#umbral chats

[twinkuraba]

Man, despite my feelings about how the games handle her, I do really love Shiki as a character, you know?

You have this girl, insecure in herself, trying so hard to be something she's not, something she thinks is more appealing than her self. But there's still enough of the true her underneath that slips out no matter how she tries, she just can't let her Self be erased in favour of being what she thinks everyone else wants.

She's too stubborn to be anything other than her. She has the bad habit of not wanting to admit her negative feelings in case she causes trouble for someone else. She has a bad habit of putting the people important to her on pedestals and making herself feel worse in comparison; holding their opinions of her as more important than how she feels about herself.

She blames herself for other people's problems. She's willing to offer a friendly hand to strangers who've just tried to attack her. She's got an eye for detail but if something is out of place she simply must fix it. Her relationships with others are so, so important to her; she wants to be alive again to preserve them. She thinks no one would miss 'her' if she came back Different.

Eventually she realises she would miss herself.

#umbral chats #twewy

[askanaroace]

The Locked Tomb: Gideon and Harrow - Aro Perspective

Any Locked Tomb fans here?

Just wanted to chat about Griddlehark. It's kind of amazing to be in a fandom where the same ship is end game for like 100% of the community, myself included.

But - and maybe this is just perspective bias - that ship has never been romantic to me. I've never really read anything romantic into Harrow and Gideon's relationship. To me, it's a very strong non-romantic bond that we, in this non-TLT universe, have no appropriate word for. Absolutely a Jaeger pilot (Pacific Rim) sort of bond. The new sff bond: cavalier and necromancer; sword and adept.

(I could go either way on it being sexual or not.)

"You are my only friend. I am undone without you."

--Harrow to Gideon, pg 356 GtN

"[...] the entire point of me is you. You get that, right? That's what cavaliers sign up for. There is no me without you. One flesh, one end."

--Gideon to Harrow, pg 432 GtN

"You think anything I did has been to make her love me? [...]" "Like I said before. She's just not into you. She's into bones. She gave her heart to a corpse when she was ten years old," I said. "She's in love with the refrigerated museum piece in the Locked Tomb. You should've seen the look she had on when she told me about this ice-lolly bimbo. I knew the moment I saw it. I never made her look like that... She can't love me, even if I'd wanted her to. She can't love you. She can't even try." [...] "If you think anything I did, I did to make her love me, then you don't know anything about her and me. I'm her cavalier, dipshit! I'd kill for her! I'd die for her. I did die for her. I'd do anything she needed, anything at all, before she even knew she needed it. I'm her sword, you pasty-faced Coronabeth-looking knock-off." Always your sword, my umbral sovereign; in life, in death, in anything beyond life or death that they want to throw at thee and me. I died knowing you'd hate me for dying; but Nonagesimus, you hating me always meant more than anyone else in this hot and stupid universe loving me. At least I'd had your full attention.

--Gideon to Ianthe, pgs. 435-436 HtN

So Alecto, wearied of talking, kneeled up on the rock and offered up the sword to [Harrow], and placed the child's hand upon the blade, so that it received also the red blood of the child. This made the child exceedingly faint, but it did not swoon of weariness. Which strength pleased Alecto, who said: Notwithstanding, I offer you my service. To which a voice on the opposite side of the shore was raised, exceeding wroth, and Alecto heard it shout in a very great shout: Get in line, thou big slut.

--Alecto's perspective, pg 477 NtN

Like Gideon knows very clearly that Harrow does not romantically love her. But they are the only two children of the Ninth left. They are committed to each other in "one flesh, one end" by now. They are meaningful to each other, and that is enough.

I don't know. I'm just having a lot of feelings about it.

#aromantic #aro spectrum #fandom #the locked tomb #tlt #headcanon #fandom analysis #character analysis #relationship analysis #griddlehark

[riftdancing]

Same story, different person. With twitter going under and a bunch of new and old faces resurfacing on Tumblr- I am looking to make myself more active again. Thus for I am looking for people to interact, follow, and roleplay with!

Who am I? In the past you may have known me by my character's name, Siyoh. Or possibly even by my dead name, Ink (its strongly appreciated if you do not use this name with me any more). These days I prefer to go by, Pepper. Though close friends who have known me a long time still get away with calling me Siyoh. Staring at you, @gatheredfates.

I am an avid roleplayer and lover of all things Final Fantasy, but especially when related to XIV. I operate two roleplay establishments in game, the Umbral Udon and the Fireside Café and Coffee Shop which I co-run with @gatheredfates!

So what can you expect out of my blog?

Screenshots

Artwork

Writing

Roleplay

Housing Design

Venue & Event Information

Answers and Tagged posts

𝑴𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 :

The leading ladies so to speak! Or at least, my main three. I have many characters, but these gals get the most show time! Allow me to introduce you to Blink Vaniro, Siyoh Mari, and Mihli Mihgo (my content main). Blink may have gotten her hands on her own document and made a few edits... Oops.

If you'd like more information on myself or my characters I encourage you to check out my web page! My other characters which aren't listed in this post so that it doesn't run too long are located there.

I would love to hear from you or get to know you! Please don't be shy to chat with me in the replies or shoot me a DM. The true aim of this post is to make contact and forge bonds with people. If you have any questions or comments I'm open any day any time! 🌻

#LFC #Looking for contact #FFXIV #Final Fantasy XIV #FF14 #Final Fantasy 14 #Riftdancing

[inventors-fair]

Mix your Matches

So there've been some rumors about having a name-oriented contest, and I gotta say, for a while I was all about those kinds of gimmicks. Nowadays, well, I'm more mechanically focused. More in the zone. I have myself some standards, you know?

