less of the second.

His charms weren’t what they were before.

If he even had any to begin with.

Breath in his ear, lips nuzzled against his throat, and the scent of sweat and ale and gunpowder fills his nostrils. Desire stirs in the pit of his stomach as Hilda embraces him from behind, her breasts pressing firmly against his back. Her arm snakes around his waist, holding him firmly in place as she tugs at the laces of his trousers. He stills, a groan lingering on his tongue, and her palm brushes the growing bulge. She’s stronger than she looks at first glance, broad muscles rippling beneath the stiff sleeves of her leather coat. The harsh physique that comes from a childhood spent scrapping for food on the streets. It never quite leaves you, even when adulthood fills you out and access to regular meals are no longer a concern.

He should know. He is this way, too.

A Brume brat and a street urchin from Limsa. Perhaps they have more in common than they thought.

She drags a bruising kiss across his jaw, her other hand threaded in his hair. A tug on his ponytail, sharp but controlled, testing the boundary. “This all right?” she asks, her voice low and wanting.

He closes his eyes, wishing she would get on with it. No sense in a drawn-out seduction when they’re both here for the same thing. “Aye,” he grunts. “When I said do what you will with me tonight, I meant it.”

Husky laughter murmurs across her lips. “Not bad for a grizzled old rogue.”

“I’m not old.” Difficult to remind himself of some days. Thirty-four is not old, and yet some days he feels the weight of those years in duplicate. Perhaps the Lifestream stole his youth along with his aether, the way it stole Y’shtola’s eyesight.

“Older than me.”

Gods above, he’d rather not think about how much.

“But I know you ain’t, I’m just pesterin’ you.” Hilda’s lips brush his ear, her teeth scraping his lobe as she pulls his laces loose. He exhales a ragged breath, stiff, frozen by her touch, a deep aching pulsing inside him as she slips a hand beneath his waistband and caresses his hardened length. “But if you didn’t protest it so much—”

It’s no protest, it’s a… Gods. He doesn’t know. This is the sort of thing Aureia once teased him for, but somehow when it happens with Hilda the joke loses all its appeal.

“—it wouldn’t nearly be so much fun to say.”

“I—”

She pulls his cock free. Cool air passes over his exposed skin, at odds with the rough heat from the friction of her fingers. One stroke, two—his head fuzzes, the fog of arousal flooding his senses. He groans, a flush of embarrassment creeping across his cheeks and down his neck.

He could come right now if he let himself, and it would do him no favours in terms of avoiding the accusations of grizzled age.

So, he closes his eyes and leans back into her, allow her to touch him how she pleases. Her lips across his jaw, her fingers in his hair, her hand on his cock. She works swiftly, coaxing numb desire from him with every stroke, her fingers some paradox of coarse and delicate as she grips him around the tip and squeezes. Pleasure spreads from his core, sensationless and distant, like the faraway buzz he sometimes gets after the fourth or fifth drink while chasing oblivion with yet another one.

He grits his teeth and clamps his mouth shut, strangling the moan in his throat. It’s too soon to be done with this. Hilda would leave and he would only end up seeking it out again, with his own hands if he must. Perhaps that would be better for them both. Save her the shame of being with someone like him. It’s not serious—neither of them ever claimed it to be—and it was admittedly fun when it started. He can’t say it is any longer. She’s young. She can certainly do better than him.

And on his own, he is free to imagine. They both know there is someone he would rather be fucking than her.

Hilda exhales a sharp breath and her hand stills. “Not workin’ for you, eh?” she asks bluntly.

He closes his eyes, his stomach in knots. “It’s good. Wonderful. Nice—”

“Thancred, if you don’t want to, you better tell me.”

He twists, spinning around, and seizes her by the shoulders. She gasps, ruby eyes wide with surprise, but does not protest as he presses a rough kiss to her mouth. “I’m not here for you to play with me,” he growls, gripping her ass. “I’m here for you to fuck me.”

A wicked smile spreads from ear to ear. “Then get on the bed,” she says, pressing a hand to his chest. “Now.”

She shoves him.

He backs away, the old floorboards creaking beneath his steps, and his knees hit the mattress. She’s on him a moment later, sailing into his arms, her mouth hot and urgent against his. He wraps his arms around her as she kisses him, the fog seizing him once again as her tongue slips into his mouth. She pushes him down on the bed and straddles him, thighs pressed tight against his. Her hips roll once and he arches his back, a moan ripping free from his throat.  

“There we are,” she says, eyes dancing eagerly. Panting, she brushes her long, dark hair out of the way and strips off her jacket, tossing it on the floor. Her shirt follows next. He stares dumbly, entranced, the fog clouding his mind as she doubles over and undoes her own trousers, her arms pushing her breasts together. “This doin’ it for you now, then, eh?”

A flash of black hair, the ends tinged red. Ruby eyes, curious and fierce. The hint of a small smile, the one she saved for him—he hasn’t seen it since Ul’dah. He may never again.

It isn’t Hilda’s fault that she and Aureia look so much alike. What hellish coincidence did Halone have to design to ensure that the two most infamous half-Elezen women in Ishgard would not only resemble each other so closely, but become best of friends?

He swallows. “Aye,” he says, the syllable slurred as he forces it past his tongue. “Aye, it is.”

She peels her trousers down and grinds against him, the slick heat between her legs achingly hot. She bucks her hips again in that quick, succinct way that gets him panting, and flips her long hair over her shoulder. “What else does it for you, hm?” she asks, stretching her hands above her head and arching her back to give him a good view.

His gut twists and he bites his tongue. There is someone he would much rather have on top of him. It feels wrong—dirty, callous, shameful—how easily it is to imagine what she would look like. A fantasy he can barely admit to himself.

Stop it. Get that out of your head.  

“That…” He sighs and closes his eyes. “Aye.”

She stills. “You ain’t even lookin’.”

He opens his eyes. “I did. I am.”

Her hands flops to her sides and she cocks her head, making a face. “What do you want, then? This ain’t exactly the best time for a list of suggestions, but if you want ‘em, I have ‘em. Otherwise, I’m startin’ to feel that you would rather not—”

“I do.”

“You keep sayin’ that, but Thancred, I can tell you’re not all the way here.”

His jaw clenches. He lies back, staring at the sloped roof, the exposed beams. The unlit hearth, blackened and oily and cold as ice. The mattress sags beneath their weight, the bedframe creaking, the bedspread thin and scratchy. How many times have they found themselves in this room, him and her? How many times has he wished it was someone else?

“I’m here,” he says at last. “I… my apologies. There have been many distractions of late. Many concerns.”

“Yeah, I’m sure about that, Scion business and all. I get the same shit from Aureia.” She pauses, her ruby gaze lingering on him. “I don’t want your apologies. Too formal for my liking. Do you want to fuck or not?”

He hesitates. For a brief moment, the ghost of no, I don’t lingers on his tongue. But he can’t say it. His body is aching, he is craving the haze of bliss, the few passing seconds where time stretches out and for once he does not have to godsdamn think. So he does want this (does he?) after all.

Even if it’s not with her.

He pushes himself up on his elbows and kisses her, quick and rough. “Aye,” he murmurs. “What must I do to convince you of it?”

She smirks and trails her fingers across his cheek. “Nothin’,” she says. “I rather like the look of you flat on your back.”

He grins. Hollow, empty, but present.

She presses her mouth to his—breath hot in his mouth, teeth scraping his lower lip—and pushes him down. He falls, willingly, easily, eager to drift. When the unspoken presence of someone neither of them wish to mention isn’t bearing down on them, sex with Hilda is easy. Uncomplicated. She enjoys being in control.

He enjoys allowing someone else to make the decisions.

The fog tugs at his mind, lulling him to numbness even as Hilda takes his cock in hand and slips it inside her. The slick heat sends a pleasant shudder down his spine and he grips the bedspread, twisting it between her fingers as she slowly rides him. He does his best to watch her, keep eye contact, groan and moan at the right time. Her hips roll and his own respond in kind, thrusting up into her with a steady, simple rhythm.

He trusts his body to do what it must, chase the high it yearns for. Maybe then his mind can catch a fucking break.

Hilda lolls her head, her long, dark hair sweeping over her like a curtain. Her gaze darts across the room to the window, observing the shift in light. She slips a hand between her legs and strokes her clit, her lips pressed together as if she were listening to a boring sermon. She shudders when she reaches her climax, the clench sending a desperate spike of arousal coursing through him. He gasps, back arched, and lets go of his release at last.

The sweet nothingness of numb pleasure seizes his mind and for a moment, he coasts on emptiness. Nothing to think. Nothing to feel.

Simply nothing.

Boots scrape against the floorboards. A heavy thud knocks against the bedframe. When his mind finally clears, he finds himself still lying flat on his back, his lower half exposed, his cock flushed and limp and numb. Hilda stands at the foot of the bed, dressed and pulling on her jacket. She casts an eye in his direction and finishes doing up her buttons.

“Sun’s goin’ down.” Her voice is short, clipped, matter of fact. She pulls her hair into its customary high tail. “Best be goin’ now. Said I’d meet Stephanivien. Best avoid him sendin’ out a search party, that would be a whole load of embarrassing neither of us need.”

“Hilda.”

She pauses, a hand on the bedframe. “Don’t need say anythin’,” she says. “I know how these things go. But I think… You need help. Whatever it is you’re going through, I don’t… I can’t be the one responsible for it.”

The words sting. “I don’t need anything,” he grunts, pushing himself up. “Let alone help. I don’t know what you think this is, but sometimes it’s no more complicated than two people having fun.”

She snorts and hoists her rifle, strapping it across her back. “That’s just it, ain’t it? I was havin’ fun. Don’t know about you.”

“I—”

“Remember what I said when we started all this?”

Don’t mistake me for her. Because I’m not.

“I think you need to think about that a little more. Goodbye, Thancred.”

Footsteps on creaking floorboards. A door slammed closed.

He lies on the stiff old bed and stares at the stiff old beams and at last his mind goes blank.

[wol-taleal-desharn]

And in the end....

Return (to me)

WoL x Graha

Endwalker endgame

Smut at the end

She had brought them all back to her…and now Taleal had to let them go to protect them.

"No!” Alisae yelled, watching as Taleal - her friend, big sister, mentor - released her mini-teleporter to the wind that held the rest of the Scions aloft in the sky.

The last thing Alisae saw was Taleal’s sad, apologetic smile before they vanished.

~*~

“Hnnngh….” A collection of moans sounded throughout the Ragnarok as the Scions collected their senses.

“Everyone here? All accounted for?” Livingway pipped up, looking the group over. The Lopporits had been certainly surprised to see the Scions appear in the command room of the ship.

One by one, murmurs rose from each of them that they were all right and present.

“Wait, where…”

“Tally?” Thancred frowned, looking around the room.

There was no answer.

“Where is she!?” G’raha cried, looking around frantically. The Miquo’te took note of all who had returned to the ship, easily noting the only one who was absent… His tail twitched in sharp, jerking motions, ears pinning back against his head.

It was Alisae who finally answered. “She…she stayed behind.” A sob ripped from her throat as she ducked her head; Alpinaud moved to comfort his twin.

“She activated the teleporter…and let hers go!” Alisae continued, tears falling from the young elezen’s eyes. “Damn…damn her! She stayed behind!”

G’raha felt like he’d been struck. “No. No…she…” He shook his head. How could she have done that to them? To him? Send them away at the last and stay behind. Again. The Exarch did the first thing that came to mind — he bolted for the hatch. He was going to go back there and fight with her, damn it all! And then give his Warrior a piece of his mind for doing something so reckless and…and stupid!

Or at least he was, till he was stopped mid bolt by annoyingly strong pairs of arms grabbing him from behind. G’raha fought and struggled against the two who held him, not even bothering to look to see who would stop him at such a time.

“Nay, friend. Thou wouldst make her sacrifice in vain if thou were to try to return to her side now.” Urianger stated, voice low and full of sadness. “Thou must stay here, and wait. Pray that our friend doth return to us soon, and returns successful in her endeavors.”

G’raha let out a low growl, trying to free himself. It was Thancred who spoke next.

“G’raha, listen. If I know nothing else of Tally, she won’t just give up at the end. She has the Twelve’s own luck on her side. She’ll find a way back to us. To…to you. So you have to be patient, hard as it is.”

The others murmur agreement. It takes a few minutes, but Urianger and Thancred finally let G’raha go when he stops fighting them. The Miqo’te lets himself fall to the floor on hands and knees, head bowed, hair hiding his face from the rest of the Scions.

“We…we have to hold on to hope, and pray. Pray for her and her success.” Y’shtola finally pipes up. “And when she gets back, we can all give her a piece of our minds for that stunt she pulled.”

~*~

Some time later…

It was done.

The fight with the Endsinger, the fight with Zenos…

It was all done.

I’m sorry, my Raha, everyone, she thought. I have no way back now…

Taleal laid there, mere feet from Zenos, staring up at the…sky? It was hard to call it a sky, in this place that was the end of all things.

At least…at least everyone is safe.

She could cry, and did in fact feel a few tears fall at the thought of leaving her loved ones behind. Of leaving G’raha behind, in particular, and promises that would now be unkept.

Oh, my love, my dearest Raha… I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Travel the world, see the wonders we have yet to see. Show you Ishgard, and Othard…

Taleal, the vaunted Warrior of Light, Champion of Eorzea, felt her consciousness fading fast, with only the stars and a dead body as her final companions. In her last moments of coherent thought, she heard a beeping….

~*~

The Scions were beginning to lose hope. Meteion had come to them, proclaiming Taleal was right behind her. But when she did not appear, worry gripped their hearts. How long had it been, since the little bird had said their Warrior was suppose to return to them?

And then suddenly, there she was, in their midst, her teleporter mere ilms from her fingertips.

G’raha was, instinctively, elated — she had come back! But then fear gripped his heart, seeing her condition. His eyes widened, and it felt like someone had taken over his body as he moved quickly to her side. He pressed a hand to her chilled cheek, and nearly choked when she did not respond. She lay unmoving on the floor of the Ragnarok.

The Exarch’s movements set off everyone else, and they all moved in, getting to work in a flurry. G’raha reached her first, cradling her head in his lap. Her wounds, he could tell, were extensive and grievous. It brought tears to his eyes - and not just his, he noted. Alisae was weeping, crying out for Taleal to open her eyes.

“Please…open your eyes…” he called out as well. He brushed some sweat and blood soaked white hair from her face, hoping against hope for her to wake up. The tears stinging his eyes began to fall, splashing the auri’s cheeks.

“Don’t you dare leave me. Not now.”

Alphinaud, Y’shtola, and Urianger had already begun to cast their healing magics, working frantically to save their friend. Thancred and Estinien stood off to the side, out of the way but close enough to see what was going on. Alisae sat next to G’raha, both pleading and cursing Tally to wake up.

“Please…” Alisae sobbed, gripping Taleal’s hand in a death grip. “You can’t leave us, not like this! If you do, I’ll -never- forgive you! So come on! Open your eyes and get up!”

G’raha’s heart broke for the young elezen. He, too, wished with everything in his being that Taleal would wake up. He found himself echoing her words, to please wake up, just open your eyes…

Please….open your eyes. Wake up, come back to me…

As if in answer to their cries and prayers…

She opened her eyes. Slowly but surely — G’raha thought he must have been seeing things at first, imagining it, even. But no, there were those beautiful blue eyes he loved so dearly, staring up at him.

“Are you…are you with us?” Alphinaud piped up, hopeful but uncertain. Everyone crowded in, watching their fellow Scion with unbridled hope and precarious joy.

The first thing Taleal saw when she finally opened her eyes was G’raha — wonderful, beautiful G’raha, his red eyes full of tears. Why was he crying…? With a shakey hand, she reached up for one of his, grasping it carefully, for fear that this was a dream. When he didn’t disappear, but yet was wonderfully real and solid, she let out a rather large sigh of relief. He flipped his hand so that he was holding hers, giving a gentle yet firm squeeze.

Alphinaud and Alisae caught her attention immediately after, and she offered them a weak but sincere smile.

“For a moment, we thought….” Alphinaud trailed off, a sob wracking his small form.

Taleal shook her head carefully. “Is…is everyone all right?” She murmured.

G’raha’s sob wracked voice spoke up next. “After what you’ve done — you’re the last person…” He sniffed, wiping at his eyes, “… to be asking that.” Despite the tears, he smiled down at her, relief and worry clear in his red allagan eyes.

“You…how can you keep your promises if you’re not here??” G’raha finally chided her as he wiped at his eyes.

“Another fine show you’ve put on, my friend.” Estinien towered over the rest, looking down on Taleal with a small smirk. She offered him a light laugh, wincing as she did so.

Y’shtola piped up next, “Another fine show, indeed. What were you thinking, fighting alone?? Never do that again! My poor heart couldn’t bear it. And neither could G’raha’s, for that matter.” Nevertheless, her gaze was that of relief and joy that her friend had returned.

