#character: aeryn kaeda

[sarrie]

I wanna talk about my WoL SO HERE WE GO.

Name: Aeryn Kaeda Age: 30 Height: 6'1" Gender: She/Her Orientation: Pansexual, Demiromantic Main Classes: White Mage, Red Mage, Reaper, Dark Knight Crafting: Weaver, Culinarian Appearance: Tall, lithe, broad-shouldered. Years and years of traveling and fighting have chipped away at a previously softer figure. She has scars, of course, although the most obvious is from where Zenos slashed her during In Crimson It Began. Aeryn has tanned skin with red hair, but her overuse and desperate weaponization of white magic during the end of ARR/beginning of Heavensward has led to discoloration of her hair, and a significant loss of vision in her right eye. She can mostly see light/shadow and shapes, but has to use aether in much the same way Y'shtola has to in order to see 100%. This puts her at a disadvantage splitting her focus, so she doesn't do it for long periods. Background: Aeryn's mother left the jungle shortly after she was born, settling in to Kugane where Aeryn was raised. Dismissing traditional Viera customs in relationships, her mother settled down with a Raen man and his two daughters. The family ran a weavers/clothing shop in Kugane where Aeryn learned how to sew and craft clothing at a young age, while also learning archery with her mother. A sense of wanderlust always plagued her, inspiring Aeryn to sneak out of Kugane where she finds herself in The Black Shroud. The forests whisper to Aeryn, and a year into trying to make a living for herself doing small chores and sewing and mending clothes she is approached by the conjuring guild. That, coupled with the Echo manifesting sets her up for the events of ARR to begin.

#ffxiv #character: aeryn kaeda #warrior of light #I need you to know that I broke the editor with trying to write relationship stuff bc it was so long #so that's probably another post lmAO

[sarrie]

Relationships: Those who know me know I think shipping is tons of fun, and ofc FFXIV sets us up with the perfect setting to indulge. That being said, this will now contain spoilers up through Endwalker!

Y'shtola was Aeryn's first major crush. Her dry sense of humor and sarcasm suit Aeryn's style of humor perfectly. Being new to the area, she also appreciates how absolutely insanely smart and well-read Y'shtola is. The two would spend hours discussing any aspect of history or magic theory - especially as Aeryn made advances as a conjurer into a WHM. Their relationship never progresses outside of flirting and maybe an awkward hand holding here or there. During and after the events of the Bloody Banquet Aeryn fears she loses Y'shtola without being able to tell her how she feels.

Haurchefant is easy to like. Unlike other Ishgardians he is easy to talk to, full of optimism and romanticism about the world. Mourning and exhiled, it is easy for Aeryn to return his flirtation as it becomes something to get her out of bed in the morning. While they become incredibly close friends, their relationship never strays outside of a friends-with-benefits scenario. They become besties in that platonic soulmate kind of way, and anything sexual is no strings attached.

I did absolutely ship Aeryn and Aymeric as an endgame, but Aeryn evolved so much as a character I don't think I could see it working out long-term. There was a spark, maybe, but anything that could have been was quickly buried by the war and trying to make sure Ishgard doesn't fall apart.

After losing Haurchefant, the world becomes very heavy. Aeryn becomes more reclusive, sad, angry. So angry. At some point Estinien and her start to become very argumentative and it totally leads to them, uh, lashing out. Verbally, and then beating the shit out of each other under the guise of sparring which has led to another kind of physical activity once or twice. This leads to a very interesting relationship as the two of them just… start getting along. (Much to Alphinaud's confusion and Ysayle's amusement. She teases them relentlessly.) Getting along is too strong of a word - their insults and fighting have less bite. After Heavensward the two do become pretty solid friends, and now in current msq timeline Estinien is one of Aeryn's closest friends.

Stormblood doesn't really offer Aeryn any New Romance (tm) chances as it's so much running around and political exhaustion the poor thing is just trying to make it through the day. Emet-Selch. Hades. I uh. Am one of those Azem x Hades people. Shadowbringers features a very exhausted Aeryn. Being the WoL and seen as a savior to the entire planet is kind of a lot. There's a lot of hero worship from total randos, and it weighs on Aeryn. Of course her friends/the scions don't treat her any different than they used to, but she's so tired of being an unstoppable force. In contrast, Emet treats her as weak, as mortal, as someone with flaws. It's a wonderful blend of Y'shtola's dry sarcasm and Estinien's verbal bite. It's refreshing. She doesn't have to worry about breaking him (but gods she wants to). End of Endwalker and she doesn't remember a lot of Azem, but she remembers how she felt back then. And she knows how she feels now. MEANWHILE. . . Ok this is cracky AU stuff but Zenos is so good for Aeryn. I mean he isn't. But hear me out. There was nothing until this idiot puppy of a man kept coming back. Infatuated and obsessed and the worst thing is, he's the part of Aeryn she doesn't want to acknowledge. To those she defeats she's the bad guy. She's killed. She's arguably done horrible things and it's only justified because of which side she's on. And she sees that every time she looks at Zenos. And he's strong as hell - there is maybe no one left on Eorzea who matches Aeryn's strength and every fight is one wrong move away from her dying. It's invigorating and she hates him but he's the only one who understands.

#character: aeryn kaeda #me laying on my stomach kicking my feet in the air behind me wanting to write the most feral disgusting shit between zenos and aeryn lmao