But that also means I can set the standards. And everyone knows that I'm a big softie for words and language and all the weird stuff that comes from it. So today—sorry, this week—y'all are at my behest, because you're going to have to make something horrific and terrible and strange, and I'm going to be the one to set your silly little limits.

From the lists below, choose ONE adjective, then follow it with ONE noun, and design a card based off of the resulting name.

ADJECTIVES:

Plentiful

Hushed

Ossified

Draconic

Abandoned

Unbound

Freshwater

Belligerent

Ravenous

Magnificent

Kindred

Gargantuan

Impossible

Chromatic

Stalwart

Wishful

Stomping

Blessed

Commanding

Tyrannical

Umbral

Veiled

Luminous

Keen

Brittle

NOUNS:

Troop

Indolence

Canyon

Overflow

Companion

Banner

Usurper

Frog

Punishment

Demands

Choir

Absolution

Mortar

Waste

Vagabond

Expertise

Tomb

Spirit

Generosity

Helm

Isolation

Lasso

Notion

Response

Fallacy

Usual restrictions apply, e.g. assume you're designing more for a premier environment, assume you're designing for paper, assume you're designing in this current year, etc. You're just designing one card, with one adjective combined with one noun. I'm reiterating that here just to make it perfectly clear that I'm looking for two-word names and zero funny business.

What I AM hoping for are clever combinations, unique type interpretations, and possible thoughts on the question of how language changes our perception of design options. So, have fun!

Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weekly contests stronger. Hope it works! - @abelzumi

DISBOX (for cards) >> HERE INCORD (for chat) >> HERE

#mtg #magic the gathering #custom magic card #mix and match contest #inventor's fair #announcement

[yamiunicorn]

Seoc Totoloc

THE BASICS ––

Age: 32

Nameday: 26th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

Race: Half-Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te, half-Highlander Hyur

Gender: Male (trans)

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Gay

Marital Status: Married

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ––

Skin: Pale

Hair: Blue

Eyes: Naturally blue; when his right eye was injured in the Calamity only the right turned red; when corrupted by Light on the First, that eye turned gold

Height: 5 fulms and 5 ilms

Build: Broad-shouldered with strong arms

Distinguishing Marks: Black fingernails; injured right eye which he usually covers with an eyepatch

PERSONAL ––

Profession: Engineer; Warrior of Light/Darkness

Hobbies: Carpentry; reading; singing; writing

Residence: Empyreum

Patron Deity: Byregot

RELATIONSHIPS ––

Spouse/Significant Other: Geist Sturmlanze (husband)

Children: Damus Vergrove (son); Sateli Totoloc (daughter); Zazel Totoloc (son)

Parents: Sezul Totoloc (father)

Other Relatives: Zinnia Totoloc-Corvus (granddaughter who traveled from the future)

Pets: Nicias (Seoc's chocobo); Fuzzywhiskers (Geist's fat cat traveling companion)

CONTACT INFORMATION  ––

Server: Halicarnassus (Dynamis)

IGN: Seoc Totoloc

Timezone: EDT (GMT-4)

Seeking: Folks to do PvE/PvP content with, as well as people who want to chat about OCs without necessarily seeking RP. I am also considering testing the RP waters again, so if you are willing to be patient with a rusty RPer, let me know! I would prefer RPing on Discord rather than in-game, but meeting people in-game is fun too!

#ffxiv lfrp #dynamis lfrp #seoc totoloc

[tallbluelady]

lmao ok this might be ambitious but the idea of the unpolycule meeting in a scifi setting has gripped my brain for the au prompts

Minthe tilted her head. "Ariadne? Isn't she in charge of the phyto-remediation project?"

"Exactly," Hades said. "According to Hythlodaeus, she's hit a bit of a snag with the actual metabolizing of the Umbral aether into a more active form. Because of your focus on biochemistry, we figured it was the best fit."

"You sound very well informed on that." Minthe's eyebrow raised.

"Part of my job as Chief Magicks Officer," he said smugly.

She rolled her eyes and took the docket. "I'll go see what I can do." If Hades only knew that she turned down the promotion on purpose he would have a lot less to be smug about...

Minthe skimmed through the docket as she waited for the turbolift from med-bay to hydroponics. She turned her head and gave a whisper of a smile to her crew-mate who stood next to her. He gave off waves of shyness, tallness, and orangeness.

"Ahh, where's your stop?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Hydroponics," she answered politely before reviewing her docket.

"Th-the same, actually."

Am I missing something or am I truly intimidating? Minthe looked up from her docket again and got a more focused look on her crew-mate. He was wearing and engineer's uniform and the markings around his eyes were oddly familiar...

She sighed. "I am truly awful with names, but aren't you Daedalus?"

He nodded. "Yes. For my name. I don't know how awful you are because you managed to get mine..."

"Well, part of that is that you're the engineer on my docket."

"So you are taking the project?" Daedalus brightened at that.

Minthe nodded. "Emmoroloth has enough staff I can work part-time in med-bay. This should keep me busy for my other hours on duty."

"It is nice to be able to do something other than keeping the ship running. Well, the Aether conversion is going to help keep the ship running, but it's different than what I usually do..."

The two of them chatted as they rode the lift down to hydroponics. Minthe was pleasantly surprised that the conversation was keeping her attention. Even though she had signed up to be on the USS Etheirys for her work rotations, she didn't expect to be making new friend so quickly.

After dodging an ever-shifting Mori, the two of them made it to the hydroponics bay. Inside the bay were plants and mushrooms galore, all growing under lights or behind darkened glass. A woman with blue hair and a hooked nose was tending to something, and Minthe figured she was the right person.