“Put yourself in our place. If you hadn’t returned, how do you think we’d feel?? And if that sounded harsh…its because we care.” Thancred took his turn to chide Taleal, arms crossing as he stood next to Y’shtola.

Urianger moved to kneel between G’raha and Alphinaud. “We tended thy wounds as best we could, little sister. But how is the pain?”

Taleal sat up, slowly, with G’raha’s help. She tried, and failed, not to wince at the pain in her side...and front…and everywhere, really. Regardless, she managed another smile and a nod. “I think I can manage.”

“That is gladdening. Grievous as thy wounds were, I would counsel repose for a time.”

“Gladdening?? There’s NOTHING gladdening about this! When Meteion appeared in here, and told us you were right behind her, we got our hopes up!,” Alisae was near shouting as she slammed her fists into the floor of the ship, “But you never came! And when you deign to appear, you’re within an ilm of your life — damn you for making us worry!” Tears stung the elezen’s eyes again, leaning over to hug Tally carefully around the shoulders.

~*~

Once the ship had landed, and they had made their way through all the fanfare and cheers, the Scions retreated to the Baldesion Annex. Even there, though, they found Tataru and Krile and prepared a feast in celebration.

Taleal and G’raha managed to slip away down the hall from the festivities, tired but grinning. Almost like students sneaking off, G’raha found a small nook, pulling Taleal into it, and pulling her into a tight hug.

“I was so worried…” he started, burying his face in her hair, “…when you didn’t appear with us. And then you didn’t come when Meteion said you were. You scared me near to death.” G’raha tried to hide it, but Taleal could hear the shaking in his voice, could feel it as she hid her face against his chest. The dim sounds of laughter and chatter from down the hall could still be heard, but was far enough away that the two had what seemed to be complete privacy. For that, they were grateful.

“I am sorry, Raha - it…it was the only thing I could think of. With the Endsinger, and then she was taking all of you from me again. I had to make sure you were safe. I couldn’t…I couldn’t bear the thought of —“

“Don’t ever send me away like that again. Please.”

She shook her head against his chest, breathing in the smell of his clothes, his scent. It brought tears to her eyes, knowing how close she had come to not being able to have this moment after the fight.

“No. Never again.”

He made a humming sort of noise that sounded like an affirmative. G’raha hooked his fingers under Tally’s chin, lifting it up as he leaned in to kiss her sweetly.

“Good. I would stay by your side through anything, as long as you’ll let me. I love you to much to be parted from you.”

“You — what?” It took Taleal a moment to process what he had said. She thought her heart would burst when she DID realize what exactly he had spoken, and a wide grin broke out on her face.

G’raha hesitated. “I — I said —“

“I love you too, Raha.”

He let out a deep breath, smiling.

Tally reached for his hands, laced her fingers with his, and then gave a small tug to leave the nook.

G’raha, curious, followed.

~*~

It only took them a few minutes to reach her room there in the Annex. Silently, the pair entered. It was dark, the only light in the room coming from the moon shining through the open window.

Once the door was closed, G’raha reached for Tally, pulling her back to him, this time her back against his chest.

“I feel like if I let you go to far you’ll vanish in front of me again…” he leaned in, lips playing at the skin under her horns, down to the nape of her neck.

Taleal closed her eyes, shivering at this use of his lips. She lifted a hand, fingers finding his hair and the base of his ear, nails softly scratching at the skin playfully. This earned her a surprised moan from G’raha.

“I won’t vanish, love. I am here, with you. And I intend to stay that way.” She turned in his arms so that she could face him, eyes full of emotion.

G’raha, too, had a great mix of emotions in his eyes and his heart. But right now the only thing he wanted was to be with Taleal. They moved together, this time, and lips met in a heated, passionate kiss.

The pair broke from their kiss long enough to move the few steps to the bed, where Tally sat down, and G’raha stood over her. G’raha knelt, lips finding the auri’s neck again - but his fingers were not idle, either. They began to find the buckles and buttons of the rogue’s leather armor, making surprisingly quick work of the first few layers. Soon enough, pauldrons and bracers had found their way to the floor.

Tally, too, had set herself to work; it was easy enough to remove the scarf and vest G’raha wore, throwing them to the floor along with her bits of armor. She wanted him close, without anything between them, and she couldn’t get everything off fast enough.

“’Raha…” she murmured his name, tilting her head back as her eyes drifted half-closed, humming at the sensation of his lips and fingers on her skin.

G’raha finally managed to undo the chestpiece that Taleal wore, tossing it to the side as well. Deft fingers played at the edge of the thin shirt she wore underneath, ticking her pale, bruised skin.

“…should I stop?” he muttered between butterfly kisses, working down from her neck to her collarbone.

“Gods, no. Don’t stop, please.” She replied in a breathy whisper. She tugged at his tunic, trying to get the thing off with no luck.

G’raha chuckled, pulling back long enough to pull the tunic over his head, exposing his bare chest to the auri. All that was left was the bits of jewelry he insisted on wearing, the gold warm against his skin.

Tally hummed, half-lidded eyes taking in the sight of a shirtless G’raha. She reached for his hands, guiding them back to the hemline of her own tunic. Taking the hint, he pulled the tunic up and over her head, leaving her in just her breastband.

The exarch took a moment to enjoy the sight of her, just as she was enjoying the sight of him. Tally reached back, undoing the breastband with ease, tossing it aside, leaving herself completely exposed to her lover. A hint of pink covered her pale cheeks.

- Oh gods, I’m so small, he might not — no.. - she thought, trying to catch his gaze.

She reached for him again, fingertips playing along his jaw - the miqo’te leaned his face into her touch, letting his eyes drift shut for a moment - then up into his hair, gently pulling him back to her. The exarch was more than happy to meet her gaze, red eyes dark and filled with love and desire.

“You… you’re beautiful, you know that?” he was still kneeling before her, this time his fingers working their way up her stomach, playing over scales, scars,bruises still healing, and skin pale as moonlight. She shivered against his touch, light, breathy moans escaping her lips. Feeling properly encouraged, G’raha leaned in, once again kissing his way over her body, picking up from where he left off at her collarbone. He worked his way down, hot butterfly kisses leaving a trail down her chest until he reached her breasts.

Tally was trying to hold as still as she could, shivering in excitement and anticipation as she was. She did not want to rush this, not this night. The auri let her fingers play through his hair and down his back, nails gently scratching at G’raha’s skin, leaving goosebumps on the miqo’te.

She could tell he did not want to rush either, so she looked down when he suddenly paused his ministrations. He gazed back up to her with a smile, watching her as he leaned in, taking a nipple into his mouth. He licked and sucked, teasing at her breast. One arm wrapped about her waist to hold her, the other went to her other breast, playing and teasing there.

With a gasp, Taleal threw her head back, eyes closed, a hand digging into G’raha’s hair at the nape of his neck as she arched her back. Her breathing was becoming ragged and fast, throaty moans and murmuring the scion’s name.

“Raha…Raha please…”

He did not verbally reply; instead, he moved so that he took the other breast in his mouth, earning a louder moan. G’raha could feel her trying to move beneath him, quivering with built up anticipation. He hummed against her skin, releasing her breasts, and let his fingers glide down her skin to the edge of her pants.

- Should have started with the boots….- he thought with a chuckle. He pulled away, then, to remove first his boots, then hers. He felt himself straining against his pants, wishing for nothing more than to push Taleal down onto the bed and be within her; but he knew he wanted to wait, if just a bit longer. He did not want to rush this and ruin the mood, no. He would take this slow, and, gods forbid, give her a chance to stop things if she was not ready.

Once boots were removed, Taleal reached down and took G’raha’s hands before he could resume his previous position, and pulled him up to where he was level with her, and pressed a burning kiss to his lips, deep and wanting. The Warrior of Light scooted back, pulling him with her till she was laying down, and he on top of her.

“T-Tally…” he moaned her name into her mouth, letting his hands explore her body more. Really, G’raha felt like he would never tire of touching her, of finding new spots to memorize. Beneath him, she slowly rolled her hips against his, and he nearly cried out at the pleasure of it.

There was no more waiting - Tally’s fingers were at the laces of his pants, and he’d found the laces of hers. It was a flurry of activity, but the sound of the last remnants of clothes hitting the floor met their ears in the silence of the room.

He had waited so long for this - through the hundred years on the First, to now - he savored every second of it. He ached to be inside her, but… Soon. Instead, he let his hands drift down, along the swell of her hips and down her thigh, almost to the outside of her knee before dragging his fingertips up the inner thigh.

Taleal let out light, gaspy breaths, humming and moaning and whispering his name. Squirming, she moved to give him better access, and was rewarded when his hand found her wet, slick clit.

Gods, he thought, how did I ever come to deserve this? Surely he didn’t, and this was a dream. He played with her, stroking up and down slowly at first, almost teasing in the light pressure he gave her. Tally moved against him, arching herself into his hand for more.

“Raha…Raha -please-….” She was very nearly at a whine, brain fuzzy from pleasure and wanting, begging for more. Her hands were not idle, however, and found and wrapped around his hard, aching member, and the miqo’te let out a cry when her small hands gave a firm stroke. She found a rhythm to match his own, stroking up and down slowly, from head to hilt.

Leaning down, he nibbled at her neck as he continued working his fingers on her clit, enjoying her gasps and ragged breathing, the rolling of her hips in time with his fingers. With one deft movement, he slid down, sliding a finger into her entrance, then two, which earned him a beautiful, wordless cry of pleasure. He picked up the pace, wanting to feel her come for him.

“That’s it love….let go…” he whispered, the words breathless against her skin. She, too, had picked up the pace, her strokes almost jerky in motion, desperate for release. She was close, he could feel it, but so was he…

G’raha grabbed her hand from his cock, pulling it up over her head and pinning it down. He growled, the sound rumbling low in his throat, fucking her harder with his fingers, thumb rubbing at her clit, till she cried out again, body arching up and spasming as she came. He slowed as the aftershocks hit, stopping finally when she stilled. He nuzzled and kissed her, sending little shivers down her back as he did so.

“Fuck…Raha…” she was practically purring, if such a thing was possible. She gazed up at him, eyes dark with desire. “Your turn, my Raha.” Tally squirmed, shifting so that she positioned herself beneath him. “Please.”

“Are you sure?” He nuzzled her neck, and she nodded.

“I am, love.”

He kissed her deeply as he entered her, sliding in till he was hilt deep, both moaning in pleasure. G’raha waited a moment, to let her adjust to him, before he started a slow, easy thrust.

Tally wrapped her legs around his, rolling her hips against G’raha’s when he started moving. They easily found a rhythm, slow and steady, taking their time in their love making. The lovers exchanged sweet nothings, murmuring, moaning and gasping.

G’raha began picking up the pace, thrusts becoming faster, harder, more urgent. He could feel her clenching around him, and gods, it felt so good, it urged him on faster, harder. He wanted her to come again, but felt himself coming close to his own release; G’raha wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold on…

It was her nails digging into his back that sent him over the edge. She clawed at his back with her free hand, certainly leaving scratches. He thrust in hard as he cried out her name, head falling into the crook of her neck as he bit down on the tender skin there.

Tally cried out in an echo of his own, his orgasm triggering her own second release. At last, they fell back, G’raha on top of Taleal, both breathing heavy. Sweat soaked, they nuzzled and lazily kissed each other in any spot they could get to - shoulders, neck, lips.

“I love you.” G’raha murmured, fingers lazily tracing patterns on Taleal’s stomach. Taleal, likewise, was running her fingers up and down his back, just enjoying each others touch and the warmth of each other so close.

“I love you too, my Raha.” She answered with a small, sweet smile. Carefully, G’raha pulled himself out of Taleal before settling back down next to her, pulling her up and against his chest.

Taleal nuzzled in, face buried in the miqo’te’s chest with a satisfied sigh. Together, the pair fell into a blissful, deep sleep.

[xenodile]

A while back, I decided to do a proper write up of my Stormblood Fix AU where I address my issues with the story while trying to stay as close as I can to canon.  I’ve been working on it bit by bit for several months and I’ve got it to a point where I’m for the most part happy with it.

My basic thought boils down to the entire 61-70 section needs to be just Doma, and then Ala Mihgo is addressed in an extended post-game.  Like it doesn’t fit nicely in the usual x.5 patch cycle or even the standard number of dungeons/trials but sacrifices must be made.

So first off, I’m begrudgingly leaving the 3.5 patch and Baelsar’s Wall unchanged because I haven’t planned far enough ahead to account for Papalymo being alive.  Overall, the set up is the same.  Ilberd unleashes Shinryu and frames the Eorzean Alliance for attacking Baelsar’s Wall, the Alliance moves into Gyr Abania.

The biggest tonal shift is the Scions’ motives.  Though the Empire is the enemy of all Eorzeans, the Scions aren't soldiers.  Their goal is Shinryu, and the danger a primal on the level of Bahamut presents to the realm.  However, Shinryu and Omega’s abrupt disappearance into Garlean-held Ala Mhigo after their clash will make any kind of investigation extremely dangerous.  

Lyse is in favor of taking the fight to the Empire and assisting the Resistance in freeing Ala Mhigo, and by extension making it easier to search for Shinryu.

Alphinaud has sympathy for the Resistance and the people of Ala Mhigo, but fresh out of Ishgard and the Dragonsong War he cannot in good conscience support instigating a new war, regardless of Ilberd’s actions.

Alisaie tries to meet them in the middle, carve a path through the Garlean ranks and cut off the head of the snake.  It worked well enough against Ultima Weapon, Thordan, and Nidhogg, and the Warrior of Light already has two Legatuses under their belt, what’s a third?

The WoL has the chance to agree with any one of them, or say they’re unsure as a fourth option.

Y’shtola, Thancred, and Krile are all of the mind that it’s too early to make a judgement call.  Too many unknown factors in regards to the Garleans forces, Shinryu itself, and even the terrain of Gyr Abania.  Each of the three approaches has its merits and its dangers, and there is no pressing need to come to an immediate decision as Shinryu appears to have gone dormant following its battle with Omega.

Thancred offers to begin scouting Imperial territory, while Y’shtola and Krile will set about learning more about the land from those in Rhalgr’s Reach, leaving Lyse, WoL, and the twins to take to the field for the standard Fringes/Ala Ghanna starting quests.

Zenos’s introduction mostly goes the same, but a greater focus is on Grynewaht directly telling of how he failed and was the sole survivor of his squad, to which he is reprimanded by his superior, whom Zenos kills after his whole “The XIIth Legion is no place for cowards that hide in their castrums” bit.  The biggest change is Zenos must keep the helmet on the whole time, we do not see his face, just the scary horned skull helmet, and he takes note of Grynewaht mentioning that the WoL was among those that attack the Garlean patrol.  He has heard of this eikon slayer, the peerless hero of the savages, and wonders if perhaps he has finally found worthy prey.  Zenos promotes Grynewaht for his tenacity, transfers him to Doma, and urges him to hone his skills further. At this point, Zenos addresses the rest, and opens the floor to the assembled captains/commanders how they should respond to the presence of the Scions and Eorzean Alliance in Gyr Abania. Fordola speaks up, and that sequence goes the same.

The attack on Rhalgr’s Reach plays out the same, save for the WoL’s duel with Zenos.  The crown prince is surprised and intrigued that a single person is able to match him blow for blow, and yet he does not feel any intense drive to live, the furious hate that he’s come to expect from enemies of the Empire.  Also Zenos can just DO magic, that’s why he’s so insanely strong compared to everyone else, he’s the only Garlean that can actually manipulate aether.  Zenos and WoL fight to a standstill, culminating in Zenos’s blade snapping in half after the WoL blocks a particularly heavy hit.  Raubahn arrives with the Eorzean alliance forces, and Fordola begs Zenos to retreat, and he begrudgingly does so, irritated that his hunt has been interrupted.

With the Resistance crippled and Y’shtola critically wounded, the Scions have to reconsider their options.

Alphinaud moves to withdraw from Gyr Abania, as it was the Scions' presence, especially that of the famed Eikon Slayer, that brought the Empire’s wrath down on Rhalgr’s Reach.

Y’shtola’s injuries are too severe to safely move her, so Krile opts to remain and see to her treatment.  Thancred also elects to remain so he can continue scouting Gyr Abania, and hopefully locate Shinryu while the rest of the Scions figure out a course of action to actually reach it.

Back at the Rising Stones, WoL, Alphinaud, Alisaie, and Lyse consider what to do next.  Getting directly involved with the Resistance put more people in danger, just as Alphinaud feared, and defeating the Legatus seems less viable having seen Zenos’s monstrous strength firsthand.  A new approach is necessary.

It’s then that Tataru chimes in that perhaps going after Gosetsu and Yugiri might be the way to go.  She’s no tactician, but she's overhead a lot of chatter from the Domans about how there's only a token Garlean presence, and the Domans specialize in covert action in small group, better suited to how the Scions themselves operate. Alphinaud agrees that drawing Garlean attention away from Gyr Abania will do much to ease the hunt for Shinryu, but is wary of getting involved in another liberation movement after the disaster at Rhalgr's Reach. The gang discusses it, and then heads to Kugane like usual.

Events in Kugane play out the same, WoL, Lyse, Alisaie, and Gosetsu make for the Ruby Sea, Alphinaud remains in Kugane to gather information and build connections.

Things progress as usual til the group finds Yotsuyu in Isari, demanding tribute from the poor villagers and ordering they divulge any information they have on Hien's whereabouts and the Resistance, reminding them that withholding information is treason against the Empire. Rather than Gosetsu going in alone to buy time, Lyse is reminded of Fordola's troops beating a villager in Ala Ghanna, Gosetsu is perturbed by WHO the Viceroy is, and Alisaie can't stand to sit idle when she can do something. The group rushes in to defend the villagers, WoL and Grynewaht go another round, forcing him and Yotsuyu to retreat.

While the element of surprise is gone, it feels good to be able to save people. Before the party departs however, Alisaie proposes investigating the Ruby Sea further. With the Scions' cover blown already, they'll need allies and information, and it wouldn't do to leave Isari unprotected after they stuck their noses in things.  Of particular concern are the Kojin of the Red, who are openly allied with the Empire.  The gang agrees to disrupt the Red Kojin and organize the defense of the Ruby Sea before going further.  Things go pretty much the same as usual, Alisaie takes point and the gang goes between the Confederates, the Kojin, and Sui no Sato getting everyone on the same side and agreeing to look for one another while the Scions draw the Empire’s attention in Yanxia.

Violet Tides and Kurenai’s questline are mandatory because I said so, and also Kurenai takes up the role of healer for the dungeon in duty support.  With things taken care of in Sui no Sato, the gang goes back to Tamamizu, and then Soroban and Bunchin send them to hit the Isle of Zekki where we get the Susano fight.

Instead of all the faffing about, the party of WoL, Gosetsu, Lyse, and Alisaie just fight Susano, who challenges them to battle and doesn’t permit the Red Kojin to interfere.  The gang triumphs, and the Red Kojin begrudgingly allow them to leave having earned the kami’s favor.

Susano appearing just because of the treasures and not actually being summoned by anyone has Alisaie and Lyse spooked, because up to that point it was believed primals always needed a person to give them form.  With business wrapped up in the Ruby Sea and everyone on the same page, Alisaie breaks off from the group to go back to Kugane and inform Alphinaud of the new information while WoL, Lyse, and Gosetsu rendezvous with Yugiri in Yanxia.

Meanwhile, as the party splits up, Yotsuyu and Grynewaht arrive at the Isle of Zekki to reprimand the disobedient red Kojin.  Yotsuyu extracts information on the Scions from the Kojin, and confiscates a number of treasures, including an impressive katana and a lunar mirror.

In Yanxia, WoL, Lyse, and Gosetsu head to Namai and things play out the same, where the villagers are fearful and urge them to leave. They meet up with Yugiri at the House of the Fierce and discuss the situation. Yugiri delivers Hien's ultimatum, his sword or his head, whichever the people want, and set about determining the mood of the people.

It's bad. In the course of exploring Yanxia, the gang gets a history lesson on Doman culture, learning of the oppressive control of the nobility, the ideals of fealty and honor unto death, and how they choked the life out of the common folk even before the Empire invaded. Gosetsu also speaks from experience that there are a massive number of Doman conscripts abroad, and those in the mainland fear for their compatriots safety if Doma rebels again.

Meanwhile, in Kugane, Alisaie finishes sharing the findings on Susano when a message arrives at the Ruby Bazaar inviting a representative of the Scions to the Garlean embassy. Deciding it's better if Alphinaud keeps his cover, Alisaie elects to go, and there meets privately with Yotsuyu.

Yotsuyu is well spoken and courteous with Alisaie, but remains guarded. Yotsuyu tries to explain the futility of opposing the Empire, and requests the Scions cease assisting the Domans. When Alisaie refuses, Yotsuyu says that if Alisaie really wants to protect her brother and the WoL she'd be better off currying the Empire's favor. She goes on to say that she understands Alisaie's position, to feel powerless and second best compared to her "perfect" brother, and that serving as an Imperial spy would give Alisaie the leverage to make real change happen, as Yotsuyu herself can demonstrate.

Alisaie doesn't reject the offer outright, stating she needs to think on it first, mostly to hide how shaken she is by Yotsuyu knowing so much about her at their first meeting. She returns to the Ruby Bazaar and relates what little she learned to Alphinaud, omitting Yotsuyu's offer, speaking only of the Viceroy's uncanny knowledge of Alisaie's personal history and her request that the Scions stand down. Alisaie then departs for the Ruby Sea, to reunite with the others.

Back in Yanxia, the WoL, Lyse, and Yugiri have had little success in rallying the people's spirits. The mood is dour everywhere they go, either with resignation and acceptance of Imperial occupation and Yotsuyu's cruel whims, or fear of a return to the old ways, where landed nobles could use common folk like chattel. The people have simply given up.

Gosetsu in particular is much less boisterous than usual, especially whenever Yotsuyu is mentioned. Lyse is surprised to see his spirits dampened so, and prods at what is bothering him. After a bit of coaxing, he finally regales WoL, Lyse, and Yugiri with a tale from Doma's heyday, of a poor sickly peasant girl whose parents died of illness and poverty, only for her aunt and uncle to beat and abuse her while forcing her to work as her neighbors looked the other way. How the beautiful young girl caught the eye of a wealthy noble from Lord Kaien's court, and so he bought her from her "parents" to be his bride and paraded her about the court, all dressed in fine clothes to cover the marks he'd leave on her. After the nobleman died, his young bride simply disappeared, never to be seen again, until now, to exact her terrible revenge on the country that abandoned and tormented her.

The group is stunned, Lyse in particular taking the news hard. She had been grappling with how Fordola could betray Ala Mhigo and side with the Empire, so hearing of Yotsuyu's past, she begins to understand how someone could have no attachment or even resent their homeland.

Yugiri is still determined to fight and unwilling to let Hien sacrifice himself, and fortunately, the Empire makes a move on Namai and we get the sneaking mission with Yugiri. That plays out the same, and saving the people of Namai convinces them to open up at least that of COURSE they want to be rid of the Empire and live their own lives, but they just don't have the people, the weapons, the anything to make a rebellion possible. They can't risk their lives and the lives of their families on a hopeless cause.

That's enough for Yugiri to be satisfied that they can truthfully answer Hien that the will to fight remains in the hearts of Doma’s people.  The party reconvenes at the House of the Fierce and discuss their next move as Alisaie arrives.  She shares information she learned from Alphinaud and Yotsuyu, while Yugiri shares what they’ve learned of the situation in Yanxia.  Upon hearing Alisaie’s account, Lyse has an epiphany.  Recounting her own familiarity with the WoL and Minfilia’s experiences, Gosetsu’s testimony, and Alisaie’s account, Lyse suggests that Yotsuyu may possess the Echo, with her supposed poor health in childhood being her gift awakening, and explaining how she could learn so much about people so quickly.

While the revelation does give them more to consider, there’s little they can do about Yotsuyu herself at this juncture.  Yugiri suggests it’s time to find Lord Hien, now that they have an answer to his ultimatum.  Alisaie volunteers to remain at the House of the Fierce and help coordinate the Rebellion’s limited forces and correspond with Alphinaud about what resources they’ll need.  WoL, Lyse, Yugiri and Gosetsu set forth to the Azim Steppe, where Hien has been hiding.

MEANWHILE, at the Royal Palace of Ala Mhigo...

Zenos sits on the throne, regarding the katana he broke during his duel with the WoL at Rhalgr’s Reach.  Fordola attempts to discuss strategy with him, but fails to gain his attention.  A messenger arrives bearing word from the Acting Viceroy of Doma.  Rebel forces have taken action against the Imperial garrison, and Yotsuyu requests Zenos bring reinforcements, as Doma is still technically under his rule.  Not to make an offer without incentive, Yotsuyu adds in that she wishes to pay tribute to the Crown Prince that can only be delivered in person.

While initially unconvinced, the messenger continues, stating that the Eorzean insurgents known as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have been sighted in Yanxia, the Warrior of Light among them.  This grabs Zenos’s attention and causes him to consider Yotsuyu’s offer.  Fordola is taken aback that Zenos would just leave when the Scions’ absence from Gyr Abania means the Alliance and Resistance forces are ripe for the crushing, and Fordola pleads with Zenos to seize the opportunity to stamp out the Empire’s remaining foes.

Zenos chides Fordola, stating that she is free to do as she wishes in his absence, but striking at the Resistance now will give her no satisfaction. Chasing the Resistance when they’re wounded will make her seem fearful and desperate, inciting further insurrection.  She would be far better served by waiting until they have gathered their strength and rallied their spirits, ready to throw themselves entirely upon her blade and destroying them utterly.  Only by laying low her foe when they are the peak of their rage and power will she get what she wants, or so he says.  Zenos makes ready to depart for Yanxia, eager to see what tribute Yotsuyu has prepared for him.

(It’s also critical that we the audience do not see Zenos’s face in this scene.  His helmet is off, but every angle is posed in such a way that Zenos is being seen from the back or his head is obscured.  More focus is placed on Fordola as she reacts to Zenos’s words.  At most we get a glimpse of Zenos’s eye reflected in the broken sword as he talks about facing a foe at their full strength.)

Lyse, WoL, and Gosetsu arrive in the Azim Steppe and rendezvous with Yugiri.  Events here mostly play out the same, the gang meets Cirina, get introduced to the Xaela, and finally find Hien.

Yugiri relays what they learned in Yanxia, that the people of Doma yearn for freedom from the Empire, but lack the strength to face the might of Garlemald.  It will fall on what limited forces still muster under Hien's banner to defeat the occupying forces. Hien is in agreement, assuming that to be case even before he spoke with Yugiri. As their leader, it falls to him to save the people of Doma, not demand they give their lives in his service. Before they can leave the Steppe however, Hien must repay his debt to Cirina and the Mohl by helping them win in the Nadaam.

Events in the Steppe play out mostly the same, Lyse hangs with the kids of Mol Iloh and grapples with the meaning of "a country" as she tries to process Yotsuyu's past, Fordola's actions, and her detachment from her own Ala Mhigan heritage due to living in Eorzea as a Scion.  Deals with a bit of internal bias as she initially thinks the xaela kids have a difficult upbringing out here on the Steppe, but sees them happy and content with their nomadic lifestyle, realizes her idea of what makes a nation and a culture are biased by her time in the Eorzean city-states.  Meanwhile WoL, Hien, and Gosetsu go hunting and help prepare dinner like usual.

After dinner, we get the scene of Hien and Gosetsu sparring, and Gosetsu calls Hien "Shun", his childhood name.

At this point, WoL has an Echo vision.  In it, they see a younger Gosetsu, his hair and beard still dark, supervising a younger Hien speaking with a girl in fine clothes that looks uncannily like a younger Yotsuyu.  She and "Shun" are chatting cheerfully, until a Doman noble walks in and calls Yotsuyu away, her expression darkening as she diligently obeys, and the noble, clearly drunk, grabs her by the arm and roughly leads her away.  The young Hien is frustrated at the sight of the Yotsuyu being taken away, and moves to speak up but Gosetsu stops him.

No matter how detestable he may seem, the noble is an honorable man that has served Lord Kaien for many years, and it would be ungracious to butt one's nose into the domestic affairs of such a prestigious house.  Hien grimaces in dissatisfaction as the WoL returns to the present.

WoL explains what they saw and asks if Hien knows Yotsuyu. Sheepishly, he confirms, he and Yotsuyu were of a similar age when she was brought into the court, and was her only friend in those days. It is why he first gave his ultimatum to Yugiri. Yotsuyu is as much one of his subjects as any other Doman, and the cruelty she faced at the hands of her family and the nobility weighs on his mind. He worries about how he will lead Doma should he return, refusing to become the kind of ruler that allows or fosters the treatment that Yotsuyu went through, wanting to build a better Doma but not really knowing how.

As the Nadaam draws closer, WoL, Lyse, Gosetsu, and Hien go through Bardam's Mettle and get their yols, and meeting Sadu and Magnai goes the same.

While Lyse and Hien are prisoner at the Dawn Throne, they discuss their respective concerns about their cultures. Hien fearing a return to the old ways, Lyse wondering what it means to be Ala Mhigan now that it's been an Imperial province for so long. They come to the conclusion that it falls upon individuals like them with the strength to fight for what they believe in to inspire others. Hien will personally shape Doma into a nation its people can be proud of, and tells Lyse that he believes she is capable of the same.

At the Dotharl camp, Gosetsu comes clean about his crimes in the Empire's service as a conscript, and his own desire to seek death to atone for not only failing Kaien and Hien, but all the people of Doma that looked to him for protection, including Yotsuyu.

Meanwhile, in Yanxia...

Alisaie sets out from the House of the Fierce to scout the the surrounding area. At least, that is what she claims. In truth she has arranged a clandestine meeting with Yotsuyu, to tell her that WoL and co. have gone after Hien in the Azim Steppe.

Thinking she's won, Yotsuyu applauds Alisaie making the right decision to side with the Empire. Alisaie corrects her, saying that she's telling Yotsuyu this to give her a chance to surrender.

She's thought on Yotsuyu's offer, and decided against. She knows she's weak, feels powerless and angry, but she has seen what people are capable of. She believes in her brother, the WoL, their friends, they WILL succeed. And knowing what she does of Yotsuyu's past, she tells her that things need not end in bloodshed. Alisaie knows what it's like to feel helpless and alone, at the mercy of fate as she lost everything that was good in her life. But rather than give up and wallow in anger and grief, she clung to the memories of the good and fought to change things for the better. She reminds Yotsuyu that as someone that was so hurt by the old system, she is the best qualified to change things, and it's not too late to seize a better future.

Yotsuyu lashes out at Alisaie, angry and humiliated that Alisaie called her out so hard, spitting venom about how Alisaie is a privileged brat that could never understand Yotsuyu's hate, and she will never let go of it. Alisaie leaves Yotsuyu, warning her that if she wants a fight she'll get one, and no amount of forewarning will save her when the Scions come knocking. Yotsuyu is left glowering as Alisaie departs before regaining her composure as a messenger informs her that the Crown Prince's airship has arrived.

Back in the Azim Steppe, it's time for the Nadaam. It starts with a brief solo duty that leads to the second trial, consisting of a three phase three way fight between players, Sadu, and Magnai. The battle culminates in WoL and Lyse holding off the khatuns while Cirina claims the ovoo for the Mol.

Cirina is declared Khagan and the other tribes defer to her and the Mol as the new authority of the Steppe. As Cirina humbly accepts and gives thanks to Hien and company for their assistance, Grynewaht and a massive regiment of Garlean troops and war machina arrive, demanding the immediate surrender of the Scions and the Domans.

Hien is preparing to surrender himself but Cirina steps forward and declares that she speaks for the xaela, and the ones Grynewaht seeks are her honored guests. When he persists, Cirina rallies the tribes, asking if warriors of the Steppe will allow invaders to intrude upon the sacred Nadaam and threaten the Khagan's allies.

The combined Xaela forces route Grynewaht's army, sending him fleeing back to Yanxia. From there, we get the regular send off. The gang says good bye to Cirina, and she promises to confer with the khatuns about sending aid to their new Doman allies. WoL, Lyse, Gosetsu, and Hien return to Yanxia to plan the attack on Doma Castle.

As the group enters Yanxia however, Yugiri arrives bearing urgent news.  The Crown Prince and the Viceroy have been seen outside Doma castle with only a token escort. The mood immediately turns grim as everyone present recalls how brutally Zenos put down the Ala Mhigan Resistance and previous Doman rebellion.

Hien is undeterred, reminding everyone that the House of the Fierce is still secure, and they need only be patient until Zenos leaves Yanxia again to make their move. Yugiri however, is of no mind to wait and believes it would be easier and safer to assassinate Zenos and Yotsuyu than go through with the plan. Hien advises against doing anything rash, but Yugiri won't listen and leaves. Lyse and Alisaie ask WoL to go after her and try and talk her out of it, because regardless of how they feel about the plan, they've seen what Zenos can do firsthand and know that Yugiri trying to face him alone is tantamount to suicide.

Upon catching up with Yugiri, she confesses that even if doing so goes against Hien's wishes, her honor as a shinobi will not let Hien risk his own life in the attack when she could defeat his enemy here and now, and her pride as a Doman demands justice for Yotsuyu's and the Empire's crimes against her people.

Rather than discouraging her, WoL can say they have their own reasons for facing Zenos again, that they too want payback for Rhalgr's Reach and Y'shtola, or that as a friend, they won't let her do this alone. Yugiri is surprised and relieved to know the WoL will have her back.

Night falls, and Yugiri and WoL get ready to ambush Zenos and his retinue. Yotsuyu is obviously tense and sticking close to Grynewaht while Zenos is out at the front, alone. One by one Yugiri silently dispatches the guards, before making her move on Zenos himself. Zenos blocks the attack effortlessly, commending Yugiri on her technique and the fire in her eyes, but laments she has not the strength to give it meaning. Zenos repels Yugiri, and Grynewaht springs into action to stop her from attacking Zenos again, as the WoL steps out to face the Crown Prince.