"Ariadne?" Minthe asked, wishing she had taken the time to recall more of her crew mates' faces.

"Yes? Did I miss my med-bay appointment?" The woman asked. Then she turned and smiled at Daedalus. "Oh, hey! Long-time no see! You're on the project, right?"

Daedalus nodded. "Oh, of course I am. When I saw your name on the docket I instantly signed up. Minthe is actually on the project too!"

"Really?" Ariadne's eyes grew wide. "I had requested your help but I didn't think..."

Minthe tilted her head. "That's not how Hades made it sound... at any rate, since we're all here..."

Thanks for the prompt!

#i need a writing tag #plant girlfriends #i melt with you #azem minthe #azem ariadne #azem daedalus #brain went brr star trek on this #easy to slot into ngl #will this spawn anything more? #only time will tell

[escortingsecrets]

𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄  [ … ]   𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄,

bold what applies - italicise sometimes.   repost,  don’t reblog.

fights honorably / fights dirty

prefers close - quarters / prefers range

chats during / goes silent

low pain tolerance / high pain tolerance

attacks in bursts / attacks steadily

goes for the kill / aims to disarm / fights defensively / strikes first

is provoked easily / provokes their opponent / teases

gets visibly frustrated / shouts while attacking

uses strategy / focuses on the battle / experiences conflicting thoughts during battle

rushes in recklessly / tries to read their opponent before engaging

fights wildly / fights calmly / fights apathetically / fights with anger / fights with excitement

fights because they have to / fights because they want to

fights without regard to wounds / runs away when wounded / hides wounds / takes a blow to protect another

prefers a blade / prefers a gun / prefers hand to hand combat / prefers a bow / prefers a shield / prefers a personalised weapon / prefers magic alchemy or spells

their greatest weakness is physical / their greatest weakness is mental / their greatest weakness is emotional

transforms for battle / fights as they appear

relies on strength / doubts their strength / relies on speed

uses everything they have / proceeds with caution / hides their full potential

exhausts quickly / has high stamina

behaves arrogantly / brags after landing a hit / belittles their abilities

uses psychological tactics / uses brute strength

avoids civilians / strikes down civilians

damages surroundings / avoids damaging surroundings

signature fighting style / makes it up as they go

mastered skill - set / learning their skill - set

messy fighter / elegant fighter

accepts defeat / refuses defeat / begs for mercy

compliments their opponent / insults their opponent

uses unnecessary movements / moves efficiently / barely moves

prefers to dodge / prefers to block

defends their blindside / has no blindside / leaves blindsides vulnerable

uses all available advantages / strictly uses one main method

plays around / holds back / fights ruthlessly / shows mercy

waits for an opponent to be ready / strikes when opponent isn’t ready

fears death / fears pain / fears killing

has ptsd / avoids fighting

has lost a fight / has won a fight

has killed / refuses to kill

wants to die standing / would succumb slowly

Tagged by: @whitexdove Tagging: @niderofalltrades @umbral-stigmata-unbound @strykingshot @fourthclone

#dash game #This is more DND Shivan than FF Shivan tbph #FF Shivan doesn't really fight #DND Shivan has commited war crimes

[osric-giroux-ffxiv]

Ruminations

The steady ticking of the grandfather clock at the end of the hall - it was the only sound that echoed in the entry hall, every strike of the machinery in time with the throb and the pulse of the scar in the center of his chest as he stared up the flight of stairs in the direction his sister had retreated.

How long ago had that been? An hour? Two? 

Her words rang out clear in his mind - her anger, her hurt, her resentments…her rejection. 

How many years had she been letting such feelings fester? Just how long had she been smiles and courtesies to his face and despising every moment of it once he was out of ear shot? 

He never asked for her protection, never asked her to put herself in harm’s way for him. She’d done that all of her own accord and yet now she wanted to turn and lash out at him for her choices. He’d never wanted her to go into intelligence, never wanted her to risk herself day after day - it’d been an argument the first time he’d caught her out on assignment years ago…but one he’d thought they’d long since moved past.

Now he couldn’t help but wonder  what other resentments and arguments he’d thought they’d managed to sort out that were still lingering and simply waiting to become an issue again at just the wrong moment. 

Osric hissed as a jolt shot through his chest and a hand reached up to rub the scar gingerly - the damn thing always flared when he was stressed - and he turned on his heel, retreating towards the study instead of back up towards his bedchamber, sleep the furthest thing from his mind as the Edalene’s words continued to run through his head.

His hand was poised over the bottle of bourbon when one moment in particular caught his attention - overlooked in the midst of everything that was happening, but crystal clear now as he stood looking back. 

“O-of course. And the funds, my lady? Will they be coming out of-”

“Osric’s funds, Wyland. As I was injured while on his errand this evening.”

Injured while on his errand? The only thing he’d asked of her was to have the meeting with…

He turned quickly, moving from the study and up to his bedchambers, taking the stairs two at a time. It took no time at all to dress, pulling on appropriate pants and boots, the shirt he was wearing was good enough, before just as quickly making his way towards the door, brushing past Wyland on his way down.

“S-sir! It’s the middle of the night, where in the world are you going?”

“To have a chat.”

“T-the hour sir!”

“I don’t CARE, Wyland.”  Osric turned, cloak in hand as he glanced back up the stairs at the elderly Elezen. “I don’t know when I’ll be back - make sure she’s resting.”

The door all but slammed behind him as he stalked out into the snow covered streets, trying not to let his thoughts get ahead of him. All he knew is that Edalene had gone to the Cress estate for a conversation. What occurred between the time she left and when she returned was a mystery to him - but that was why he was going to ask…the time of night be damned. 