Zenos is pleased to see his quarry alive and well, musing if their travels in the fallen nation of Doma have stirred something in them. Hate? Or perhaps something more.

WoL has the option to respond with wanting revenge for hurting their friends, confronting Zenos for the sake of Ala Mhigo and Doma, or that they have their own reasons for wanting him dead, to which Zenos responds with amusement, disappointment, and intrigue, respectively.

During the solo duty it plays mostly the same as the initial duel in Rhalgr's Reach, but WoL clearly has the advantage. Zenos's health drops faster and he is taken aback by just how much stronger WoL has gotten since their last encounter. At around the 40% mark, Zenos stumbles and begins laughing. He unsheathes the Ame no Habikiri and the music changes. In phase 2, Zenos gains significant damage resistance and the frequency of his raidwide and AoEs increases to the point that it is not possible to avoid everything. The fight continues until the player is reduced to 1% health or Zenos is brought to 15%. The entire time Zenos is clearly enjoying himself, cackling and goading the WoL to fight harder.

Regardless of how the battle ends, in the scene that follows Zenos clearly overpowers the WoL and sends them reeling. Even bloodied and his helmet broken, Zenos is the unambiguous victor of the duel. Yugiri breaks away from fighting Grynewaht and his guards to come to the WoL's aid.

Zenos is panting and tears off his broken helm, throwing it to the ground. This is the first time the player sees his face. He speaks in glowing terms of how ferocious WoL has become, and how he was right to put faith in them, before giving his "Live, hero." speech, and turning to leave. Yotsuyu orders the remaining guards to finish the WoL and Yugiri off, but Zenos countermands her, stating that their business here is done, and all troops are to return to Doma Castle. Before Yotsuyu can protest, Alisaie, Alphinaud, and Lyse arrive with reinforcements from the House of the Fierce, and Zenos mockingly warns that the Viceroy seems to have overstayed her welcome. Yotsuyu bitterly warns Alisaie that she now has proof of how her hero will fail her, and that it's not too late to surrender, before she too takes her leave.

Alphinaud is almost in tears as he heals the WoL, and scolds them for being so reckless because he wasn't there. Alisaie teases him for worrying so much, and he shoots back that she was practically frantic when he arrived.

The party returns to the House of the Fierce, and Yugiri apologizes for disobeying Hien, to which he replies that he is just happy she's unharmed. Now that everyone is settled in again, Lyse calls attention to Alphinaud's unannounced arrival, and asks what brings him to Yanxia. He explains that he heard of Zenos's arrival ahead of time via his connections in Kugane, and realized things in Doma must be coming to a climax, so he began making preparations. We get a brief flashback montage of Alphinaud in various parts of the Ruby Sea as he explains that by working with Hancock, he was able to strengthen the foundation that Alisaie laid and secure the Confederates, Kojin, and Sui no Sato as allies to the Doman Liberation Front.

With the addition of a fleet and the Kojin, the chances of actually cracking Doma Castle seem greatly improved, and spirits rise at the House of the Fierce. Hien's return is met with great celebration, and some small amount of worry, as Hien is surprised to find that a significant portion of the Liberation Front are former nobility, and many expect to return to their previous authority once the Empire is ousted.

Hien needs time to think, so he leaves the House of the Fierce to visit Monzen. Lyse goes after him, worried about him being alone so close to enemy territory. Hien contemplates his history, that of his people, their culture, and what it means to be Doman. How so many fight to regain what was lost in the occupation, but he cannot in good conscience restore if they win. Lyse voices similar doubts, admitting that it was her Ala Mhigan heritage that motivated her to push the Scions into conflict with the Empire, but she doesn't really know what Ala Mhigan culture is, and that her father and sister, the residents of Little Ala Mhigo, those in the Fringes, and someone like Fordola that lives in the city proper, can all have very different versions of what being Ala Mhigan means. She regrets that trying to build a better future means doing so on the ruins of these other ideas.

"Ruins" gives Hien a flash of inspiration as he looks at Doma Castle, and he tells Lyse that he's figured out how they will take it. The two return to the House of the Fierce.  Hien gathers the Liberation Front to make an announcement.  They’re going to destroy Doma Castle.

The castle is too well guarded to facilitate infiltration, and they don’t have the resources to outlast the entrenched Garleans in a siege.  Trying to preserve the artifice of the past will cost lives in the present, and that’s not a sacrifice Hien will make.  If Doma is to have a brighter, better future they must let go of the past, and the greatest symbol of Doma’s inequality must go with it.  There’s a lot of rumbling of discontent from the older members of the Liberation Front, but even Gosetsu speaks in favor, saying that it is long past time for the nobility to repay the debt they owe to the commonfolk they failed so long ago.

As if to vouch for the young Lord of Doma, the screeching of yols heralds the arrival of Cirina, Sadu, and Magnai. Cirina says that having discussed with the khatuns of many tribes, they have agreed that it is in the best interest of all people of the Steppe if the belligerent Garleans are expelled from their neighboring nation, and so the Dotharl and Oronir have pledged a number of fighters to assist the Domans.

The House of the Fierce is abuzz with activity as everyone prepares for the coming attack. WoL heads back to Kugane to meet up with Tataru and get Cid's manual so that Alphinaud can assist with deactivating the magitek gate, Hancock is coordinating with Rasho and Soroban as to how the Confederates and Kojin will blockade the Castle and secure the Enclave, Hien and Lyse talk with the xaela leaders about shutting down the Imperials' air support.

Meanwhile, at Doma Castle...

Zenos stands on the balcony overlooking Monzen, contemplating his now broken helmet. Behind him, Yotsuyu is prostrated, apologizing for her failures to curb the rebellion sooner, swearing she will crush the insurgents, and so on, but Zenos interrupts her, saying she played her part well. He believed she had, in her hatred, completely snuffed out the will to fight in Doma, and is pleased to see otherwise. Yotsuyu hopes this means he will stay and help, call for reinforcements, reward her loyalty with protection...but he does not. Zenos states plainly that he and the troops he brought will be returning to Ala Mhigo, and it falls upon the Viceroy to see to her own fate. Fight, kill, and survive, or die and whet his prey's bloodlust. He cares not which. Yotsuyu breaks and asks him as a friend to save her, which he does not dignify with an answer. Grynewaht attempts to comfort her as Zenos departs, but she lashes out at him, tears in her eyes, saying that the Prince's orders were clear. They are to fight, unto the death, and she will not be a flower waiting to be plucked, as she clutches the lunar mirror in her hand.

We go back to the House of the Fierce where final preparations are made. Hien and Gosetsu raise a glass to victory or death come tomorrow, Gosetsu thanking his master and the Scions for their beliefs in him and a chance to make things right.

The next morning, the siege begins. Alphinaud leads the Shinobi to capture the moon gate so the Confederates can secure the Enclave, the Xaela take to the skies and bring down the Empire's airships, and WoL, Alisaie, Lyse, Hien, Yugiri, and Gosetsu enter the flooded Doma Castle. Yotsuyu watches from the balcony and waits, eyes cold.

The party defeats Hypertuned Grynewaht, shocked at what the Empire has done to one of its own, and proceed up to the balcony chamber at the top of the castle where Yotsuyu has taken refuge.

Hien confronts Yotsuyu, demanding her surrender and an end to the conflict. She refuses, disinterested. If she fights, she'll die, if she surrenders, she'll be executed, even if she escapes, she'll be branded a failure by Zenos and disposed of. At least if she fights to the last, her death will be on her own terms.

She fires on Hien, but he deflects the bullet and closes the distance. As she fires again, he cuts the shot and disarms her. She hisses at him to do his country proud and finish her, but he sheathes his sword.

Hien kneels down to eye level with Yotsuyu tells her that honor would demand her death, but that is not his way. The old ways fall with Doma Castle itself, and he would give her the chance to live that she was denied all her life as a daughter of a new Doma, a better Doma than the one that destroyed her. The party each steps up in turn to ask Yotsuyu to listen to Hien, that there is always time to change things and be better, that no matter what mistakes and wrongs we commit, culminating in Alisaie asking her if this is really how she wants things to end, or if she's willing to have faith.

Yotsuyu falters, speechless and reeling. Finally, Hien and Gosetsu apologize. They admit they saw her pain and looked the other way in the name of honor and "propriety", and they were wrong to do so, asking if she will forgive them, and accept the chance they offer.

Yotsuyu doesn't immediately answer, looking away and trembling. Then, her voice seething with anger, she asks if they really think they can fix everything with just a few kind words while she's powerless and at their mercy. She asks if they were so repentant, why they never bothered to look for her in the years after she was sold to cover her husband's debts? Why did it take destroying everything they ever worked for to get them to suddenly grow a conscious and admit their failures?

It was by her action, her will that she clawed her way out of the hell that Doma trapped her in, and be it her parents, her husband, her owner, or Hien, she will not suffer to live by another's "kindness" ever again. Her fate is hers and hers alone. She pulls out a magitek remote and hits a button, detonating charges throughout the castle, and it begins to collapse.

Hien gives the order to retreat but is stopped in his tracks when a naginata of ephemeral light thrusts towards him, narrowly missing his heart. Yotsuyu rises from the floor, clutching the lunar mirror with conviction in her eyes as the skies darken. She is shrouded in radiant light as she manifests Tsukuyomi, and declares that no one shall escape the castle alive.

The Tsukuyomi trial plays out identically, only with memories of Hien and Gosetsu coming to her aid to defend her from the shade of Zenos instead of just Gosetsu.

After the WoL defeats Tsukuyomi, Yotsuyu collapses, her hair turned white. The battle against the moon kami has cost the party precious time to escape, and the roof finally gives out. Gosetsu catches the collapsing ceiling and tells Hien to get Yotsuyu out. Hien protests, refusing to leave his old friend behind but Gosetsu insists that Hien must not give in to anger and grief. If he is to build a new nation, it must start with saving Yotsuyu. The party has some rushed good byes and escape, as Doma Castle collapses on Gosetsu.

Hien is grief stricken as he comes to terms with Gosetsu's death, and his wish that Yotsuyu be given a chance to live in a new Doma. The mood is melancholy as the Scions reconvene with their allies and explain what transpired in Doma Castle. From there, things play out the same, Hien puts on a brave face to address the people of Doman Enclave, telling them the new nation they build will not be one of nobles and kings, that he would be their protector rather than their master, meanwhile Yugiri and the Shinobi discreetly get Yotsuyu to a secure room within Hien's new estate. Celebrations are had and credits roll, then post credit stinger has Zenos looking up at Shinryu, contained by Omega in the Royal Menagerie, talking to himself of how he eager he is for his and the WoL's next meeting. Alphinaud goes back to Kugane to do what he does best, Alisaie and Lyse remain at the Doman Enclave to help people adjust to life without Imperial occupation.

Now we move into the post-game, or rather, part 2 because as I said before, Stormblood dearly needed more time to let everything going on in it cook, similar to how Heavensward and Shadowbringer's post-games up to patch x.3 was really just a continuation and finale of the plot started in the x.0 MSQ.

So, Yotsuyu finally awakens after the battle with Tsukuyomi in Doma Castle, and everyone is taken aback when she remembers nothing, her memory a blank slate. There's a discussion about what to do with her because yes it was Gosetsu's last wish that she be shown mercy, but it doesn't change what she did as Viceroy and seeing her may cause unrest among the populace, but they can't exactly keep her locked up forever. The matter of her amnesia is also a worry, since it wouldn't be right to hold the innocent "Tsuyu" responsible for what the Viceroy of Doma did. Before any kind of decision can be reached, Alisaie gets a linkpearl call from Alphinaud saying that an Imperial airship arrived in Kugane and an ambassador has requested an audience with the Scions at the Garlean embassy.

Lyse, WoL, and Alisaie are all a bit weary of speaking with a Garlean politician after assisting in Doma's revolution, but head to Kugane all the same. Once there, the party goes over what to say, make sure they don't do anything to incriminate themselves, basically let Alphinaud do the talking.

At the Embassy, the Scions are introduced to Maxima, of the Populares. After a bit of initial tension, Maxima explains he is here to negotiate peace between the Empire and Doma in the wake of the rebellion, but he wished to consult with the Scions as a third party given their history of conflict with Imperial forces despite their shared interest in destroying primals. Everyone gives their most level headed take on the Empire and its foreign policies and why the Scions have been opposed to them, which Maxima takes in stride. He shares his own history of touring the provinces and being appalled by the treatment Imperial citizens face just for not being Garlean, citing Doma as proof that the current Imperial model is unsustainable. Maxima goes on to share the goals of the Populares as a political group, seeking to empower the citizens and establish peaceful connections with other nations. Maxima then says that Gaius van Baelsar was one of their more prominent supporters, and his reign in Ala Mhigo was a huge step in the right direction for the rights of provincial citizens.

This takes everyone off guard, Lyse in particular, who speaks up about the awful treatment that the people of Gyr Abania face, and their opposition to the Garlean occupation.

Maxima takes a moment to consider, surprised himself by the news of tension in Ala Mhigo. He then divulges a bit of history on the relations between the two nations prior to the Imperial occupation. How Garlemald had quietly assisted the Resistance in the form of funds and materiel, and aid to civilians all while His Radiance Emperor Solus maintained a cordial relationship with the Mad King, enabling the Empire to maintain a presence in the capital in spite of the Ala Mhigan king's rampant paranoia. When the Resistance overthrew the king and began infighting over leadership, Garlean forces stepped in to establish order. To the more radical elements, it was seen for the foreign takeover it was, but many welcomed beneficent Garlean rule after suffering under the Mad King. From there, van Baelsar and van Darnus made their moves on the rest of Eorzea, and the outer reaches of Ala Mhigo got less attention due to their proximity to the Black Shroud.

Lyse pieces together how this lead to the difference in perspective between Ala Mhigans in the capital that grew up with an Imperial education and security like Fordola, vs those on the outskirts like her that only saw the Empire as tyrants.

Alphinaud is grateful that Maxima is willing to share so much, but questions what he hopes to gain by divulging such secrets to enemies of the Empire. Maxima reasons that such information is commonly taught to Garlean children in school, and is not something to hide. If anything, His Radiance encourages the study of history so all can understand the necessity of the campaign and the good that Imperial rule can bring to others, and the danger that outsiders pose, such as the sabotage of the Ultima Weapon.

The WoL's interest is drawn when Maxima's account of the Praetorium neglects all mentions of Lahabrea, saying it was Ascian influence that caused the devastation that broke the XIVth Legion.

Maxima is shocked, having never heard of any such beings as Ascians. This triggers a discussion over glaring discrepancies in the Scions' accounts and the official military reports, as the group piece together that the existence of the Ascians had been carefully expunged from Imperial records and their actions attributed to the "barbarous nature of magic-tainted savages".

The group realize it is highly likely that the Empire's foreign policy may have been influenced by the Ascians specifically to sow chaos that lends to the summoning of primals. Maxima is shaken to his core, and announces he must return to Garlemald with all haste to investigate the Scions' claims. However, his mission is unchanged, and he leaves the Scions with a proposal to deliver to Hien. A prisoner exchange between the Empire and Doma, to calm the waters after the revolution, and recognize Doma's independence and sovereignty.

As the Scions return to the Ruby Bazaar to mull over what they've learned, a missive arrives for Tataru from Eorzea. As she reads through it, she reveals it is a coded message from Thancred, saying he's located Shinryu and requesting the gang return to Gyr Abania. The course is clear.

The Scions go to the Doman Enclave and give Maxima's message to Hien, as well as the startling revelation that the Empire may be under Ascian influence. Hien is wary of trusting the Empire, but for the sake of returning the many Doman conscripts home, will consider the offer and discuss with his advisors. Yugiri speaks up, and asks if Hien would permit her to go with the Scions. Having left when Gosetsu arrived and been unable to assist in the hunt for Shinryu, she feels she owes it to her friends to see their mission through now that hers is finished. Hien agrees, and sends her off with his blessing. The Scions say goodbye to their Doman friends, then go back to Kugane to make the journey back to Eorzea, sans Tataru, who elects to stay in Kugane and work her mercantile magic.

(Tataru here offers the quest to unlock Hell's Lid, with the trigger for her financial venture being recovering all that was spent to set up the Doman Liberation.)

The Scions reconvene in Rhalgr's Reach, where Y'shtola has recovered from her injury and is back on her feet, and even Urianger has stepped in to lend what aid he can in the hunt for Shinryu. Everyone shares what they've learned from their time in Doma, and Thancred explains he's confirmed Shinryu is in Ala Mhigo proper, contained in a magitek field. Knowing first hand from the Meteor Project and Warring Triad that the Empire and sealed Primals is a recipe for disaster, the Scions are resolved that they'll have to help the Resistance if there's to be any hope of stopping the Primal.