When he agreed to this arrangement he did so knowing there was a sibling involved, and with the understanding that he would treat Valeria as he would Edalene. No harm would come to her by his hand. She would have his protection, his loyalty, his understanding…and he expected that the same would be given to his sister in return.

Boots thudded against cobblestone - he barely heard or felt it.

Snow poured around him - he barely felt or saw it. 

There were whispers of the guards following a trail of blood that just…disappeared into the alley way, and then reappeared only to disappear again…he ignored that too.

His focus was only on the road again until he stood in front of the familiar doors, blood pounding in his ears - not caring about the time of night as he pounded his fist against the heavy wood until it was cracked open and for the first time in all his various visits, Osric didn’t meet them with a smile. “I need to speak with Vahalia. Now.”

Mention - @umbral-flare-ffxiv

#of lances and lament #blurbs

[twinkuraba]

NGL I hate the way "They wouldn't say/do that" has basically become 'you can only write something if you adhere to canon at all times' 2.0

Man, sure makes me want to engage with fandom when I feel like people are going to be looking at everything I make with a magnifying glass to make sure that it's 100% canon accurate (or fandom agreed accurate) and never deviates from it.

#umbral chats #It's barely one step removed from shit like 'you can't ship that char with someone else they have a wife in canon' #or 'the char never SAID they were X so you can't headcanon that' #And I feel bad for new fans who're faced with this pressure of 'get it right or don't bother creating anything at all' #when all they wanna do is have fun and participate by write/drawing these new characters they're excited over #And people wonder why folks are so hesitant to create fan art/fic

[terminaltrigger]

Argos Delacroix

About 🍇 Tags

The Basics --

Age: 110+

Nameday: 26th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

Race: “Seeker of the Sun” “Miqo’te”

Gender: Male (trans)

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Demisexual biromantic

Marital Status: Married

Physical Appearance --

Skin: Lightly tanned

Hair: Blond

Eyes: Red

Height: 5 fulms and 8 ilms

Build: Narrow but with strong arms

Distinguishing Marks: Lighter blond highlights in his hair; black fingernails

Common Accessories: Red-framed glasses; silvery earrings

Personal --

Profession: Arcanist; doctor; gunbreaker

Hobbies: Biological "tinkering;" reading; traveling; writing

Residence: Mor Dhona

Patron Deity: Oschon

Fears: Being powerless to stop pain inflicted on others

Relationships --

Spouse/Significant Other: Orizien Vie’ceile (husband)

Children: Rin Vie’orizien (daughter)

Parents: Hadriana Delacroix (mother)

Siblings: Adrian Delacroix (brother)

Other Relatives: Anya Delacroix (niece)

Pets: Mercy (chocobo)

Hooks --

Arcanist’s Guild: A man appearing to be in his 40s has been visiting Limsa Lominsa intermittently to study and teach at the Arcanist’s Guild for the last... 70 years?!  What kind of cryptid is this guy?  All we know for sure is that he’s "definitely not a vampire."  How informative.

Traveling Doctor: Argos is always happy to provide medical aid to those in need.  He seems to know Eorzea like the back of his own hand, too, so you may be more likely to run into him than you’d think.

Lemures: While not necessarily a member of this Reaper-led organization, Argos has spent a fair bit of time with them in his Void-related endeavors.  He also might be a little too eager to throw himself into danger if that danger involves the Thirteenth.

"Retired" Scion of the Seventh Dawn: As it says on the tin.  After all, the Scions disbanded recently, right?  That should give him the chance to pursue his own adventures.

Allagan Interests: While not his own area of expertise, Argos’s husband has exposed him to a vast amount of Allagan knowledge.  Incidentally, there are some odd rumors about a high-tech bunker on the outskirts of Mor Dhona, conveniently located not far from the Crystal Tower...

OOC --

Server: Brynhildr (Crystal) IGN: Argos Delacroix Timezone: EST (GMT-5) Seeking: Folks to do PvE/PvP content with, as well as people who want to chat about OCs without necessarily seeking RP. I am also considering testing the RP waters again, so if you are willing to be patient with a rusty RPer, let me know! I would prefer RPing on Discord rather than in-game, but meeting people in-game is fun too!

#ffxiv lfrp #crystal lfrp #miqo'te #seeker of the sun #argos delacroix #thoughts of light

[panyo02]

Para darle valor a un 5ouvenir, el tiempo es fundamental

Si bien les vengo hablando de la fundación 5ouvenir, los tengo en el umbral del suspenso por qué no volví a comentarles (ros) nada del proyecto. Sin embargo he estado trabajando mucho y muy duro en cada uno de los proyectos, sobre todo en la parte que más trabajo y dinero genera... las clases de Francés. Y bueno no piensen que vengo a restregarles la satisfacción del éxito en la cara, por que ese no es mi estilo, pero si vengo a comentarles que el concentrarse en un proyecto (como lo fue 5ouvenir en su pico más alto de popularidad) deja mucha satisfacción, resultados y buena vibra. Y bien (otra vez la letra Y) aquí estoy escribiendo una vez más. Y compartiendo lo que en un tiempo será un souvenir más. El tema del francés es un tema recurrente y regular, simplemente es el ambiente en el que suceden los acontecimientos. El otro día en un chat de la familia se hablaba de lo mal que estaba el país y tuve como última opción hablar de lo bueno que ha sido el proyecto de 5ouvenir y a su vez cuestionarme cuando iba a ser el siguiente gran paso. Y cómo no quiero comprometerme prosamente (del modismo prosa) quisiera exponer no más que las ideas más románticas de la iniciativa de 5ouvenir, el cual sigue dando pasos, no agigantados pero camina el proyecto; y el tema de la documentación representa cada vez un aspecto más relevante sino que necesario, sobre todo en un mundo digitalizado donde la genuidad* humana es preponderante. El dinero es importante, pero el bienestar también, uno no debería depender del otro sin embargo guardan cada uno una relación de importancia y relevancia. Justamente en ese ámbito se da la conversación, pues yo como ser humano y costarricense quiero ver a mi especie y mi pueblo engrandecerse y dejar marca en este paso del tiempo donde tiene lugar nuestra vida... ¿por que conformarse con menos? Ante las inminentes despliegues de cultura que promete 5ouvenir existe también un compromiso social y por tal razón no puedo dejar el proyecto morir. Adelanto un trabajo de nuestro canal en Youtue y aseguro la cotinuidad de nuestros proyectos en un futuro inmediato.