The Scions confer with Raubahn and Conrad if there's been any progress in Gyr Abania and how they can help. They go on to explain that things have been quiet and Imperial patrols are few and far between, almost like the Empire assumes the Resistance was broken by Zenos's initial attack. As a result they've had plenty of time to regroup and rebuild, and rumors of the Doman Liberation have spurred many to action in other provinces, keeping Imperial forces distracted and divided.

From here, the Ala Mhigo story proceeds as normal, with a few changes. The Scions are witness to Fordola messing up and killing the Qalyana Matriarch's daughter after her forces are routed at Castellum Velodyna, and the subsequent summoning of Lakshmi. Fordola escapes during the panic as the WoL steps in to deal with the primal. As Lyse, WoL, and the twins recover at the Peering Stones with M'naago's family, they talk about why Fordola would take a Qalyana hostage when they've been model Imperial vassals, and they come up with it being a result of Fordola being cityborn and Garlean-educated, and thus out of touch with the non-hyur members of the Ala Mhigan community, confirming what they learned from Maxima.

When Lyse, WoL, and the twins return to Rhalgr's Reach, they get the news that a number of Imperial agents infiltrated Resistance headquarters while the bulk of their forces were occupied at the bridge and abducted Krile. All are shocked and their motivation to fight is reaffirmed. Alphinaud stops and wonders however, what the Empire could be planning, as trading such a vital strategic location for a single prisoner hardly makes sense from a tactical perspective. Urianger offers that it may have something to do with her Echo, given the interest Zenos had shown in both the WoL and Yotsuyu.

Meanwhile, Fordola reports her defeat to Zenos, preparing for the worst. Zenos chides her for failing, but says it ultimately is of no consequence, as her bumbling served another purpose, revealing that Krile has been captured by his personal guard. When Fordola questions how a single captive is going to help them secure Ala Mhigo's future, Zenos cryptically answers that stoking their foes hatred will make them vulnerable, but only if Fordola herself is willing to seize the opening at any cost.

The combined Resistance and Alliance forces move into the Peaks and set up in Ala Ghiri as usual, questioning why the Empire would leave the town unguarded, but not looking a gift in the mouth. Things proceed at Specula Imperatoris, culminating in Fordola bitterly carrying out Zenos's order to fire on Imperial forces to hit the Resistance, and as before, Estinien intervenes and damages the cannon before it can fire again.

The group reconvenes at Ala Ghiri to lick their wounds and take stock of their losses. Conrad names Lyse his successor before dying, much to her surprise, but she swears to do him proud.

Estinien arrives shortly after, to the Scions' surprise. He explains that he had been travelling in the Far East when he caught wind of a terrible wyrm that wrought havoc on Eorzea, and came to investigate. If the player has done the level 70 DRG quest, it will be referenced here. WoL and Alphinaud explain the deal with Shinryu being born of Nidhogg's eyes, and Estinien decides he's going to stick around and do his part to deal with the primal, as anything Nidhogg related is his responsibility.  (Alisaie is absent in this scene, preoccupied with something else, to preserve her and Estinien not meeting until post-ShB.)

The gang set their sights on Castrum Abania and taking out the giant cannon before it can be repaired, and the Scions set out.

Meanwhile, we cut back to Ala Mhigo where Fordola delivers her report of the battle at Specula Imperatoris to Zenos through gritted teeth.  Still hurting from the loss of her friends, she blames the Resistance for continuing to prolong the bloody war when she and other loyal Ala Mhigans have only been trying to preserve their future.  When she remarks as much though, Zenos descends upon her, demanding she drop the pretense and say what she really wants.  That’s when she snaps and admits that she wants to kill all the Resistance for ruining things.  That she’s angry and spiteful and wants to make the ingrates pay for looking down on her and other cityborns for being happy with their lots in life.

With her rage exposed, Zenos offers to grant her the power to capitalize on her fury, a taste of the power that even the Warrior of Light cannot match.  Fordola readily agrees and that’s where Aulus steps in and she undergoes the Resonant treatment.

Back in the Peaks, the gang moves in towards Castrum Abania.  Estinien and Yugiri run interference on the outside while Thancred, the twins, and WoL plan to take one route, and Urianger, Y’shtola, and Lyse take another.  Dungeon proceeds as usual, and both parties meet up at the cannon control room.

Fordola angrily tells the Scions that life in Ala Mhigo was perfectly good until the Resistance started making a mess of things.  How Ala Mhigans were respected and trusted Imperial citizens until the greedy rurals started refusing to pay their tithes, stealing from supply lines, and killing soldiers.  How she and the Skulls were trying to save Ala Mhigo and redeem their culture’s place in the Empire by being loyal and dutiful soldiers, and they were succeeding before the Scions stuck their noses in and destroyed everything they worked for.

The fight goes the same as before, Fordola’s Resonant powers let her go toe to toe with Lyse and Alisaie at the same time.  Fordola wounds Alisaie and escapes, and the Scions take Castrum Abania.

The Scions fall back to Rhalgr’s Reach to see to Alisaie’s injury, and discuss what the hell just happened.  Everyone comments that Fordola’s abrupt leap in skill and strength is unnatural, and Lyse in particular describes Fordola as somehow knowing what she was going to do ahead of time.  Urianger has the eureka moment and wonders if somehow Fordola has gained the power of the Echo, and if so, it may explain Zenos’s interest.  Alphinaud adds on that Krile was particularly gifted at “hearing” the emotions and intentions of others, and Fordola’s ability to “see” her opponents moves before they happen may be a manifestation of the same trait.  Y’shtola connects the dots and suggests that if Zenos has the ability to forcibly confer the Echo on others, it is likely he has undergone the same process, and may go some way to explain his inhuman strength.  Furthermore, if they can find where Zenos gave Fordola her “gift”, it may lead them to Krile.

The WoL takes a moment to check in on Alisaie, who is understandably frustrated that she lost and needed to be saved again.  Despite Alphinaud’s fussing, her wound is not so severe that she cannot fight again, but she will need some time to recuperate.  Urianger meanwhile, makes plans for how to deal with Fordola, and Estinien goes on ahead to try and pin down Shinryu’s location for himself.

Lyse and WoL have their moment on the Palm of the Destroyer, Lyse gets her new outfit, talks about how she still doesn’t feel like she’s ready to lead the Resistance, but for the sake of everyone that believes in her, she’s going to step up, and knows she has the WoL and the Scions to put her on the right track if she starts to slip up.  Good vibes all around.

The lead in to the battle for Ala Mhigo remains the same.  The Alliance forces mass in the Lochs to prepare for the siege, Urianger continues his experiments with a countermeasure for Fordola’s Resonance, Thancred and Estinien go ahead to scout the city, Alphinaud, WoL, Lyse, and Y’shtola investigate the settlements to gather intel.

Thancred finds a way in, Estinien confirms Shinryu’s location, Scions get the key, and Urianger produces his mystery device.  The plan is all set, and the Scions share their intel with the Alliance.  Scions infiltrate Ala Mhigo and open the door, Lyse and WoL confront Fordola, using Urianger’s funny doodad to overload her artificial Echo.

Rather than have Lyse call Fordola a traitor, the scene where Fordola is captured focuses more on Fordola’s crushing realization that despite everything she and her friends have sacrificed, they’ve lost.  The Ala Mhigo they believed in is going up in flames around them, and the Resistance has seized the city.  Even if the Scions are defeated by Zenos, he doesn’t care about them, and he never did.  Lyse is resolved but still sympathetic.  She understands that Fordola truly believed she was fighting for Ala Mhigo’s future, and the peace and prosperity that that the cityborn knew under Imperial occupation is as much a part of Ala Mhigo’s culture and history as the Mad King, the Autumn War, the Fist of Rhalgr, and the Resistance.  Lyse promises Fordola that the future will be brighter, and that those lost will be remembered.

With Krile rescued, and the Scions reunited, it’s time to take the fight to Zenos.  Instead of Hien swooping in with the Doman forces, Yugiri vouches for the Scions and de-escalates the situation with Hakuro and the lupin, and Estinien fills the role of decimating the Garlean air support while the Scions enter the palace on foot.

Ala Mhigo dungeon happens, we got all the Scions available for duty support since the plan for them is to ignore as much of the Imperial forces as they can and beeline to Shinryu in the Royal Menagerie.

At the end of the dungeon, Zenos gives his usual spiel and goes off, and WoL tells the Scions they’ll deal with Zenos and Shinryu alone.  Everyone objects saying Zenos is too strong.  WoL has a few options to explain themselves:  The risk of Tempering is too much, they need to face him alone for their own sake, asking the group to have faith in them.

Alisaie is the first to vouch for the WoL, followed by Alphinaud, and they convince the rest of the Scions to go back up the rest of the Eorzean alliance.  Everyone says their piece, wishes the WoL luck, and Alphinaud and the Scions depart.  Alisaie gets a parting moment where she makes the WoL promise that they’re coming back, before she too heads out.

Royal Menagerie sequence is unchanged.  Same Zenos speech, same options, same fight.

Zenos is beaten, Lyse hears him explain himself, how everything was solely so he could finally have a foe worth fighting, and he cuts his own throat.

Ala Mhigo is freed from the Empire, the Resistance raises the Ala Mhigo flag, credits roll as Lyse gives her “monsters are made, not born” speech as the camera shows Yotsuyu and Fordola. Post credits, we get the stinger of Gosetsu fishing on the island out at sea.

Now we move into the ShB lead in.  Lyse officially leaves the Scions to stay as Commander in Ala Mhigo, Alphinaud, Arenvald, and WoL have their silly Skalla adventure, Urianger heads back to the Waking Sands to further study a strange thinning of the land’s aether that he had observed prior to his arrival in Gyr Abania, and Estinien disappears into the night as per usual.

Alphinaud helps catalogue the Mad King’s hoard and assists with getting the Saltery trade set up with Nanamo and Lolorito, and we get the crowd calling for Fordola’s blood.  Lyse settles the crowd same as before, talking about how taking revenge won’t bring anyone back, and Fordola deserves a chance to be better.  Finally, Raubahn and Nanamo have their moment to say goodbye as Nanamo dismisses him as Flame General so he can stay in his home.

To finish things off, we get the Lakshmi duty with Raubahn and Lyse organizing the meeting of community leaders to decide the future of Ala Mhigo, including the Tempered Ananta.  However, rather than it being some clown shoes nonsense of “all the guards were tempered and crystals were hidden in the throne room” the Qalyana that summon Lakshmi sacrifice their own lives to power the summoning, and Lakshmi produces like, a wall or something to barricade everyone in, necessitating Arenvald tagging in Fordola.  She gets her moment, the day is saved, everyone’s grateful that you were present to pull them out of the fire.

With things just about wrapped up in Ala Mhigo, it’s time to return to Doma, as Yugiri receives a message from another shinobi that Hien has at last received word from Maxima regarding the prisoner exchange.  WoL, the twins, Yugiri, Y’shtola, and Hakuro depart for Doma.  Krile is still recuperating from her captivity and experimentation at Zenos’s hands, and Thancred stays in Gyr Abania to help Lyse keep on top of things and watch for any suspicious primal activity.

Upon arriving in the Doman Enclave, Hien welcomes the Scions and the returning lupin conscripts, then gets to business, recounting the letter he received from Maxima.  In it, Maxima explains that his proposal was met with some opposition in the Garlean senate.  While some are open to more diplomatic peace with the “independant provinces”, others are critical of peace being a show of weakness, especially in light of the recent Ala Mhigan insurrection.  In particular, a rival political group known as the Telophoroi have been pushing against peace at every turn, as they seek an end to conflict worldwide via total Garlean dominance.  However, the leader of the Telophoroi, one Asahi goe Brutus, has surprisingly agreed to meet with Hien and discuss terms instead of stonewalling the Populares further.

Upon hearing the name, Alisaie remarks that “Brutus” was Yotsuyu’s Garlean given name, and Hien confirms that Asahi is the same brother that manifested as a hateful shade when Yotsuyu manifested Tsukuyomi.  The group cannot help but be suspicious, but Hien is determined to see it through, as it is his responsibility to bring home the Doman conscripts in Garlean custody if he’s able.

But there is much to be done before Ambassador Brutus arrives.  Alisaie means to inquire after Yotsuyu and see how she’s doing after the whole Tsukuyomi thing, to which Hien talks about how she’s been well behaved, but laments his inability to actually let her out of his estate lest the sight of her cause unrest.  Already there are rumors of the late Viceroy’s ghost haunting the Enclave from citizens catching glimpses of her in the windows or when she occassionally wanders out after dark.

Yugiri vouches that “Tsuyu” truly has forgotten everything and is effectively not the same person she was as Viceroy, but remarks that it is cold comfort to those that suffered under her reign.  Hien too has to bite his tongue, recalling Gosetsu’s parting words that she deserves another chance and struggling with his own desire for revenge for his friend and mentor’s death.  Alphinaud offers some consolation that the right thing is rarely the easy thing.

Y’shtola speaks up, inquiring about the aether thinning phenomenon that Urianger spoke of and noting that she has noticed the same in Doma with her aetherial sight.  Hien mentions the Burn and its lack of aether, and Y’shtola asks to investigate it.  The Scions head out for the Burn and we get the dungeon.

It plays out as usual, we find the Allagan shield generator, and Y’shtola sees an aether current leading back to the Azim Steppe, so the party heads back that way, while the twins break off.  Alisaie returns to the Enclave to check on Tsuyu, while Alphinaud heads back to Kugane to see how things are going with Tataru and Hancock.

We get the same events in the Azim Steppe, WoL duels Sadu, Y’shtola emasculates Magnai, we find out the Burn is where Azys Lla came from and thus predates the rise of the Garlean Empire and Emperor Solus using it to justify his imperialism.

Before we can explore that historical inaccuracy further however, WoL gets a linkshell ring from Alisaie.  Tsuyu has gone missing.

Y’shtola opts to remain in the Steppe to continue studying the Allagan device in the House of the Crooked Coin. WoL and Hien return to the Enclave with all due haste and reconvene.  Yugiri explains that Alphinaud returned from Kugane with urgent news, having learned from his contacts of a giant Doman samurai resembling Gosetsu that was recently seen in the Ruby Sea.  Tsuyu reacted strongly to his name, but the twins and Yugiri were preoccupied with discussing what to do and their amnesiac charge escaped the Enclave.

Fearing what will happen if Tsuyu is seen out and about, the gang sets out for Namai to find her before it is too late.  WoL and Hien arrive in Namai shortly after Tsuyu, who has already drawn a crowd.

Tsuyu is frightened and confused, unsure why everyone is angry or afraid of her.  Some of the crowd call for her blood, demanding retribution, and she doesn’t understand what it is she’s done wrong.  Azami, the little girl from earlier in the Doma story, comes to her defense as Hien arrives and explains who she is.  The people are unmoved, beseeching Hien to punish Yotsuyu for her crimes and the sake of their lost.  Hien grits his teeth and considers it for a moment, before refusing.  He restates his belief that the old laws of honor would demand blood for Yotsuyu’s actions, regardless of circumstances, but that is not Hien’s way, and he will not execute an innocent, nor would doing so undo any of the pain of the past.

The crowd disperses, accepting Hien’s decision, and tragedy is averted.  Before the party returns to the Enclave, Jifuya, prominant member of the Doman Resistance, stops them and asks for a word with Hien.  WoL recognizes Jifuya as someone they interacted with during the Doman Liberation, as well as one of the voices that called for a return to the old ways when the Empire was removed.

Jifuya asks Hien if he can speak in private, or at least, away from Tsuyu.  Yugiri and the twins escort Tsuyu back to the Enclave while Hien, WoL, and Jifuya go to the outskirts of Namai to converse discreetly.  Jifuya opens up that he was Yotsuyu’s master, the one who bought and put her into bondage as a courtesan after her husband died, and requests Hien’s permission to leave Doma.  Hien is outraged that a slaver was among his ranks, but Jifuya retorts that he has ever been a loyal and true ally of Doma, as a noble and then as a soldier.  Honor dictates that his service earn him clemency, and if Hien will not respect the old ways, then this new way of mercy and forgiveness that compels Hien to forgive someone as wicked as Yotsuyu demands he let Jifuya go as well.  Or is the young lord of Doma a hypocrite?

Hien stumbles, but before he can say anything, a familiar voice rings out, asking Jifuya if seeking to escape the consequences for his crimes is truly the actions of an honorable man.

Gosetsu walks in, using his sword as a cane, limping as he goes.  Without missing a beat he approaches Jifuya and asks again, if he is so honorable, why was he among the first to incite the crowd to call for Yotsuyu’s blood, why would he flee if he had done no wrong.

Jifuya falters, looking for an escape, sheepishly saying that he only did what was common for the time, he cannot be blamed for what one stupid girl did in response.  Gosetsu sternly states that Doma’s fall was brought about by selfish old men like them that cared more about their pride and honor than the people they were meant to serve, and that same honor now demands they repent for their failings, in whatever way their victims see fit.

Jifuya attempts to run, stating he refuses to be at Yotsuyu’s mercy for what he did to her, but before he can escape, Gosetsu draws his blade and cuts him down.  Gosetsu himself falls to his knees after his strike, saying to Hien that he seems to have slipped, and hopes the Lord of Doma will forgive his retainer’s clumsiness.

Realizing that Gosetsu has spared Hien from having to publicly go back on his principles, he obliges and helps Gosetsu back to his feet.  The trio return to the Enclave and Gosetsu is welcomed home.  Yugiri and the twins are apprised of what transpired with Jifuya and Gosetsu regales the party with stories of his adventures following the collapse of Doma Castle.  All the while, Tsuyu dotes on him, fussing over his injuries and making sure he’s comfortable, which he finds unsettling.

Yugiri explains to him what became of Yotsuyu, and her new life as Tsuyu.  Gosetsu dryly suggests the mercy fate has shown them both must be the work of the kami, to be forced to live on in spite of their crimes, to atone by bearing the weight of a guilty conscious.  Gosetsu’s injuries combined with his age are too much for him to fight as a samurai again, and he needs assistance in his day to day, and Tsuyu has no memories of her old life, only that she committed a terrible crime she cannot remember or even who she hurt.

MEANWHILE, IN GARLEMALD, we get the conversation between Varis and Elidibus, with the stinger that Elidibus is up to something.

When we next pick up in the Enclave, Hien has received word from Maxima that Ambassador Brutus’s ship is en route and should be arriving soon to carry out the prisoner exchange, and potentially a proper ceasefire between the Empire and Doma.  Last minute preparations are made, including keeping Tsuyu hidden, given the bad blood between her and Asahi.  The only other concern is a strange increase in activity from the Red kojin of late, given they had settled down since the Empire left Doma and Susano was defeated.

Asahi and his retinue arrive alongside Maxima, he is welcomed to Hien’s estate as an honored guest.

Contrasting with Maxima’s prior letter, Asahi seems positively thrilled with the idea of the prisoner exchange and peace between the Empire and Doma as equals.  When questioned about the politics of his party, the Telophoroi, he says that the militaristic stance is born of precaution, not hostility, and so long as Doma does not seek further conflict he has no reason to pick a fight.  But that does entail the return of all Imperial prisoners...including the missing viceroy, his “dear” sister Yotsuyu.

The group is shocked that Asahi is aware of Tsuyu’s survival, and Yugiri tentatively explains that she lost her memory after the battle of Doma Castle, and was given a new identity for her own protection.  Hien states that Tsuyu would likely not wish to leave Doma to go with a stranger to a strange place, and Asahi, surprisingly, agrees.  She is a Doman citizen now, through and through, though he would like to see her for himself, if time permits.

Back to business, Asahi says that in addition to ceding prisoners and pursuing no further restitutions from the Empire, Doma and its people must never again summon eikons.  Alisaie speaks up, saying the people of Doma never summoned to begin with, which prompts Asahi to mention Susano and Tsukuyomi, TWO summonings by Doman citizens in less than a year.  WoL disputes this, as Susano manifested without being summoned by anyone, and Tsukuyomi was called by Yotsuyu, the Imperial Viceroy.

Asahi insists that these are semantics, and it was ultimately Doman religious practices that gave rise to the primals.  The Empire will not demand an end to all worship, only that such “incidents” be prevented.

At this point, Asahi suggests going around and touring Doma a bit, estranged as he is from his homeland by his time in Garlemald.  Hien, Yugiri, WoL, and the twins escort him around Yanxia, from the Enclave to Monzen, Namai, and Castrum Fluminis.  It’s there that we get the encounter with the Red Kojin attacking Isse and Azami, and the gang rushes to the rescue, Asahi included.

With enough excitement for one day, the group returns to the Enclave, and Asahi retires for the evening.  Afterwards, the group plus Maxima discuss how odd the whole situation is, Asahi knowing of Yotsuyu’s fate and her summoning Tsukuyomi at Doma Castle, the unusual actions of the Red Kojin to travel so far inland, especially on the same day Asahi arrives, the bizarre change of heart compared to Maxima‘s initial report.  Something is obviously strange, but no one can quite pinpoint it, and Maxima hopes it is simply nerves.

The next day, Asahi sets about preparations for the prisoner exchange at Castrum Fluminis, but as before, requests he be allowed a chance to meet with his sister.  Hien tentatively agrees, not wanting to jeopardize the safety of the Doman conscripts by refusing, and the group travels to Castrum Fluminis with Tsuyu in tow.

From here, things play out more or less the same, Asahi surprises Tsuyu by bringing out their parents, and Yugiri notices a number of suspicious crates that Asahi’s retinue seems to have brought with them.  Asahi and his forces fall back to the fortress, leaving the WoL with his parting vitriol and the Echo vision of his first meeting with Zenos, and Tsuyu is very agitated following the unexpected reunion with her parents.  At this point, all involved are aware the prisoner exchange is a trap, but for the sake of bringing home the Doman conscripts, they’ll have to follow through for now and just be ready to react to whatever scheme Asahi tries to pull.

The next morning, Hien’s estate is throw into a tizzy as Tsuyu has disappeared overnight.  Yugiri takes responsibility, saying that she had grown lax in her observance as she became more accustomed to Tsuyu’s every day routine.  With the airship bearing the conscripts on its way, there’s no time to dispatch a full search party, and Hien asks the WoL and the twins to investigate while he travels to Castrum Fluminis.

WoL and the twins split up and search for Tsuyu, WoL goes to Monzen and finds the bodies of Asahi’s parents and gets the Echo vision.  Tsuyu, having regained her memory, cannot live with the guilt of being shown such kindness and mercy after what she’s done, and plans to kill herself when her parents arrive and begin harassing her.  She turns on them and murders them both, then Asahi arrives on the scene and congratulates her on the miraculous recovery.  He tells Yotsuyu the plan to regain her place in the Empire by summoning Tsukuyomi again at the prisoner exchange.

WoL meets up with the twins and they rush to the Castrum proper to warn Hien.  They arrive just as the Doman conscripts are being brought through, and Alphinaud calls out that it’s a trap.  Asahi seems shocked at their arrival, but carries on, giving the signal for Yotsuyu to show herself.  The crates Yugiri identified are opened, showing off a number of crystals, and Yotsuyu uses them to once again turn into Tsukuyomi.

Asahi cackles madly, laughing that a Doman citizen has summoned an eikon in direct violation of the peace agreement in what can only be called an act of war.  His victory is short lived however, when Tsukuyomi runs him through with her lunar swords, voice seething as she recounts that he more than any other she hated, her own brother that beat her and used her, never protecting her from their parents, leaving her to suffer as he reaped the benefits of her abuse and enslavement.  As Asahi chokes on his blood and curses her for being the one Zenos chose over him, the transformation fades, and Yotsuyu collapses, the lunar blades holding Asahi aloft disappearing as he plummets to the ground.  Yugiri and the twins run to Yotsuyu’s side as Hien and Wol look over Asahi, with his last breath saying that Zenos will come for them and avenge him.

WoL gets the Echo vision of a somehow still living Zenos giving Asahi his mission to sabotage the prisoner exchange, and shares what they learn with everyone present.

Alphinaud is bewildered, asking how Zenos could have given the order when Zenos died at the Royal Menagerie, to which Maxima reacts with shock, saying that the crown prince is alive and well at the Imperial capital, already recovering from the wounds he sustained at the Ala Mhigan insurrection.  The contradiction presents only one possibility.  An Ascian has taken possession of Zenos’s body.

In spite of everything that has occurred, Hien asks Maxima if they intend to go through with the prisoner exchange.  Maxima agrees, as the ambassador’s plan was as much of a shock to the Populares as the Scions, and he still believes in the mission. 

Yotsuyu then awakens, her hair evenly split between black and white, much like Tsukuyomi.  She is unharmed, if exhausted by the summoning, and bitterly asks what the Scions intend to do with her now that she’s finally had her fill of revenge.  Hien states that her amnesia was her only defense against the peoples’ ire, and he may not be able to protect her if she remains in Doma, to which Yotsuyu replies she has no desire to remain anyway.

Alisaie offers Yotsuyu join the Scions, as they’re always looking for people with the Echo, and it’s a politically neutral group far from Doma.  Yotsuyu wonders aloud how long Alisaie has been waiting to turn Yotsuyu’s initial offer on its head, to which Alisaie only smirks.

Yotsuyu makes no commitments, as she will need time to decide what she wants now that her life is actually in her own hands for the first time.  Yugiri escorts her back to the Doman Enclave.

Alphinaud then addresses Maxima, asking what he intends to do now.  With the news that Zenos may be an Ascian, he must return to Garlemald forthwith and resume his investigation, and regrettably, it might not be wise to bring the Imperial prisoners back to the capital in such circumstances.  Hien volunteers to help see the prisoners back to their homes with the help of Doma’s shinobi, as most of them are foreign conscripts anyway, and with the Ambassador dead on Doman soil, the prospects of peace are well and truly off the table.

Alphinaud volunteers to join Maxima in the journey back to the capital, believing he would do more good helping the Populares fight the Ascians politically and potentially prevent further conflict at the source.  The WoL has the option to encourage him, stay neutral and advise caution, or disagree with Alphinaud’s decision as too dangerous.

Regardless, Alphinaud and Maxima depart, and the WoL, Hien, and Alisaie return to the Enclave.  When they arrive, Yotsuyu and Gosetsu are waiting for them, both in new outfits.  “Tsuyu” states it’s better if she let go of her old name for good, and Gosetsu declares that the two of them are going on a pilgrimage of atonement, to understand where they belong in the world as a pair of sinners who were denied honorable death.  Tsuyu comments she’ll keep Alisaie’s offer in mind, and the two depart.

At the same time, a yol arrives dropping off Y’shtola, who explains that her research in the Steppe has reached a satisfactory conclusion.  WoL and Alisaie tell her about all that has transpired in her absence, and she grimly wonders if Alphinaud has not made a rash decision.  On a happier note, she says that she has undone the stifling of aether caused by the Allagan device, and it is possible the Burn may recover in time.

Hien thanks the Scions for their assistance, and swears he will pray for Alphinaud’s safety in the coming days.  He then asks if they can deliver a letter of introduction to the Eorzean Alliance, pledging Doma’s friendship.  The Scions graciously thank Hien for his friendship and hospitality, and depart for Eorzea. 

From here, things proceed pretty much as they do in the original story.

Thancred, Krile, Lyse, and Urianger are updated on the Zenos situation, and his grave is confirmed to be empty, as we get the shot of the unknown Elezen soldier watching in the distance.  Thancred departs for Garlemald to find out what’s going on.

WoL and Alisaie deliver Hien’s message to the Eorzean Alliance, pledging Doma’s support against the Empire, Maxima and his unit arrive in Ala Mhigo, and the WoL and Alisaie learn of the attack on their ship and how Alphinaud went off with the mysterious Shadow Hunter.  We get the introduction of Emperor Solus and the big reveal of Garlemald’s founding.

Thancred returns, bringing grim tidings of imminent conflict with Eorzea and retribution for the Ala Mhigan and Doman rebellions.  As Thancred delivers his report, the mysterious voice happens and he goes comatose.  Alisaie and WoL return to the Rising Stones to tell Urianger and Y’shtola, who soon follow suit.

WoL and Alisaie travel to Doma together one last time to let Hien know what’s coming, he informs them that he has been in contact with Cid and the four of them head out to burn to get the Allagan shield up and running to protect Doma while the army travels to Eorzea to assist the Alliance, Gaius delivers Alphinaud’s comatose body to the Scions and warns of Black Rose.  WoL and Alisaie return with the Doman forces then take some time to check on the Scions, visit with Matoya and Krile to diagnosis what’s wrong, visit Ga Bu in Limsa, then attend the big meeting with Varis and the Alliance leaders prior to the battle of Ghimlyt Dark, and the 4.5 story plays out unchanged.

And so that’s my edit of Stormblood, how I would modify events to keep things mostly the same, but tie the narrative together a bit more smoothly and keep things consistent.  The big points I want to focus on are developing both Yotsuyu and Fordola, giving them more screentime to actually understand and sympathize with them before the game tells you you’re just supposed to, giving Zenos more build up as a character, making Lyse’s growth as an individual more pronounced, and removing or reording some events I felt were particularly unsavory or jarring with the rest of the story.  And of course, Yotsuyu lives so she can do stuff in the future.  If you’ve made it this far, thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed my ideas for how Stormblood could be improved as a story.

[wildstar25]

Sometimes it’s good to get out and take a nap in the grass 💤🌱

[karygurl]

unmasked (ffxiv)

Pre-relationship Thancred x WoL Cassandra Tygrova, takes place after A Realm Reborn, right around the very beginning of the post-patch content. Thancred is fine, just fine, thanks for asking (again). Cassandra, however, doesn't buy it, and is determined to offer him at least a modicum of peace if she can. (My WoL is quite the marshmallow, at least at this point. Poor Cass, the things you're going to go through...) ao3 link

Thancred had been involved in a myriad of interesting and bizarre situations in his life, but nothing prepared him for coming back from having his body hijacked by a powerful Ascian. His body felt foreign, reactions sluggish; he was battered and bruised in a mental capacity that he struggled to express. Though the process turned out to be mercifully brief, he had to relearn how to command his body to do his bidding.

And Hydaelyn, it seemed, was not without a sense of humor. Though he was seen by several healers at first, their talents were needed elsewhere in the wake of Operation Archon. That left him in the care of the Scions with talents in the healing arts, namely Alphinaud, Y’shtola… and Cassandra, once she’d herself recovered. The very one his body snatcher had been so intent on eliminating. 

Logically, he knew that he hadn’t been in control of his actions, and he hadn’t intended to be possessed by a renegade Ascian with a penchant for inviting himself into bodies when he found it convenient. He was for the most part faultless, from an objective point of view. Still, that cold logic was worth little when he imagined the shock his companions must had felt when they’d seen him on the side of the Garleans… and when Cassandra had looked into the eyes of the one who'd nearly killed her, and saw Thancred’s own hazel eyes dancing with maniacal triumph staring back. 

To that end, to somehow express to her his remorse in being unable to stop the one possessing him from hurting her, he truthfully wasn’t sure how to act. Should he apologize? Would a joke lighten the mood or belittle her feelings? For one whose tongue was often considered silver, its weight now was akin to lead.

It certainly didn’t help that she had to help him with rudimentary tasks as his body was wont to ignore his commands when he'd first awoken. She’d asked for his permission to aid him in bathing as there was some concern about him slipping when his balance was found to be uncharacteristically unreliable. When she’d begun to assist him in undressing with cordial, precise movements no doubt bore of experience in treating patients, he still wasn’t sure how to break the silence that stretched between them.

By the grace of the Twelve, Cassandra managed to do it for him. She’d no doubt caught on to his hesitation and after removing the last of his clothing and offering an arm to assist him stepping into the tub filled with steaming water, she spoke in a soft murmur that nevertheless still managed to carry in the quiet of the room. “Would you be more comfortable if I swooned?”

A laugh, an honest to gods laugh burst out of him at that moment, and the small uncertain smile on her face bloomed even as she reached out to help him remain upright. “For the sake of my pride, it would do me a world of good if you did!”

Just like that, the tension had broken in him. To his relief, she insisted that she held nothing against him. Though he had no doubt that were she to think of the events that occurred in the Praetorium, the memory of his visage in that place would inspire fear, she never betrayed a hint of it in his presence. It humbled him that she still was willing to place her trust in him, despite the pain he’d inadvertently caused. More than anything he wanted to be worthy of that trust, though he couldn’t imagine how he’d manage such a feat. He’d struggled with doing enough, being enough, even before Lahabrea had tallied the score so deeply against him. Though he swore to not give in to despair, it lurked in his mind, coloring his thoughts.

Thankfully control over his body returned quickly, though a particularly prickly Student of Baldesion warned him that his aether had still not entirely recovered from the ordeal and that he was not to return to front line duty with the Scions until he had been cleared. Thancred was confident he could have cajoled Minfilia into letting him return to his duties, but unfortunately she wasn’t the one in charge of the decision. The thought of being sidelined, even surrounded by friendly faces, had him feeling unsettled and caged. Still, it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own that his recovery was not yet complete, and he sought to project a contented countenance and spend time with his friends since he could do little else for the time being.

His restlessness and the walls of the Waking Sands pressing in around him had led him to assist Urianger with organizing tomes one afternoon, when Cassandra approached him and asked if he wouldn’t mind accompanying her. When he’d jokingly asked if she’d acquired permission for him to leave, she gave him a small but fierce grin. “I’d like to see anyone try and stop us.”

Cassandra wasn’t known for being mischievous, so this intriguing turn had him excusing himself and joining her on her way out of the Waking Sands. 

Thancred understood that she wanted to surprise him, so he didn’t insult her in asking where they were going. Its own form of trust that he could offer her, he supposed. He simply followed dutifully along as she led them through the square at Horizon and to the chocobo stables, where they’d boarded a carriage bound for Ul’dah. 