una clase sobre la importancia de darle relevancia a lo que se aprende no ¿¡cómo se aprende?!

Quiero dejar por escrito que más allá de la relevancia que llegue a tener este este proyecto, su única finalidad es el del mejorar de manera inmediata la vida de las personas a través de la cultura. Los negocios y el dinero vienen después, pero vienen.

Tutor Xavier Sagot Morales

* entiendase como genuino y no como genialidad

#Youtube

[voidsentprinces]

Also I refer to Shadowbringers being the climax of the story and Endwalker being the victory lap because narratively Emet is sort of our nemesis. He founds the Garlean Empire which births Nael and brings about the the Seventh Umbral Calamity, brings forth Gaius and Lahabrea and the Ultima Weapon for A Realm Reborn, conquers Ala Mhigo leading to Ilberd’s actions from Post ARR through Post Heavensward, conquered Doma and is the grandsire of Zenos for the events of Stormblood, and is the narrative device Ishikawa uses to express the lore behind our unknown past, bringing forth information for the time of Ancients, the true nature of Zodiark and Hydaelyn. He gives us the information that turned the Ascians into Saturday Morning Cartoon villains into humanized characters. Us fusing with Ardbert and facing him feels like a climax when “Shadowbringers” begins playing and reflects the conflict between the both of us. “One brings shadow, one brings the light, two toned echoes tumbling through time, three score wasted, ten casted aside, four-fold knowing, no end in sight.” And while aiding us through Elidibus fight. He narrates our journey through Endwalker and aids us at the tail end before going away forever like a brief moment of the bad guy joins forces with us when there is a bigger fish to fry.

The path from Sharlayan through the fight with Zodiark feels rushed and feels like if they could extended 5.X - a 5.10 process, the battle with Zodiark would of been the prelude to Endwalker where we handle the rest of the Final Days. The fight Endwalker is the falling action. He get time to visit all those who aided us in our journey, we face Garlemald where they go from killable trash mob to actual characters, we learn of Hydaelyn’s design for the Moon and Loporitts, we sort of travel here and there barely fighting battles as we deal with the first wave of the Final Days in Thavnair. But immediately set off to Elpis before returning to the end of the universe of Ultima Thule. We get varied goodbye moments with those we befriended along the way. And when the second phase of Endsinger kicks in, its very much a “Roll the credits” on our long journey. Even the battle with Zenos feels like an after thought, one last thing to put to bed before we start a new. The stakes weren’t particularly high, Meteion very much felt like, “Lets give the apocalypse a face for you to punch and somehow connect with.” A kind of villain behind the villains that only had an expansion to have the light. The Superboss hanging around the hideout of the final boss in an early Final Fantasy installment.

We knew the Ascians. We fought the Ascians from the very inception of FFXIV and 5.0 - 5.3 felt like we dealt with the Ascians fully. Even Eden is about closing out two Ascians involved in the First’s destruction. 5.4 - 6.0 feels like, tie up the lose ends. Find hope in the friends you met along the way. Learn more the eldest of Primals and their respective sources. Hell, have one final chat with Elidibus without pomp and circumstance. Have a heart to heart with the Emissary for the first and last time ever. The post patches of Endwalker still feel like that, here is the story of Lahabrea you didn’t get to see. Here are the Twelve you’ve ever only heard about in passing. Here is Igeyorhm’s and by extension, the Ascian’s greatest failure, the Thirteenth Shard, the Void and what is going on in there. Lets tie up all these loose ends so by 6.4 we can begin anew truly.

Shadowbringers is where it all came to a head. Endwalker was picking up the left overs and tying it off to begin a new. Emet-Selch and Elidibus are our nemesis in a sense. The Endsinger is the exhilarating, world has slowed down so seconds feel like hours, final run around all bases to savor the victory of a Homerun. Complete with a victory song.

But thats just me.

A TEST OF YOUR REFLEXES!

#{ words from beyond }

[tearsoftime0086]

Saw your post in the League tag. If you ever post some of those fics I'd love to see them!! Even WIPs/snippets, really (especially the Nasus & Renekton one; I will die and kill for brother content)

Anon first off thank you so much for the kind words a;dlkghsk;a

I saw this ask come in out of nowhere and was like!!! a fellow league lore enthusiast!!! It makes me so happy that you'd be interested in my little WIPs, it made my DAY! Gosh I'm still trembling typing this.

Hmm some of those fics are really small so maybe what I'll do here is post them all below the cut (for links to posts for the bigger ones, text itself for the smaller ones), along with some "writer's commentary" to explain what they're about. Feel free to read/ignore whatever you choose!