“A date in the city? Forgive me, had I known your intentions I would have dressed to impress,” he quipped as the chocobos pulled them along the road, Thanalan’s red cliffs and arroyos passing by at a lazy pace.

She laughed at that, cheeks warming to pink at the insinuation like they always did when he teased her. She wasn’t naïve or innocent; having worked the bar at Buscarron’s Druthers in the Black Shroud, no doubt she’d heard far worse. She understood even the most crass jokes that were thrown around by some of the Scions when they thought Minfilia wasn’t listening and laughed along, but she didn’t participate in them herself. His flirtations with her similarly landed well enough, but neither did she take them to heart, often just accepting the attention with a smile before continuing the conversation. 

She was never dismissive, simply genuine and grounded, something that felt rare to him among the people he’d met in his travels. Perhaps it had something to do with her amnesia? Her memories only extended as far as the year before she'd joined the Scions.

Upon disembarking from the carriage, they traveled through the soaring stone gates together. She led him down the bustling streets on a long circuitous path, past hawkers and criers and throngs of people, through the markets with all of their hustle and bustle and interesting snippets of conversation, to the entrance of the Platinum Mirage. A casino owned by Teledji Adeleji of the Syndicate, it was a prestigious and exclusive venue where vast quantities of gil were lost and won by the whims of Nymeia. Only those whose coffers were of considerable weight had any chance at receiving an invitation to enter.

To his surprise, they were greeted by a personal attendant and led up a private set of lush carpeted stairs through quiet corridors that must snake around the more public areas of the casino. At last their circuitous route led them to a small balcony overlooking the streets below, the bustle from this height a mere din, with a table set for two.

Thancred had no idea what to make of this, eyes taking in the setting as their attendant bowed and left them to their devices in this exquisite little bubble. He’d simply been teasing her earlier, but was this truly meant to be a romantic outing? Had this kind, warm soul sought to court him? Not that he wasn’t amenable, she’d intrigued him since she first accepted his invitation to join the Scions, and now that he was himself again and able to get to know her better…

“I asked Tataru to pull a few strings,” Cassandra explained, perhaps mistaking his balking for confusion. She shrugged sheepishly but smiled all the same. “I’m not a fan of throwing around my name to get special treatment, but since this isn’t just for me, I figured it was worth it just this once. …Is this all right?” she added as a quiet afterthought.

“More than all right,” he hurried to explain, his tongue catching up. “I was simply taking in the sights. The Platinum Mirage considers few outside of the most elite of the Monetarists to be special guests, so I thought to commit this scene to memory as I’ll like as not never have a chance again.” 

He swept his gaze across the room once more for good measure before seating himself across from her at the elaborate set table. Once they were seated, she seemed to relax a bit and cast her eyes out over the small forms bustling about the streets below.

Thancred was still both memorizing the path they’d taken, in case that information became useful in the future, and wondering what brought her to call in favors to get them here. If she’d capitalized on her name, that had no doubt put her in Teledji Adeleji’s sights and meant that she owed him. Now that was a thought that gave him pause; he knew how the game was played in Ul’dah. The thought of her being indebted to that avaricious snake was enough to have him thinking up ways to grease palms and keep her far from his notice. Cassandra was far from ignorant, but this game was not one to be played without pawns, and her recent victory and the fame that had come alongside it had no doubt increased her usefulness in the eyes of the Monetarists. And with her lack of skill in duplicity, she was woefully unequipped to fight back.

“May I confess my ulterior motives?” she spoke quietly, breaking the silence.

“You mean to tell me you didn’t organize all of this to simply have a dinner worthy of your efforts in saving Eorzea?” His hand came to rest on the table, prepared to reach across and grasp one of hers. She certainly deserved affection if she sought it, and if she desired it from him, who was he to let her down? Obliging would certainly be no hardship for him.

She chuckled and shook her head, her gaze drawn back to the streets below. “Of course not.” She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “You know Ul’dah better than most. What’s the city feel like to you, right now? Anything out of the ordinary?”

He followed her gaze, though he’d been assessing the city’s atmosphere since they’d stepped foot inside the gates.

She continued before he could respond. “If you’ll excuse me addressing the marid in the room, I know that you’ve been projecting this air of normalcy but after everything that happened, I know that it's not something that one can shake so easily. I can’t imagine… going through what you did, and even if you’re physically fine now, this is the kind of thing that can haunt someone for longer than most would wish to admit. So I wanted to show you that life goes on, you know?” Her eyes rose to meet his, and she gave a small self-conscious smile and lifted her shoulders. “No matter what happened when you weren’t in control, all of these people in Ul’dah, people all over Eorzea… it’s just another day for them. For any that were hurt, there are multitudes more who weren’t affected at all, they don’t even know what transpired. They’re alive, and thriving, and you have every right in the world to allow yourself the same.”

His hand fell from the table, slack, into his lap. He hadn’t expected that at all. This favor she’d arranged, it wasn’t for her, or for them both… this was for him? To help combat some of the whispers in his mind that crept in when his guard was down? 

Thancred watched her for another moment, schooling his expression to keep his eyes from widening, before turning his attention to the people on the street below. She’d been correct in her estimation. Life always moved on in the City of Coin. He knew the streets and people as well as could be expected, considering he’d been keeping his attentions on the city's workings for years, and even now he couldn’t detect the telltale nervous hums and hesitant hushes that belied tensions afoot. It was simply business as usual. Just another day like any other. 

Her attention joined his as they watched the street for a time in comfortable silence, speaking up again after long minutes had passed. “It’s one thing to know that you couldn’t have done anything to prevent what happened. But it never really helps, does it? That feeling of being responsible just… hangs on. But as often as it takes, I’ll be here to tell you again and again that it wasn’t your fault, and I’m grateful that you’re back with us.”

His hand twitched in his lap, and he was embarrassed that he’d ever thought that this had been some kind of attempt at courtship. This was much deeper than that: compassion. Awareness. Understanding. She saw through him in ways that he wasn’t sure he entirely comprehended himself, and came at him from angles he didn’t anticipate. This was a kindness that he wasn’t entirely sure he deserved, but he would graciously accept nonetheless, if anything to honor her efforts. 

“You will commit to heart the same, won’t you?” he offered at last. He knew that she was offering him this to help him come to terms with all that had transpired, but he also knew that she had most certainly not come out of the battle at the Praetorium unscathed either. He’d been tenacious in piecing together everything that had transpired while he’d been… not himself, and he knew she’d been through so much more than she had divulged to him. “No matter the lives lost, the dreaded costs of war, these people are free because you fought for them. They owe you more than they will ever know.”

They sat in silence then, the waves of understanding that slowly washed over them both helping to dull the edges of their misgivings and doubts. When a host arrived with their lavish dinner spread, he was the first to offer her a toast with the wine that had been poured for them. “To tomorrow being better than yesterday,” he offered with a grin, and she returned the toast and the smile.

The night passed above and around them while they remained in their small cocoon of ataraxy. The mood put at ease with delicious food and delightful people watching, he felt his fondness for this sincere woman grow. To have someone understand how he felt even as he sought to allay the worry of his friends, who offered comfort in private so that he could keep up his charade until he was ready to unmask himself at his own pace… It placated his insecurities to a degree, both throwing him off balance and comforting him in a way he was wholly unfamiliar with in equal measure.

Out of pure habit, Thancred sank back into his flirtatious nature, the habitual persona slipping into place while he struggled to find his footing in this raw space between them. She herself settled back into accepting his teasing and responding with unfeigned sincerity, and the conversation flowed between them as it always had. As though everything were normal, as if they’d not come close to death or been used by the enemy. Nothing outside this bubble, beyond the two of them.

In a way, he wished that he were better equipped to navigate the finer points in this minefield he found himself in. He’d become so accustomed to gathering intelligence and deflecting anything about himself that openly sharing such things felt unnatural. He was equipped to talk his way through every situation, bar his own failings. It was all the more astonishing then that she still saw right through him despite his blundering.

She wasn’t asking him to expose his weakness to her, simply offering a space for him to explore it away from the bustle and aching familiarity of the Scion headquarters. Her empathy reminded him of Minfilia, after a fashion. Was this some side effect of the Echo, or were they simply similar in nature?

Looking at her now, he didn’t spy a single telltale sign that she was displeased with his returning to the familiar teasing banter as they spoke. There was no unspoken demand that he bare himself to her, she simply followed his lead. Let him have what he needed. Cassandra knew that he used flirtation to disarm people, or alternatively put them at ease. She was used to it, expected it, understood that it wasn’t intended to be looked at too deeply. 

If he were ever to earnestly wish to court her affection… he wondered if she’d brush it off the same as she always did. Would she be able to tell the difference? Would she see through him at that moment as she did now, or would the mask he’d worn for so long finally fool her, too?

[writerman]

October 4th ( I know how late this is)

Prompt: “How would that even work?” 

Ship: WoL x Zenos

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV (Endwalker Spoilers so avoid if you haven’t finished playing! Will also tag as Endwalker Spoilers) 

Rating: General Audiences

Summary: This prompt is written as a spin-off chapter for a currently unpublished FFXIV fic with no name! This is part of the fic and as it is unfinished I will leave the fictober piece unfinished also. 

Please enjoy! 

----

Honestly, Roe hadn’t ever been under such scrutiny from the scions before. 

While he had always had rather unorthodox methods when it came to defeating great and terrible evil, the scions usually were never far behind with their own schemes, so it was not until now that they had to take a step back and possibly evaluate their friend's sanity. 

“How would that even work?” Thancred was the first to break the silence, his expression said it all really. Unbridled confusion for the most part tinged with slight disgust, though it didn’t seem it was directed at Roe more at the situation. 

“Yes, my question exactly, how curious.” Y’Shtola murmured, her words not directed at anyone in particular but still, Roe angled his head at her in question and when her eyes met his she sighed and shrugged, “It seems I have no option but to investigate further.” 

“T-that is not to say we’re interested in the particulars of your relationship with him, so please spare us that at least… but you are welcome to tell us what happened when Zenos first came to you if it isn’t too much trouble?” 

In their defence, the reaction was to be expected. Zenos had died right before his eyes and was left to rest at the edge of the universe, cold and alone and unreachable. 

Or so Roe had thought. 

After all was said and done, and the world had been saved he had been offered a sanctuary and island of his own to live out his days in solitude if he wished. And so he did.

That was until the sun rose glorious and blazing over the island one morning revealing a dishevelled and shipwrecked Zenos unconscious on the golden sands. Roe had dashed nimbly to his side and brushed the flaxen mane from the Garlean’s face but for a long moment, Zenos did not stir. 

However he had gotten there, he had no idea, but if the man was truly alive there would be nowhere he could go without being hunted like a beast, a true reversal of the life he lived before he had expired.

When the memory had played out and he was not so deep in his thoughts he regarded his friends with caution. They waited patiently for his response and did not speak while he recalled those moments from the not-so-distant past. 

I tried to ask him how this could happen, but he does not know. I thought he would find a new body but it seems not. I don’t understand what happened. Neither does he. Roe signed as clearly as he could, his dexterity lacking as he worried over the Garlean’s fate now the scions of all people knew he was still very much alive. 

Please consider that he had been returned to us and no terrible fate did befall us and likely will not. I truly believe he is a changed man.

“Oh, Roe. Do you have romantic feelings for this man?” Y’Shtola finally caught on that the questions were why Roe was happy to have Zenos with him, and her question, while it held disappointment Roe did not feel shame, but he didn’t feel confident either, there wasn’t much for him to say and his non-reaction was admission enough. 

“Right, well, we’ll leave the big man in your capable hands while, we,” Thancred gestured to the other scions and himself, “Work out the how and why it happened.” 

“Can Alphinaud and I come to the island to see Zenos?” Alisaie queried as she grabbed her twin’s arm and pulled him to her side in a bid to have him remain before trying to scurry off with the others.

“Alisaie! You cannot be serious? What if he remembers us?” 

“That would be good, then he will know not to try anything stupid because he knows what we are capable of.” 

Roe had no say in the matter and simply nodded his agreement. There was no use trying to convince Alisaie otherwise, and so he gestured for them to follow him back to Limsa where they would begin their seabound journey to the island sanctuary where Zenos was awaiting the return of the great hero, the warrior of light. 

Whatever the future held at least they knew it would be interesting. 

[miss-tc-nova]

Guilt - Y’shtola Rhul x WoL

Started this one ages ago but only just had time to sit and finish it. Not perfect, but eh. And a shitty title

Premise: Y’shtola’s secret mission keeps getting interrupted. 

Genre: Angst

Words: 2,219

~~~~~

              Heels click along the tiled floor. They pause for just a moment before another bookcase. Nimble fingers skim spines of tomes from across the ages while cloudy eyes discern their contents, looking for something—anything—that might suit her needs.

              Another book unlikely to provide any aid joins the pile in her arms. Brief contemplations cross her mind to increase her collection, but the toll of time—meant to remind the studious that a realm outside their readings still exists—tells her that she’ll simply have to settle for now.

              Warm sunlight falls on her face as she steps outside, matched with a soft breeze for the perfect weather. Scholars on all walks of life cross the grounds of the Noumenon in their various endeavors for knowledge. It seems that many have decided to forgo the clock’s warning and continue their study. Would that she could do the same: delving into the words of her predecessors with reckless abandon in the hopes of making a life-changing discovery. But no, her studies are in pursuit of a different kind of “life-changing.”

              “Y’shtola.”

              An ear flickers before her gaze follows. The approaching aether she recognizes. Across her lips pulls a smile that her heart contradicts.

              “It’s good to see you again, Krile. And Alphinaud, back from Garlemald, I see.”

              The young man replies, “It’s just a short visit. Alisaie is waiting for me to return with some supplies and perhaps with some ideas to encourage cooperation with the Garleans. No doubt impatiently, might I add.”

              “And how has your progress on the humanitarian front progressed?” In reality, she doesn’t care, but to show such disregard is considered ill-mannered. And she must avoid all suspicion.

              Alphinaud speaks of his work with lively input from Krile. Only the barest dredges of the sorceress’s mind remain with the conversation, the rest remains dedicated—fixated—on her objective.

              “Has there been any word yet from Eorzea’s champion?”

              The young man’s question pierces her ruminations. This question she’s heard many times over. Quite frankly, she wishes they would refrain from doing so; it’s exhausting always deciding between lies and honesty. The lies always win.

              “No, still no sign of our hero.”

              Sullen silence suffocates the scholars for a moment. This is not a subject easily breached, let alone to the sorceress. Surely, Alphinaud now regrets venturing his query.

              “My apologies. I meant no—”

              “Enough.” Y’shtola cuts him short. “I see no reason to fret over that fool. A choice was made. So when the adventure is over and we meet again, there will be an exceedingly long discussion, believe you me.”

              It’s no wonder that her sharp tongue has the pair on edge. Mockery and pity are most often the two consolations given regarding the situation. Y’shtola’s ire, especially as the missing Warrior’s partner, must come as a shock.

              Krile’s laugh is filled with unease. “I have no doubt about that. I’m sure it will be a scolding for the ages.”

              This discussion has gone over long. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a significant amount of reading to do and holding these books is becoming quite tiresome.”

              The lalafellin is merciful. “Yes, by all means, don’t let us delay your work any further.”

              “I wish you luck in your endeavor,” agrees Alphinaud. The woman begins to walk when the elezen adds, “But Y’shtola.”

              Against her better judgement, her boots pause.

              Alphinaud’s pain irritates the darkness in her heart. “Please call on us if ever you need anything.”

              The exhale is surprisingly stable. “Of course. Safe travels to you both.”

              Without any more distractions, Y’shtola takes her leave.

              Her journey to the Rostra is filled with prayers that she remain unnoticed a second time. Though disregard blesses her travel, the feeling of scrutiny crawls beneath her skin. Eyes follow her every turn, unwavering judgement bearing down on her conscience. That face, printed over and over and plastered across the city haunts her and yet motivates her all the same.

              “Ah, Y’shtola.”

              Another chain binds her heart. Composure as strong as she can muster, she lifts her head.

              “G’raha. Urianger.” Her head dips in greeting.

              “What fortuitous tidings,” the elezen hums.

              “Fortuitous indeed,” she agrees.

              G’raha approaches, the tomes in her hands under scrutiny. “That’s quite an armful you’ve got there. Delving into another profound theory?”

              “Time waits for no scholar and neither will the star’s mysteries.”

              “And what of thy learnings since last we met?”

              Right, it was Urianger prodding into Y’shtola’s private affairs last time. And the time before that as well. Uncanny persistence, while well-meaning, is proving tiresome, especially with such a perceptive man.

              “Not as fruitful as desired, I’m afraid.” Not entirely a lie. “So I’m hopeful that my visit to the Noumenon will provide more light to my conundrum.”

              “Perhaps if thou were to share this conundrum with us, we might be of some aid to thee.”

              There it is—the enquiring.

              “I’m afraid I’m not ready to divulge the subject of my thesis as of yet. There are details still to be decided.”

              “I see. Well under thy fastidious mind, I’m sure the answers will soon become clear.”

              If only it were so easy.

              G’raha motions again to her arms. “In the meantime, would you like a hand with your findings? They look heavy.”

              “Thank you, but I assure you I’ll manage. I must, however, be on my way now if I’m to make any progress.”

              Urianger lets not a single step pass before he speaks again.

              “One last inquiry ere we part.”

              Regretfully, her goal is postponed once again.

              “—How are you faring as of late?”

              The lies stain her tongue, needing no thought to let them loose. “I’m perfectly hale and whole.”

              G’raha keeps his silence, but Urianger, as always, is willing to have the hard talks.

              “While diligent work is certainly commendable, doing so at the expense of one’s well being will only lead to a paltry performance at best. Thine beloved would not approve.”

              Y’shtola’s lips twist at the assault. Even before the Scions, many sleepless nights were spent in pursuit of knowledge. As a student of Master Matoya, she thrived on small sustenance and midnight oil. Considering the very place they stood, that he can make such statements is rather insulting.

              Even if he is right.

              No, the wound now comes from her own conscience. Would that she could take his advice and confide in the people she considered family, but they simply wouldn’t understand. Thus her dark deeds remain hers alone.

              Her words are sharp with the intent to silence. “I know what needs be done and I will not tolerate a lecture unnecessary. My ventures are my own and I know full well the consequences. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

              There’s no pause for permission. Her strides carry her with conviction; there will be no more intrusions on her goal. She can’t stand any more of it.

              Still, as the woman steps into the elevator and the gate closes behind her, those eyes fall upon her once again. Even here, there’s a missing persons poster to implicate her of her darkest secret.

              In spite of the conclusion of the Final Days, all of Eorzea is in a state of alert. The Scions returned to Etherys, every one of them accounted for. They were greeted as the heroes they were upon return.

              The healers quickly descended on them. Those like Alphinaud and Y’shtola had rather superficial injuries that required negligible attention. Melee individuals such as Estinien and Thancred had taken more damage. But it was the Warrior of Light that fought beyond life and death for all the realm’s sake. How anyone could even stand after such a feat was a miracle in and of itself.

              The events that had transpired had taken its toll. In the days following, visitors were greeted with over enthusiasm that quickly waned to mental truancy. Conversations were left unresolved and friends were no longer acknowledged. Apologies are frantically given once said episode passes but it never prevents the next one. Soon, guests were no longer accepted with one exception and it led to outbursts. Tensions rose with her every visit, frequently finalized by her dismissal.

              Then the Warrior of Light vanished.

              Healers frantically searched the Psysis Technon, quickly extending their investigation to all of Old Sharlyan. An alert put out by the Forum had every eye in the city on the lookout for the confused champion, but the Warrior was never found. Some sympathized that the adventurer snuck away to enjoy their wandering roots once more. Yet some claimed that someone wanted to dispatch a threat already weakened—some turned on the Forum for that one. Suspicion was even thrown the Scions’ way, most of all Y’shtola as the last person to see the missing person.

              Moons have waxed and waned. Word has spread through Eorzea like a plague. Would-be heroes have tried to take up the mantle, falling pitifully short of the feat of the Final Days. Imposters have stepped forth in hopes of gaining a glory not rightfully theirs. Reports of sightings take the Scions to places across the realm in search of their missing ally.

              But Y’shtola knows that every report and every claim is false. They will never find the Warrior of Light and she intends to keep it that way.

              Her arrival in Labarynthos cannot come soon enough. Departure soon follows suit, leading the woman along the dirt path. The cool air of perfectly-simulated night quells her dismay. Quite and calm is the road before her, bereft of travelers save the lonely sorceress. Her pace slows, thoughts roaming through threads of text she glanced before her journey—trying desperately to avoid the despair that awaits her.

              Well away from any Labarynthian settlement, Y’shtola’s travels take her off the beaten path. Twisting and winding through pure wilderness, not a trace of her presence is left behind. It wouldn’t do to lead any unfortunate soul to her deepest secret.

              Stone looms overhead with intent to halt her journey. Page-worn fingers extend, tracing ridges and leaving behind essence of aether. Against its nature, the wall gives way, revealing the passage it hid at her behest. Then, with none the wiser to her whereabouts, the stone swallows the sorceress and resumes its inconspicuous ways.

              Into the depths of the earth the hallway takes her, deeper than any cavern carved out by any scholar in nature mimicry. Cold rock encases her at every step, leaving little room for her to pass, let alone anything larger. Though enshrouded in utter darkness, this path is clear in her cloudy eyes. Natural aether in accompaniment of her own grants her sight where it would leave all others helpless. Should any unsuspecting fool miraculously stumble upon the entrance, surely this inhospitable route would discourage any investigation—for their sake.

              One last squeeze through a narrow turn opens into a vast cavern. Aether sets alight the room, revealing even the farthest corner, yet at its center is a massive, black hole. Circles of magic and massive chains entrap the creature. Even so, it rouses at her presence. A feral growl ripples the air, snaring Y’shtola’s heart with innate fear. Though she cannot see the creature void of aether, she can feel the slaughterous gaze locked on her. Though feral rumbles continue, Y’shtola ventures deeper into the grotto, finally relinquishing her books to the floor.

              Peering up into the void that dwarfs her with even its paws, she feels a sense of grief. Yet even as this sorrow and anger overwhelm her, such emotions are siphoned into the abyss before her—a vicious cycle begetting more and more heartache. Thus far, her conviction has held. Watching her hero fall deeper and deeper into despair pained her. In those final days of humanity, the adventurer expressed fear that misfortune would befall Y’shtola and their friends. No matter what words she used, the sorceress could not sway the terror. And as it consumed the aether-weakened warrior, Y’shtola turned to rage. Demands were thrown as to how it could be—after all that happened—that concession was an option now. Grasping the severity of all these terrible emotions and how only now their impact was too much was simply beyond her.

              Even now, she doesn’t understand. The only fact that truly reached her rationale was that the person she loved was suffering and she was useless.

              Her denial runs strong. Though no method in reverting any fell beast has been discovered, her resolve to find one is Y’stola’s driving force. More like than not, it’s for her own selfish desires, but for the sake of Eorzea’s peace she could almost fabricate an excuse. Not that any is aware of her dirty little secret in harboring a Blasphemy. Surely none would approve. They would call her mad for even trying. Thancred and Urianger would be the first to step forward to end the suffering.

              That’s why she keeps her secret. If it kills her, Y’shtola will find a way to fix this, to right her failure as a partner, to return to those days before the tragedy. Failure is not an option.

              A gentle smile pulls at her lips. An ear-deafening roar, filling the air, does nothing against her resolve.

              “Worry not, my love. I’m here.”

[novaeagle]

The Grand Cosmos is great because at the end I can take a screenshot of my wife, my husband, and me.

[wol-taleal-desharn]

And another one. I wrote these a while back, but never bothered to post, heh.

'Burdens'

WoL x Graha k bye

Graha decides to visit Tally one night in Sharlayan. Krile and Yshtola lightly tease Tally about her crush on the former exarch.

It was several days after the body switching incident; indeed, Taleal had even been to the moon and back in the last few days, defeating Zodiark in the process. The Scions found themselves back in Sharlayan for a short rest and reprieve before the Final Days befell them.

Taleal, in particular, found herself alone in the Last Stand, staring at the table, lost in thought - her thoughts on relationships, her friends, the end of the world. It all jumbled together in a great mix of thoughts and feelings.

At least, she was alone, amidst all the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, until there was a tap on her shoulder - and who should it be but Y’shtola and Krile.

“Care for some company? Y’shtola asked, her usual small smile upon her face.

“Of course. Please, sit. I just ordered.” A waiter approached as the women sat, taking their orders.

“You look a thousand malms away, my friend.” Krile observed. “Whats on your mind?”

Tally blinked, eyes widening as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Nothing — everything. I don’t know. The fate of the star, Final Days…”

“Anything we can help with?”

Taleal shook her head, then settled it to rest in her hand. “Not really. I’m just…”

Krile frowned. “Tired? Restless? You look lonely, my dear.”

Y’shtola frowned ever so slightly, nodding. In a blink, she smirked. “I bet I know of one who could cure that loneliness.”

Taleal eyed her friend, a splash of pink forming over her pale face. “Y’shtola!”

“What? It is no sin for you to be with someone you care for. Well, if either of you could bring yourselves to say as much.”

Krile nodded her agreement. “Of all people, you most of all deserve a chance at happiness. True love, even.”

“Oh, I don’t know about all that. He might not even feel the same way.”

Y’shtola and Krile shared a look like something was painfully obvious, at least to them.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing. But perhaps you should say something. You might be surprised.”

“I’m sure now is not such a good time to be so…concerned with such things. We’re facing the Final Days, and I need to—“

“Go in with a clear head and nothing left undone. Keeping silent is the worst thing you could do.” Y’shtola shook her head. “My dear, it is clear you have taken a fancy, and perhaps it is even deeper than that. We all see it. And if we are all wrong, well - then at least you can go into the fight with a clear heart and concience that you DID say something, rather than not.”

Taleal chewed on her lip as she thought over this.

Krile nodded in agreement. “I would not want such feelings left unsaid, especially with the threat of the Final Days looming. We none of us know what will happen in the end…”

“And if you are worried about ruining your friendship, stop fretting. I do not believe that will happen, either.”

Taleal slowly nodded at their words. “I suppose. But I would feel better if I had an inkling as to how he felt, rather than going in so…blind.” She scrunched up her face, eyeing the two over their food as the waiter set it down. “Why is this even the topic of discussion, anyway?”

The other two women shared another glance to each other, and then stared at Taleal with smiles on their faces.

“You would indeed be surprised, my friend.”

Tally just sighed.

~*~

That night, Taleal found herself alone in her room, mulling over the conversation with Y’shtola and Krile.

G’raha was her dearest of friends, though she did indeed long for something more. She sighed, thinking of all the times that she was simply referred to as ‘my friend’.

But then she also recalled how, after she had regained her body from Zenos, he had been the one to come after her, to comfort her in her moment of weakness…

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Who in the world could that be at this hour?

“G’raha?” She mumbled his name when she opened the door, surprised to see the object of her thoughts standing before her.

Nervously, G’raha’s tail twitched along with his ears as he played with his bracers, not quite meeting Taleal’s eyes.

“Oh, apologies. I - I didn’t mean to..” He cleared his throat. “Ahem. If you could spare a moment before bed?” G’raha managed to stammer out, straightening his posture in an attempt to calm his nerves.

“Of course - I always have a moment for you, G’raha.” Tally smiled, stepping aside in an invitation for the Miquo’te to come in.

He shook his head, feet firmly planted in place. “Thank you. I will not keep you long - I fear this might be the last quiet night we have to talk for quite some time.” He seemed to be steeling himself for whatever it was he wanted to share.

Taleal tilted her head in agreement, waiting to see what he had to say. She leaned against the door, trying to look relaxed. Even now, her roguish nature bid her to try to cover her own nerves, and look cool, calm, and collected.

“I am..troubled, of late. Unwarranted concerns, perhaps. I hope. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to share them with you.”

- With me? Please, share with me. - She thought. She kept her face still and calm, nodding for him to continue. Briefly, she thought back again to that night she threw herself into his arms in tears. Thought of how comforting it was, how protected she felt, rather than being the protector. The auri woman tried furiously not to blush and give herself away.

“What’s troubling you so, G’raha?” she murmured, a look of concern crossing her features.

The red headed miqo’te took a deep breath before diving in to what may have been rehearsed, but Tally had a feeling that he was, as ever, speaking from his heart. “You have bested your enemies thus far - Zenos, even Zodiark - your victories have come at a considerable cost to yourself.” The words spilled from his lips, and Tally found herself lost in the sound of his voice.

“No one is without their limits - and you are no exception. I worry the added weight of the Final Days can prove more than you can bear alone. It is surely to much for any one woman…”

Despite herself, Tally did find a blush rising despite all her best efforts - she blamed his tone of voice, so sincere and passionate, and that intense gaze that stared into her very being.

“…But you hadn’t need to bear it alone. Let me share your burden.”

Thunderstruck, Tally blinked in surprise at the statement. It was everything she wanted right then and more. But was that what he meant?

Could he, maybe..?

G’raha was still speaking, something about sharing baggage, but Tally didn’t quite hear it as her thoughts swam at the possibility of what he was offering to her just then. Instinctively, and without really thinking of the consequences, Tally took the step forward to close the gap between her and G’raha. She stood just inches from him now, not quite touching.

“Of course it needn’t be…” he stumbled over his next words when he found her standing there so close that he could touch her, keenly aware of the small auri’s presence in his personal space.

Tilting her head back, Tally stared up, studying G’raha’s face carefully. Every feature, every little detail she took in - the surprise mixed with something else in his red allagan eyes, the lightest hint of pink spreading across his face, the way his tail and ears had gone suddenly still…

G’raha gulped; he wanted nothing more than to put his arms around her again, to hold her against him and keep her there. She had taken the first step in what seemed like a silent offer. But maybe he was over thinking it; was she testing him? Did she realize what she was doing…?

Without realizing what he was doing, G’raha settled his hands on her shoulders - a bit awkwardly, perhaps, but he wanted to touch her without seeming to assume anything…

Standing on tiptoes, Tally took a breath and stole a bit of fighting courage - she had slain primals, toppled gods… - she shouldn’t be so scared of what this man, so dear to her, might say if she spoke her feelings.

She she opted to show him, instead, in hopes that perhaps he did, in fact, feel the same way.

Her intention had been to kiss his cheek to test the waters, but G’raha, in his own moment of courage, tilted his head to meet her lips with his own, their lips just barely brushing together in the most featherlight of kisses.

Just as fast as their courage came, it went, and both bashfully pulled away from each other, Tally going back down on her feet, and neither looking the other in the eye.

“I — I’m sorry, ‘Raha, I shouldn’t —“

He silenced her by leaning down, bringing his hands to either side of her scaled face, tilting her head up just enough for him to place his lips upon hers again. This time, he was a bit braver, trying to impress upon her his own feelings, everything he’d felt for so long, and had yet to find the courage to say.

Likewise, after her brain was done short-circuiting, Taleal brought her arms up around his neck, pulling the miqo’te in. She too tried to convey all her feelings in that single kiss - her longing, her love.

What seemed an eternity and an instant at the same time, they had to pull apart. This time, however, neither looked away; both were flush in the face and smiling.

“I wish to share everything with you, my dearest Raha, if you would have me.”

G’raha’s smile broke into a grin, tail swaying back and forth lazily. His fingers played along the scales that lined her cheeks, bringing his forehead to rest against hers.

“Let me share more than your burdens. But your joys…” he leaned in to kiss her again sweetly, “…and your sorrows.”

Tally closed her blue eyes, reveling in the feel of his touch, of having him so close. She reveled in the warmth of being next to him, and the sound of his voice.

“I would share with you everything and more, Raha. This desire of mine is one that I have held close to my heart for a long time.” Untangling from his neck, she covered his larger hands with her own small ones.

“To have you with me at my side, to call you mine. To be yours. This I would share with you.”

“I would be yours, and you mine. Let us explore this life together, whatever it may bring.” G’raha said, voice just above a whisper. “I will be by your side no matter the end.”

Tally managed the barest hint of a nod, only to show that she had heard him and agreed. She moved from resting her forehead against his, to resting her head on his shoulder, arms wrapping about his chest - he in turn wrapped his arms ‘round her, holding her close. How long they stood there simply holding each other, neither one could say. But finally, G’raha stood up, looking down on his warrior of light.

“I fear I have kept you from sleep long enough this night.” He said, voice still low but warm.

Tally went to protest, but a yawn escaped instead. “I will see you on the ‘morrow, then…?”

“Of course. I will see you on the ‘morrow. Get some sleep, dear heart.”

“Sleep well and dream deeply, my ‘Raha.”

[potassium-pilot]

The Scions as of 5.55 with Spongebob Quotes

G’raha: What could be better than serving up smiles?

Estinien: Being dead…or anything else.

***

Thancred, about to slash the white auracite into Emet-Selch: You know, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you from the day we met…goodbye.

***

SCH/SMN WoL pulling out their spellbook: You see this? This is science.

***

WoL: That hat makes you look like a girl.

G’raha with wide eyes: Am I a pretty girl?

WoL, blushing and flustered: Oh, well uh, you’re beautiful…

***

Estinien: Gee, Urianger, maybe the Saint of Nymeia will bring me a dictionary so I can understand what you just said.

***

DNC WoL: Is this the part where we start kicking?!

BRD WoL: No, DNC, that’s a chorus line.

MNK WoL: Kicking?! Oh, I wanna do some kicking! *kicks DRK WoL*

DRK WoL: Why, you… *casts Edge of Shadow*

***

Alphinaud: No, Tataru, I mean good for your soul.

Tataru: Oh, puh-lease! I have no soul! *eyes turn red and demonic laughter comes from nowhere*

***

Y’shtola: You like WoL, don’t you, G’raha?

(alternatively)

Thancred: You like WoL, don’t you, Lord Aymeric?

(more quotes here)