Also if there's an idea that intrigues you (or if you have a writing suggestion outright) definitely let me know, it'd be my honor to work on it :) Or if you ever just want a fellow league person to chat lore/ideas with! No pressure tho - I know that would potentially require coming off of anon!

Thank you thank you again~

Nasus and Renekton fluff is on AO3 as Shuriman Nights (I'm gonna respond to your other ask right after haha)

Sett/Aphelios heartsteel drabble is posted on Tumblr here! Just a small scene of Aphelios and Sett as they work on their upcoming concept album.

Jayce/Viktor Arcane Mr. Freeze AU is posted on Tumblr here! It takes place right after the Arcane season 1 ending and Viktor decides to cryofreeze Jayce. I have a LOT more notes on this one if you're interested - this was supposed to be a sprawling multi-chapter fic I committed to but I never came back to it.

Zed/Karma darkstar/odyssey AU is posted on Tumblr here! This one's a sprawling one too, including Odyssey Zed and Karma, Dark Star Karma, Dark Cosmic Jhin, and Cosmic Queen Ashe (at some point - all I have are quick scenes). Depicts the fall of Zed as he becomes consumed by the Ora - High Templar Karma decides to do whatever it takes to stop him... even if that means using the power of a Dark Star.

Sona and Ezreal psyops drabble is posted on Tumblr here! I love the Psyops skinline so much, so a small scene between two weapons who have made their own way in the world.

Pulsefire Ezreal is posted here! The prequel to number 5 - Ezreal was the first to escape Viktor's Psyops and has a hard time with the existential dread that entails... until a peppy, Pulsefire clone appears on his doorstep. The scene is just their first encounter.

I couldn't find my Diana and Aphelios interlude... but essentially this was Aphelios going on a search for Diana and being ambushed by Solari, causing his connection with Alune to be severed. When he wakes up, he finds Diana. He has to decide whether to bring Diana in to the Lunari by force or work with her to reconnect with Alune. It's a shame, I loved planning this one out.

Kayn and Yone dawnbringer/nightbringer drabble: As Yone fights to find his place in the struggle between gods and mortals, he encounters Kayn, who's facing the same dilemma a very different way. Here Kayn has just Umbral Trespassed into his mind, much to Yone's ire:

~

Kayn is unamused. "Huh. You lived."

His expression doesn't change when he's forced against the wall. Yone's eyes simmer black with anger as he presses the demon blade against the demigod's neck.

"How dare you trespass-"

"And for a moment I thought we could have a useful partnership. You're nothing but a man with a lingering brother complex."

"ENOUGH!" The blade slips against Kayn's throat, and golden ichor beads from the wound.

Gold blood, dripping from Yasuo's arm...

While he drowns in red.

Yone staggers back, hollow eyes looking far into the distance. Kayn scans his frame, scoffing as he sees Yone's fingers tremble. The demon sword clangs onto the ground and vanishes in a flash of dark smoke.

"I believe our meeting is over," Kayn says, wiping a rough palm across his throat. As the wound begins to close, the scythe in his hand glows an eerie white. "I'll at least wish you well in your endeavor, hopeless as it may be."

Kayn's eyes glaze over as his entire body turns ethereal, casting unholy shadows against the crumbling walls. "Farewell, mortal fool," he scoffs, and then he is gone, slipping under the shadows of the setting sun.

~

9. And last but not least but the Shaco backstory! Very short - I didn't write the sad part when Shaco becomes corrupted lol

~ Once upon a time, there was a clown....

Now, even people back then hated clowns. They were eerie folks, who dressed up in garish robes and baggy, dirty pants. And some of them weren't even human. So when Shaco was created, he became the immediate source of gossip amongst the nobles. What was the king thinking, giving something so crude and sinister to his ailing child? As Shaco wandered the palace halls, a permanently smiling face painted on his wooden frame, all he received in return were scowls and furtive glances. There were numerous times when he was stolen straight from the prince's hands. A bad luck charm, they said. The prince's final escort to the underworld, they said. But Shaco did not care. He had his friend. And if his friend would laugh for him, that was enough.

~

#random musings #bits and baubles #league of legends #my masterlist #tags and answers #hope this is readable o.o

[yamiunicorn]

Rah Corvus, né Q'rah Tia

THE BASICS ––

Age: 29

Nameday: 26th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon

Race: Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te

Gender: Male (cis)

Pronouns: He/him

Sexuality: Gay

Marital Status: Married

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ––

Skin: Lightly tanned

Hair: Dirty blond

Eyes: Violet

Height: 5 fulms and 9 ilms

Build: Lithe and muscular

Distinguishing Marks: Scars all over his torso from being stabbed, slashed, and bludgeoned, as well as self-harm scars on his arms and legs; black tips on the fur of his otherwise dirty-blond ears

PERSONAL ––

Profession: Astrologian (working at Ser Vaindreau's Grace in the Firmament)

Hobbies: Cooking; fishing; playing card games

Residence: Corvus Manor (Empyreum, Ward 10, Plot 26), with additional rooms at Durendaire Manor and the Athenaeum Astrologicum

Patron Deity: Halone

RELATIONSHIPS ––

Spouse/Significant Other: Tacitus Corvus (husband)

Children: Ophelia Corvus (daughter); Ahnu Corvus (son)

Parents: Q'ana Vinh (mother); Q'loh Nunh (father)

Other Relatives: Q'zha Tia (half-brother); Q'yahmi Tia (cousin)

Pets: Kibeth (chocobo); Flora (mameshiba)

CONTACT INFORMATION  ––

Server: Brynhildr (Crystal)

IGN: Argos Delacroix

Timezone: EST (GMT-5)

Seeking: Folks to do PvE/PvP content with, as well as people who want to chat about OCs without necessarily seeking RP. I am also considering testing the RP waters again, so if you are willing to be patient with a rusty RPer, let me know! I would prefer RPing on Discord rather than in-game, but meeting people in-game is fun too!

#ffxiv lfrp #crystal lfrp #rah corvus

[wereh0gz]

OC lore dump because. Yes

I already talked about Eterna's creator deity, Null and The Little Traveler (that was. Months ago. Lmao) so now it's about time I talk about Zephyr, Sage, and Siren, the world's Guardians.

Let's start with some general facts.

Each one has a specific "domain" they watch over and protect- the skies, the earth, and the oceans, respectively. Each one is specifically attuned to their domain, with their appearances and powers being influenced by it. They are not bound to them, though. They can explore as much of the world as they wish (to the extent their physical limitations will allow.) Their appearances are also somewhat influenced by the creatures and people they have met over the many, many years they have existed, so they didn't always look the way they do now.

(More under cut)

Zephyr, Sage, and Siren didn't exist when the world or the universe were first created. In fact, they were made long after the first sentient creatures came along. There's a lot of myths surrounding how exactly they came to be. Some say they are lost souls who died among the elements they now watch over and control, given a new lease on life by Null who took pity on them. Others think Null just made them outright for the sole purpose of protecting their elements from the greedy who choose to exploit nature.

They're all the same age, a couple hundred thousand years old (which I'll say is the god equivalent of late teen-young adult in this universe. Time gets funky when you live forever.)

They don't remember how or why exactly they were born, and, frankly, none of them really care. The circumstances of their creation aren't too relevant to their current lives. They're mostly worried about the world slowly dying from the Penumbra.

Now moving on to more specific facts about each Guardian, in order from when they first meet The Little Traveler.

Starting off with Zephyr!

Zephyr is the Guardian of the Skies. He watches over the atmosphere, up until where the air meets space. He's made up of solid clouds, so his form can shift slightly, dissipate, or even produce rain, lightning, or snow when needed. He's very light and cool, and if you were to touch him, it would almost feel like there's nothing there at all. Some say he is a piece of the sky itself given eternal life.

He has full control over the winds and the weather. He can summon great storms at will, though sometimes he'll summon them involuntarily if angered or saddened enough. He's usually very chill and carefree, though, but that demeanor only came after many years of being unable to control his emotions or the storms that came from them.

He's a bit playful and quite sociable. Most people see him as strange for a deity, as he'll regularly visit villages and towns to rest after a long flight or to talk to people and make friends. You wouldn't really expect that from such a powerful being. It makes him quite well known among what remains of the population, and though he's still revered as a deity, some people see him a bit more like the person that he really is. He doesn't like being worshipped, anyway, so he doesn't mind his relationship with people being as casual as it is. In fact, that's exactly how he wants it to be. He often calls himself lazy, but he can be more determined than anyone, given the right motivation.

He enjoys flying, adventuring and exploring (especially when it's with Sage and Siren), and chatting about said adventures. Sometimes he likes to test how high up into the sky he can fly. He can reach high enough to see the stars beyond, even in the day, but that's about as far as he can go. He doesn't get to do the things he likes much anymore, though, due to the all-consuming darkness taking over Eterna.

When he first meets The Little Traveler, he is the only Guardian who remains. He doesn't know what happened to his siblings, but he fears the worst, and is on a quest to find and save them. But he's at his wit's end, having exhausted himself fighting off Umbral Beasts and keeping what remains of civilization safe.

If I had to give him a voice, I'd say he sounds a lot like Pit from Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Next up, Siren!

Siren is the Guardian of the Oceans. She watches over Eterna's oceans, down to their deepest, darkest depths. Her body is made entirely out of liquid, so she will freeze or evaporate depending on the temperature in the environment. Her form is very malleable, able to change shapes at will, and will blend in with surrounding water almost perfectly. Despite her fish-like appearance and lack of legs, she can move out of water just as easily as she can in it by swimming through the air itself.

She can easily control the water around her, able to create large waves and change the tides by just raising a fin, and can draw out water molecules from the air and condense them into liquid form. She can also create ice or burning steam at will. She can swim at great speeds underwater and reach down into the deepest parts of the oceans without the pressure affecting her. (She knows what's down there, but refuses to tell.)

She is energetic and very mischievous, though she's never outright malicious with the tricks she plays on people. She is also confident and headstrong, and not afraid to try something new and take risks, which leads her to butt heads with Sage a lot. Many people see her not as a deity, but as a sea monster, or a force of nature, and she is the least known out of the group because of it. She seems almost unbothered and perhaps even unaware of the majority of the population's perception of her, though.

She enjoys pulling pranks on people, especially sailors at sea, scaring them by causing the water's to become rough suddenly or even pretending to be a monster. She never goes as far as to truly hurt anyone, she just gives them a spook. She also likes to sing, and has a beautiful, almost hypnotic voice, which some believe is how she got her name. Though she greatly enjoys company, she also values her time alone, so sometimes she will swim off as deep as possible and simply remain in the darkness for a while to relax.

A lot of the seas have been consumed by the Penumbra, and by the time Zephyr and The Little Traveler find her, she had already fallen to the darkness. She is frozen inside a cavern by a beach stuck in eternal winter, unable to do anything about the Penumbra except silently pray that her siblings are still safe out there.

This isn't the first time The Little Traveler had seen her, though. They'd been to this cavern before on their adventures, before they met Zephyr. But they thought her frozen body was just a strange ice sculpture, and it wasn't like she could speak to tell them otherwise.

And last but not least, Sage!

I had a hard time coming up with a voice claim for her and Sage, but the recent release of Sonic Prime gave me the perfect voice for her (yes I'm bringing Sonic into this. Shut.) She sounds almost exactly like Rouge the Bat and her Shatterverse counterparts (especially Rebel Rouge).

Sage is the Guardian of the Earth. They watch over Eterna's continents and their flora and fauna. They were once just a sapling who created a body for themselves using their roots, molding it from the dirt, clay, and stone of the land they were once rooted in. They often smell like flowers (usually lavender) and wet earth after rain.

They are fully capable of molding the earth around them, as well as understand and communicate with animals, and grow and control plants to their will. Sometimes grass and wildflowers will sprout from their back when they're in a particularly good mood. Their appearance and energy levels also change depending on the season of the area they may be in. Just like a tree, their leaves will wither and fall during autumn, and they may go into a state of hibernation during winter.

They are very introverted, preferring solitude and the company of the animals and plants around them. They take their duties as deity much more seriously than their siblings, and they are not afraid to raise hell if people harm the nature they were made to protect. Because of this, they are seen as a mysterious being, and some believe they are more volatile and frightening than they actually are. And while they do dislike a lot of what people do and how they can cause unnecessary harm to nature, they don't hate them. Deep down they yearn for a connection with the people of Eterna, but their sense of duty gets in the way of that.

They enjoy order and calm above all else, and especially like listening to the sounds of nature and studying critters as they do their things and go about their lives. They also particularly enjoy creating flower arrangements by growing certain flowers on the ground below them, and making sculptures out of dirt and clay. They prefer their siblings' company in moderation, as they seem to take pleasure in annoying them (especially Siren.)

Their domain is mostly shrouded in the darkness of the Penumbra. They have unfortunately fallen it, their body being consumed by Umbral Rot, leaving them unable to do anything but watch as the world around them- and their own body- rot away in darkness. It's up to Zephyr, Siren, and The Little Traveler to save them.

The Little Traveler had seen them before on their adventures, too. But they couldn't understand Sage's weak cries for help. Their body had deteriorated too much to speak at that point.

The closest I could find to how they sound in my head is Howell Wizard from Bee and Puppycat.

And that's about it for now! Thank you for reading this far! Here's a picture of my cat for your troubles.

#ramblings #oc #original character #the little traveler #zephyr #sage #siren #null #eterna #it's done #these are basically character profiles for the guardians #i love them. i really should make more stuff with them #i tell myself knowing that it's probably not gonna happen #anyways. enjoy

[ricard-blythe-ffxiv]

Silence filled the room.

Silence, punctuated only by the ticking of the clock on the wall and occasionally by the clinking of the ice in his glass as it melted, hitting up against the other ice cubes and against the sides of the glass itself. That, and the occasional scratch of the pen against paper as Ricard tried to write to his parents…to confirm that the deal was finalized.

The signed and sealed scrolls on the corner of his desk confirmed that he was to marry Valeria Cress.

That’s all he had to tell them.

The deal had been finalized. The papers were on their way to Ishgard and had been signed by all necessary parties, the official courtship would begin before the week’s end. Other details would fall into place shortly after, he never had been one to delay when there was work to be done.

And there was work to be done.

His first two meetings with his wife-to-be left something to be desired.

The first, from years before, ended with the pair of them assaulted and her fearing for her life, to the point where she thought her only option was to flee, and the second was a less than hospitable chat in which he confronted her continued reasons for running in an effort to convince her to return to her sister.

Not an ideal way to start a relationship, he had to admit.

And so, he stared at the two pieces of paper on his desk with the understanding that there would be pressure and there would be unspoken expectations…before the first gil hit the Cress coffers there would need to be significant forward movement. If not from Vahalia, then from his parents.

No…there was no need to delay, there was far too much that needed to be done.

Starting with the letters, he’d dragged his feet long enough.

Mother and Father,

You requested updates as things progressed and so I’m writing to inform you that the contracts have been finalized. 

Valeria Cress and I are betrothed. 

The paperwork is being delivered to Ishgard within the week, and I will begin attending to Lady Cress before the week’s end. 

I will arrange a meeting with you within the next several months. 

I will also keep you updated as things progress.

Ricard

Straightforward enough, though he was certain to be hounded by follow-up questions for weeks by his mother.

He sighed, setting his pen to the side for a moment before reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He’d have to make a trip home to deal with that before the poor courier got to agitated with her…

“Now to see how ‘eager�� your acceptance really was, Valeria…and just how much smoke your lovely sister was blowing up my ass to get her way.”

He picked up his and exhaled before putting pen to paper once again.

Lady Cress,

May I first say what an honor it is, the opportunity to marry a woman such as yourself, and I will do my best to provide for whatever needs you have. I do look forward to starting our lives together.

In that regard, I do realize that our last meeting, and the one before that, did not start on the…best foot.

There is a tea room connected to the bar within the Free Company estate - would you care to join me one morning this week? 

I’ve also enclosed a linkpearl, so that you’ll be able to reach me directly should you need to. It may come in handy moving forward.

Warmest Regards,

Ricard Blythe

It wasn’t his best, it wasn’t his most charming, but it was a start, and right now a start was all he needed.

He set the pen down, closing the two envelopes - one with the linkpearl within, and then went about sending the two letters on their way before returning to his drink.

Why did he suddenly feel the need to make sure he had a healthy supply of bourbon on hand…

Mentions - @umbral-flare-ffxiv & @valeria-cress

#the perceptive smartass #ffxiv edition #letters #the fine line #things #they are a happenin